Things to do on Mackinac Island
Time seems to stand still on Mackinac Island not only because there are no cars, but also because there are two historic military forts and a handful of the oldest buildings in Michigan. Just by being here you’ll feel like you’re back in the past! Mackinac Island is home to many beautiful examples of Victorian architecture among the cottages and B&Bs that, in many cases, are well over 100 years old. The Island’s museums and reenactments by costumed interpreters also offer glimpses into the 19th-century lives of both soldiers and civilians.
American Fur Company Store and Dr. Beaumont Museum
On this site in 1822, Alexis St. Martin, a voyageur, was injured by an accidental gunshot wound. The unusual healing of the wound allowed Dr. William Beaumont, Fort Mackinac’s post…
Benjamin Blacksmith Shop
Originally built in the 1880s, Robert Benjamin and later his son, Herbert, ran a blacksmith shop into the 1960s. The contents of the shop were moved to the reconstructed building…
Biddle house
The Biddle House, extensively restored in 1959, appears as it would have in the 1820s when it was the prosperous Biddles’ family home. It showcases a period kitchen where the…
British Landing
During the night of July 16-17, 1812, a small force of British regulars and several hundred voyageurs and Indian allies landed and occupied a height that overlooked Fort Mackinac and…
Fort Holmes
After the British and their allies captured Fort Mackinac during the War of 1812, they quickly built a small outpost and called it Fort George. When the Americans regained the…
Fort Mackinac
Founded during the American Revolution, the British captured the Fort in the very first engagement on American soil in the War of 1812. Inside, 14 original buildings, cannon salutes, bugle…
McGulpin House
This house has been opened to the public as a barebones restoration that shows how it would have appeared around 1820. The McGulpins were a working-class family who would not…
Richard & Jane Manoogian Art Museum
The newest museum on the Island comes by the generous contributions of Richard and Jane Manoogian and showcases Native American baskets to present-day paintings. It’s a three-level structure that focuses…
Stuart House Museum
Stuart House illuminates the Island’s history and is where John Jacob Astor made his living as a fur trader during the 1800s.
Surrey Hills Carriage Museum
An antique carriage museum that features a working blacksmith shop, Surrey Hills lets you explore and learn about carriages. Three shops offer food, gifts, and souvenirs. There is a picnic…
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