ATTRACTIONS

Upper Peninsula   Northwestern   Northeastern   Central   Southwestern   Southeastern   National Parks

Upper Peninsula

Soo Locks Boat Tours - The Soo Locks have been referred to as one of the great wonders of the world and it is still the largest waterway traffic system on earth. Your boat will travel along the international shoreline of the lower harbor letting you experience all the sights, sounds, and excitement of Michigan's oldest city, Sault Ste Marie.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum - The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is the only one of its kind dedicated to the perils of maritime transport on the Great Lakes. It is fittingly located at Whitefish Point, Michigan, site of the oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior. Artifacts and exhibits tell stories of sailors and ships who braved the waters of Superior and those who were lost to her menacing waves.

Iron County Historical Museum - Upper Michigan's largest outdoor museum Twenty-two buildings including a cultural Center and The Lee LeBlanc Wildlife Art Gallery.

Mackinac Seaplane Tours - Boarding a seaplane, you will get a unique perspective with a spectacular eagle's view of the Straits of Mackinac, Mackinac Island, St.Ignace, Mackinac Bridge, Mackinaw City, Cedarville, Drummond Island, Sault Ste. Maire, Soo Locks, St. Mary's River, Shore Line of Lake Superior, and Tahquamenon Falls.

Fort Wilkins Historic Complex - Today, Fort Wilkins is a well-preserved example of mid-19th century army life on the northern frontier. Attractions include 19 restored buildings, costumed interpreters, copper mining sites, evening slide programs, camping and picnicking.

Keweenaw Peninsula - Visit the underwater preserve, paddle down the water trail, or ski and snowmobile in the winter.

   Northwestern 

Mackinaw Trolley Company - Tour with the Mackinaw Trolley- History Tour over the Bridge, Mackinaw Trolley Trail Tour, Lighthouses,Ships & Shipwreck Tour & Fall Color Tour.

Just A Plain Farm - A scenic farm producing 100 acrea of pumpkins, squash, gourds, ornamental corn, veggies & sweet corn. Unique gifts & seasonal decorations produced in their barn. Hayrides, U-Pick, picnics, parties & fun.

Michilimackinac - Founded in 1715, Colonial Michilimackinac is a National Historic Landmark and the gateway to Mackinac State Historic Parks. Explore the colonial fur-trading village and military outpost of the 1700s with costumed interpreters as your guides.

Big Bear Adventures - Big Bear Adventures is a fun, family owned business specializing in outdoor recreation. River Trips and family fun center.

Friske Orchards - Friske Orchards features a temperature controlled fruit stand, an Old World Bakery with fresh baked goods daily, the Orchard Cafe, an old-fashioned General Store, the Country House full of crafts, gifts and collectibles, Noah's Ark playground, Barnyard animals from Memorial Day through the end of October and a great outdoor deck overlooking the gardens and orchards in season.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse - Tour the restored lighthouse resembling a keeper's home of the 1920's and 30's. Exhibits on area lighthouses, foghorns, shipwrecks and local history are located in the Lighthouse and Fog Signal Building. The restored air diaphone foghorn is demonstrated throughout the year, and visitors can climb the tower for a spectacular view of Lake Michigan.

     Northeastern

Alcona Park - The 1100 acre park has three miles of shoreline on each side of this trophy fish producing river. The park is surrounded by the Huron National Forest. The river provides quality fishing of Walleye, Pike, Perch, Bass and Trout. Canoeing, boating, swimming, fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing are all popular activities for visitors.

Cheboygan Opera House - This acoustically superb, Victorian theatre has become the focal point for entertainment and the performing arts in the Straits of Mackinaw area and beyond

      Central

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland - The world's largest Christmas store is the size of 4 football fields. It's a shopper's dream...especially for Christmas lovers! There are over 50,000 gifts and trims from around the world. Christmas is celebrated all year at Bronner's.

Silver Lake Sand Dunes - Silver Lake Sand Dunes are the only sand dunes east of the Mississippi River that allow you to drive and explore them. Trucks, SUVs, Dirt Bikes, ATVs, and Dune Buggies can all be found playing in the sand.

Frankenmuth Historical Museum - The museum is an entertaining look at the people, and the motivations of the immigrants who framed the history as well as the future of Frankenmuth. Learn through hands-on displays, video and audio, and interesting artifacts.

Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park & Wild Water Adventure - Michigan's largest amusement park with over 50 rides, slides, and adventures.

John Ball Zoological Garden - John Ball Zoo features animals such as snow leopards, grizzly bears, otters, and Siberian tigers. The Living Shores Aquarium features animals from Patagonia to the Pacific Northwest Coast.

Olde World Canterbury Village - Olde World Canterbury Village, a designated historical site in the State of Michigan, extends over 21 acres. Host to 18 specialty shops and has many wonderful features and year round family attractions.

Frederik Meijer Gardens - The beauty of nature in a spectacular botanical garden and inspiring sculpture, both indoors and out.  

Southwestern

Jollay Orchards - Jollay Orchards offers a unique entertainment experience - blending a working Orchard with family activities. Activities include: Animal Farm, Farm Market, Greenhouse, Orchard Trails, Play Ground and Picnic Area.

Curious Kids' Museum - The Curious Kids' Museum is a hands-on children's museum dedicated to stimulating the curiosity of children from 1-100 with educational exhibits and programs which challenge the senses and offer unique learning opportunities.

Grand Rapids Children's Museum - Current exhibits center on transportation themes. Check out Thomas the Tank Engine wooden train set where kids can build a giant track layout for Thomas and his friends. Interactive Mister Roger's Neighborhood exhibit coming Fall 2001.

Kellogg's Cereal City USA - Kellogg's Cereal City USA is a themed family attraction celebrating the cereal industry in an educational, historical and, most importantly, entertaining manner. Full of fun, interactive ways to learn valuable information about the history of the cereal industry and the many aspects of Americana it has touched.

Nottawa Fruit Farm - Nottawa Fruit Farm is a family-owned business which specializes in home grown produce and family experiences. With its spacious grounds, opportunities abound whether you want lunch, a complete picnic, or you may want to choose from the various activities that are offered throughout the year.

Grand Rapids Art Museum - The Grand Rapids Art Museum collection includes over 5,000 works of art.Leading works in the collection include: Richard Diebenkorn, Ingleside, 1963, one of the artist's definitive early figurative paintings, prints by European Old Masters, German Expressionists, and American post -1945 artists, 20th century furniture and craft, and American paintings of the late 19th and early 20th century.

Dutch Village - Dutch theme park where a visit is like a trip to the Netherlands without ever leaving the U.S.A. The theme park has recreated life in the Netherlands from 100 years ago, with Dutch architecture, customs, and culture.

Binder Park Zoo - Located in a lush forest, Binder Park Zoo’s animals are in natural exhibits. The centerpiece of Wild Africa is a 17-acre savanna where one of the nation’s largest herds of giraffe roams with gazelle, ostrich, zebra and more.

Tri-Cities Historical Museum - The local Historical Museum, situated on the banks of the Grand River in the former Grand Trunk Railroad depot, provides a glimpse at the past, a view of our nautical heritage, and a learning experience for all to enjoy.

Full Blast - Swimming, computer games, rock climbing, and an obstacle course completely made of inflatable objects. Also indoor and outdoor water parks.

Windmill Island - Enjoy a guided tour of the 230 year old operating Dutch windmill ""De Zwaan"" towering over the 36 acres of manicured gardens, dikes, canals and picnic areas.

Southeastern

The Detroit Institute of Arts - Sixth largest fine arts museum in the country with holdings of over 60,000 works. Tour any one of the one hundred galleries devoted to the best in painting, sculpting, graphic and decorative arts.

Andy T's Farms - Farm market, bakery, nursery, greenhouse, petting farm. Mint farm tours - see, touch & smell. Bonfire parties, wagon rides to u-pick pumpkins, 7 acre corn maze and more.

Minibeast Zooseum & Education Center - A hands-on museum featuring live minibeasts, exhibits, nature trails, educational programs, gift shop and bug club.

Yankee Air Museum - The museum includes flyable examples of historic aircraft as well as static displays and display rooms filled with historic artifacts.

Holocaust Memorial Center - The Holocaust Memorial Center (HMC) was the first institution of its kind in the United States. Tour the museum and have the unique experience of speaking with a survivor of the Holocaust.

Lionel Visitor's Center - The Lionel Tour is free and lasts 45 minutes to one hour. It includes a ten-minute video on their production process and a brief history of the company. You will see a 14x40-foot operating layout with ten trains running simultaneously and accessories that visitors can operate by pushbutton.

Uncle Johns Cider Mill - Uncle John's Cider Mill is dedicated to family fun. Weekends are packed with special activities, entertainment, craft shows and other great events. Take a train ride through the orchard, visit the gift shop, check out the fun house and take a leisurely stroll through the nature trail. Vistors can experience first hand the making of cider the ol' fashioned way.

Talbert and Leota Abrams Planetarium - The planetarium houses an exhibit hall with a book and gift counter, a blacklight gallery of astronomical art, and a hemispherical domed sky theater. The theater features a Digistar, the world's only computer-graphics-based planetarium projector. It is significantly more versatile than a conventional projector and allows elaborate three-dimensional simulations.

National Parks

Isle Royale National Park - Wolves and moose, the wild North Woods forest, everchanging weather and a cool climate, and the crystal clear waters and rugged shoreline of Lake Superior characterize Isle Royale National Park. This wilderness archipelago is 45 miles long and nine miles wide at it's widest point. The park encompasses a total area of 850 square miles including submerged lands which extends four and a half miles out into Lake Superior. click here for more information

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore encompasses a 60 km (35 mi.) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou Islands. The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. The Lakeshore also contains many cultural features including a 1871 lighthouse, three former Life-Saving Service/Coast Guard Stations and an extensive rural historic farm district.  click here for more information

Father Marquette National Memorial - Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary, established Michigan's earliest European settlements at Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace in 1668 and 1671. He lived among the Great Lakes Indians from 1666 to his death in 1675. During these nine years, Father Marquette mastered several native languages and helped Louis Jolliet map the Mississippi River.

Isle Royale National Park - Wolves and moose, the wild North Woods forest, everchanging weather and a cool climate, and the crystal clear waters and rugged shoreline of Lake Superior characterize Isle Royale National Park. This wilderness archipelago is 45 miles long and nine miles wide at it's widest point. The park encompasses a total area of 850 square miles including submerged lands which extends four and a half miles out into Lake Superior.

Keweenaw National Historic Park - Keweenaw National Historical Park was established to commemorate the rich history of copper mining on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan; the only place in the world where commercially abundant quantities of elemental copper occurred. It has the oldest metal mining heritage in the western hemisphere -- one which dates back 7,000 years. It was the site of America's first large scale hard-rock industrial mining operations.

North Country National Scenic Trail - The North Country National Scenic Trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas in seven northern states. The approximately four thousand mile long trail incudes a variety of hikes from easy walking to challenging treks. When completed, through the efforts of many people, the trail will become the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Multicolored sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, inland lakes, wildlife and the forest of Lake Superior shoreline beckon visitors to explore the park, which at its widest point is only five miles and hugs the Superior shoreline for more than 40 miles.

North Country National Scenic Trail - The North Country National Scenic Trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas in seven northern states. The approximately four thousand mile long trail incudes a variety of hikes from easy walking to challenging treks. When completed, through the efforts of many people, the trail will become the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States.

North Country National Scenic Trail - The North Country National Scenic Trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas in seven northern states. The approximately four thousand mile long trail incudes a variety of hikes from easy walking to challenging treks. When completed, through the efforts of many people, the trail will become the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore encompasses a 60 km (35 mi.) stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South Manitou Islands. The park was established primarily for its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. The Lakeshore also contains many cultural features including a 1871 lighthouse, three former Life-Saving Service/Coast Guard Stations and an extensive rural historic farm district.

North Country National Scenic Trail - The North Country National Scenic Trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas in seven northern states. The approximately four thousand mile long trail incudes a variety of hikes from easy walking to challenging treks. When completed, through the efforts of many people, the trail will become the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States.

North Country National Scenic Trail - The North Country National Scenic Trail links scenic, natural, historic, and cultural areas in seven northern states. The approximately four thousand mile long trail incudes a variety of hikes from easy walking to challenging treks. When completed, through the efforts of many people, the trail will become the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States.