Historical Tours in Mackinaw City
Browse the available activities in this category and open each page for full details.
From USD 128Guided Bike Tour of Mackinac Island with Scenic Views
Explore the charm of Mackinac Island on a guided bike tour that showcases its stunning landscapes and rich history. Cycle along car-free roads and beautiful trails, feeling the breeze as you take in spectacular views of Lake Huron. Your knowledgeable guide will share stories about the island's past. Visit iconic sites like Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac while enjoying the vibrant Victorian architecture and lush floral surroundings. This tour is suitable for all skill levels, ensuring a memorable experience for everyone. - Guided tour around the perimeter of Mackinac Island - View historical sites including Arch Rock and Fort Mackina - Suitable for all cycling skill levels with well-maintained bikes - Expert guides provide fascinating historical insights throughout the ride
From USD 29Mackinac Bridge History Cruise
Learn the history of shipwrecks as you travel over them, local Native American folk-lore, learn about living in the north country and the maritime history of the area while cruising under the “Mighty” Mackinac Bridge. Get up close to this awe-inspiring piece of architecture.
From USD 18Fort Mackinac Admission
Highlights Include: Live Programs and Tours: Demonstrations and tours by costumed interpreters are scheduled throughout the day. Exciting programs taking place throughout the 2024 season include a daily Mackinac Parks: 125 program, an updated Soldier’s Life program, an expanded People of Fort Mackinac Timeline Walking Tour, and an exciting Drill, Tactics and Firearms Program. The 2024 daily event schedule will be posted soon. Exhibits: All fourteen buildings in the fort are restored and open to the public. They are furnished with period settings highlighting the building’s particular function or a themed exhibit. Movie: Heritage of Mackinac is featured in the Post Commissary, providing an overview history of Mackinac. It repeats every 20 minutes. Learn more at www.mackinacparks.com
From USD 18Colonial Michilimackinac Admission
Colonial Michilimackinac is a National Historic Landmark, and is home to North America's longest ongoing archaeological dig. Costumed interpreters portraying British soldiers, merchants, voyageurs, Native Americans, and other tradespeople are on site daily, providing demonstrations, tours, and programs. Colonial Michilimackinac also offers unparalleled views of the Straits of Mackinac, Mackinac Bridge, and Mackinac Island. During the summer months, weather permitting, archaeologists are on site, digging through the layers of soil, pulling out bits of history in front of you.
From USD 12Elegant East Bluff: A Self-Guided Mackinac Island Tour
Mackinac Island’s East Bluff is home to some of the island’s most elegant summer cottages, where prominent families have retreated for over a century. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll hear how the area earned its reputation as “the quiet bluff” as you stroll past a collection of private Victorian and Edwardian homes. Starting outside the Michigan Governor’s summer residence, this leisurely walk covers just over a mile through scenic roads. You’ll pass charming cottages. Each home tells a different story about island life. Among them is the summer retreat for the groundbreaking Hamilton sisters – one taught America about Greek mythology, and the other became Harvard’s first female faculty member. As you make your way to Cedar Hill cottage, where the tour ends, you’ll enjoy views of Fort Mackinac. You’ll learn why the fort’s commanding position had one critical vulnerability and how British forces exploited it during their nighttime invasion in 1812.
From USD 12Scenic Mackinac Island: A Self-Guided Cycling Audio Tour
Mackinac Island has been called the queen of the Great Lakes for centuries. On this self-guided cycling tour, you'll follow a circular route around the island. As you take in the island’s beauty at your own pace, you’ll delve into its history, from quite recent to ancient, and everything in between. You’ll find out how a single woman took on the powerful John Jacob Astor fur empire, how Fort Mackinac played a big role in the American Revolution, and how the War of 1812 forced the Americans out of the fort. This tour isn’t all history. You’ll see big geologic wonders like Arch Rock, and little ones, too, like the Devil’s Kitchen cave. We’ll take you to a hidden gem on a tiny nature trail, and let you in on a dirty little secret about the wonderfully clear water surrounding the Island. You’ll also get to know who lies buried beneath the altar at St Anne’s church (and why), and learn about the most important subject on the Island: who makes the best fudge.
From USD 11Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse Admission
Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was known as the "Castle on the Straits" upon its completion, and it's not hard to see why. The house and grounds are being restored back to its 1910 appearance, and interactive exhibits and galleries, informative demonstrations, and tours of the tower allow guests the opportunity to step back int time and see what life was like for keepers and mariners at the turn of the 20th century.
From USD 11Historic Downtown Mackinac Admission
Historic Downtown Mackinac is a collection of historic sites located throughout downtown Mackinac Island, presenting history from pre-European contact into the 1950s. This self-guided museum experience includes The Biddle House, featuring the Mackinac Island Native American Museum, explores the history of the Anishnaabek people of Mackinac Island through the lens of Agatha Biddle, an Odawa woman who lived in the house in the 1830s. The Benjamin Blacksmith Shop is a working blacksmith shop set in the 1950s, toward the end of the shop's life. The Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum displays works inspired by Mackinac Island, including a juried exhibition. The American Fur Co. Store & Dr. Beaumont Museum was the site of a famous accident that altered the course of medical history, while the McGulpin House is a rare example of French Canadian architecture, and possibly the oldest residence still standing on Mackinac Island.
From USD 12Wondrous West Bluff Cottages: A Mackinac Island Self Guided Tour
Mackinac Island's West Bluff is one of the Midwest's finest collections of Victorian architecture, built by industrialists escaping the heat and grime of post-Civil War cities. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll trace the stories behind eleven of these grand cottages, from the lumber barons and meat-packers who built them to the governors and immigrants who shaped their legacy. The tour starts at the Walter C. Newberry Cottage, the first home past the Grand Hotel. You'll walk along the bluff, passing Queen Anne turrets, wraparound verandas, and shingle-style facades, while hearing how wealthy families competed for leases on this National Park land starting at just $25 a year. Along the way, you'll discover how business partnerships, family dynasties, and architectural rivalries played out side by side on this single stretch of shoreline.