Mackinac Island (pronounced /?mæk?n??/ MAK-in-aw) is an island and resort area covering 3.8 square miles (9.8 km²) in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European exploration began in the 17th century. It served a strategic position amidst the commerce of the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac on the island by the British during the American Revolutionary War. It was the scene of two battles during the War of 1812.

In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. Much of the island has undergone extensive historical preservation and restoration; as a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known for its numerous cultural events; its wide variety of architectural styles, including the famous Victorian Grand Hotel; its fudge; and its ban on almost all motor vehicles. More than 80 percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park.

 

 

SITES OF INTEREST

• Fort Mackinac was built in 1780 and was closed as a fort in 1895 as it no longer had any strategic purpose. It has been restored to its late 19th century state through efforts beginning in the 1930s.
• The Grand Hotel is a Victorian-style structure that opened in 1887. It gained national prominence after the 1980 film Somewhere in Time was shot on location at the hotel.
• One of the most popular geologic formations is Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch, 146 feet (45 m) above the ground. Other popular geologic formations include Devil's Kitchen, Skull Cave, and Sugar Loaf
• The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House is the 1st of its kind in Michigan, and the oldest LIVE butterfly exhibit in the United States. The world-renowned facility has 1800 sq ft of tropical garden filled with hundreds of live butterflies from four continents.
• The Indian Dormitory was constructed under direction of U.S. Indian agent Henry Rowe Schoolcraft after the signing of the 1836 Treaty of Washington, as a school and a place for Native Americans visiting the island to stay when receiving yearly allotments. The building was restored in 1966 and converted to a museum, which was closed in 2003. On July 2, 2010, the building reopened as The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum. It showcases Mackinac art from prehistory to the present, and includes a kids' art studio.
• The Round Island Lighthouse is located just south of the island on the small, uninhabited Round Island. The light was built in 1894 and automated in 1924. Extensive restoration efforts began in the 1970s and the exterior and structure have since been repaired.
• The entire island, Haldimand Bay, and a small shipwreck form a historic district.
• The Biddle House, one of the oldest structures on Mackinac Island, was built about 1780 and is interpreted in its role as a prosperous family home during the height of the fur trade in the 1820s.

 

 

Dining

• Reba's has the best ice cream
• Murray's Hotel has the best fudge
• Cunningham's Restaurant (in Mackinaw City) has great pasties.

 

Transportation

• Ferry Ride to the Island: Arnold Transit has exclusive Mackinac Island catamarans. For the newest, smoothest, quietest, fastest ferry ride across the Straits of Mackinac. Average crossing takes 15 minutes from either of the Arnold docks in Mackinaw City, St. Ignace or Mackinac Island. People susceptible to motion sickness say the Cat’s the only way to cross the straits
• Bike Rentals:

 

Webpage

Greetings from Mackinac Island - Official Page

Wikipedia - Mackinac Island