Round Island and Mackinac lighthouses - St. Anne's Catholic Church
St. Anne's Church with Round Island and Mackinac Island lighthouses
Mackinac Island
Land of the Great Turtle




Mackinac Island Attractions

Mackinac Island Fall Colors

Mackinac Island in Winter

Fort Mackinac

Post Cemetery

Mackinac Art Museum

Stuart House City Museum

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours

More Mackinac Island photos

Lilac Festival Parade

Father Marquette statue - Fort Mackinac
Father Jacques Marquette stands in the the park named after him. The Officers' Stone
Quarters at Fort Mackinac in the background date from 1780 and is the oldest building
in Michigan. The Tea Room on the lower level of the Quarters is a beautiful place
to take a break or have lunch.
Arch Rock
Arch Rock
Mackinac Island, Michigan is located in the Straits of Mackinac approximately 7 miles east of the Mackinac Bridge. No automobiles (except for government vehicles) are permitted on Mackinac Island. The most common way to reach Mackinac Island is by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.

Native Americans have visited Mackinac Island for over 11,000 year. The first Europeans visited the island in the 1630s. During the American Revolution, the British closed Fort Michilimackinac in present day Mackinaw City and moved the Fort, now called Fort Mackinac, to the Island. Following the Revolution, control of the Straits of Mackinac was turned over to the Americans. The British retook Fort Mackinac for a brief period during the War of 1812.

In 1875, Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) became the nation's 2nd National Park. 20 years later the park was turned over to the State of Michigan. 85% of the Island are administered by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission.

Although many of Island visitors never leave the community, the majority of Mackinac Island is covered with lush forests and wildflowers interspersed with natural limestone formations like Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf and Skull Cave.

Most travel to Mackinac Island is by Ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, though some people travel there by airplane, private boats or across the ice in winter. Air taxi service is available year around from Great Lakes Air.

Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac

Mackinac Island WInter Mackinac Island in Winter

Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery

Stuart House City Museum Stuart House City Museum

Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum Mackinac Art Museum

Mackinac Island Carriage Tour Mackinac Island Carriage Tours

Fort Mackinac in winter Fort Mackinac in Winter


Mackinac Island
Fall Colors

Mackinac Island has hosted many famous visitors, including the French explorers Jean Nicolet and Rene Cavelier LaSalle; Father Jacques Marquette;  Dr. William Beaumont; Henry R. Schoolcraft; authors Constance Fenimore Woolson, Everett Hale and Mark Twain; and actors Jimmy Durante, Esther Williams, Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  President Gerald Ford was one of the Boy Scouts serving on the island in the summer of 1929.

The beautiful swimming pool at the Grand Hotel was built for Esther Williams' use in the 1946 film, This Time for Keeps. In 1979 the Grand Hotel was the setting for Somewhere In Time, a fantasy love story with a near cult following.

Admission to the Grand Hotel and its grounds is $10, but includes a $10 credit toward a purchase at the Grand Hotel. My favorite spot at the Grand Hotel is the Cupola Bar at the top. It has an amazing view and is nearly vacant during the day time. Formal dress is required after 6:30PM.

Built of Michigan white pine in 1887, the Grand Hotel is one of the world's great resort hotels. The 660' wide hotel has 385 guest rooms with no two decorated the same.

Grand Hotel - Mackinac Island, Michigan
The Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel bicycle parking

Part of the Grand Hotel parking lot

Since the 1880s, Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City have been famous for one more thing: FUDGE. So much fudge is sold in the Straits' area that tourists in this part of the state are known universally as "fudgies." There are dozens of candy shops. My personal favorite is Marshall's Fudge. The Marshall's family has been producing fudge for nearly 80 years and today have a shop on Central Avenue in Mackinaw City.


Market Street is just a couple hundred feet from Mackinac Island's main Street and may be relatively peaceful during even the busiest time of year


Carriages passing some of the hundreds of lilac bushes which fill the Mackinac Island community. Many of the
lilacs date from the 1800s. Since 1949, Mackinac Island has had an annual Lilac Festival in early to mid June.


The final event of the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival is the Lilac Festival Parade.

Governor's Summer Residence - Mackinac Island.
The Governor's Summer Residence is open for tours on Wednesday mornings in the summer. At one time,
the Michigan state flag flew over the home when the governor was in residence, but for security it now flies all the time.


Mackinac Island has many good restaurants, but little ethnic food.
Kingston Kitchen at the Village Inn has great Jamaican Food.

Feeding a ring billed gull on Mackinac Island
Feeding gulls along the shore of the Round Island Passage.

Hauling freight with horse and wagon on Mackinac Island
Although there is much less to do on Mackinac Island in the off season, it is still beautiful (prints of this photo)

St. Anne's Church - Mackinac Island, Michigan in the winter
Ste. Anne's Church on Mackinac Island  (More winter photos from Mackinac Island)

Mackinac Island in the winter  Mackinac Island Carriage Tours

Copyright 1997-2020 by Keith Stokes. These photos may not be reproduced without written permission.