
Opening Fort Mackinac
One of the highlights of any visit to Fort Mackinac is interacting with our interpretive staff. Take a little peek behind the scenes on what it takes to open a site like Fort Mackinac and work here as an interpreter.
One of the highlights of any visit to Fort Mackinac is interacting with our interpretive staff. Take a little peek behind the scenes on what it takes to open a site like Fort Mackinac and work here as an interpreter.
Maple sugaring has finished for the 2023 season. While most sugaring was done nearby, we do know that at least a few maples were tapped on Mackinac Island in the 1880s.
Enchanting. Relaxing. Magical. Mackinac evokes so many memories and images of a special place that has allowed individuals and families to create memories and unique experiences.
We’re taking another dive into the collection! Join Curator of Archaeology Dr. Lynn Evans for a look at a cameo ring originally uncovered in 1962.
Among the unusual finds from the 2022 Michilimackinac archaeological field season were two brass scale weights. They were found in the cellars of the trader’s house.
In 1878, Alfred and Alice Doherty settled in Clare, Michigan, in the midst of the state’s booming lumber industry…Their four children, Floyd, Frank, Lyda, and Alfred Jr., were raised in Clare and would grow up to love Mackinac Island.
Herbert Benjamin ran his blacksmith shop into the 1960s – long after most village blacksmiths had closed their doors. Learn more about Herbert and how he navigated a rapidly changing time on Mackinac Island.
In 1798 an article detailed plans for an exciting new museum, a “cabinet of curiosities,” located in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Which Mackinac wonders would you pick to display in this “infant museum” of early America? How about nuts and wild rice?
One of the next major projects tor Mackinac State Historic Parks will be the reconstruction of a unit on the Southwest Rowhouse. To prepare, MSHP staff have been going over the archaeological records and artifacts from the 1960s, when the unit was originally excavated.
Mackinac Island State Park cleanup is progressing well, and the park will be ready for the 2025 season. Click here to learn more.