Work continues within Mackinac Island State Park, and volunteer opportunities are available. Learn more here
The 65th consecutive season of archaeology at Colonial Michilimackinac begins!
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.
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.
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.
Wintering on Mackinac Island has always been a desolate and isolated affair. While many were able to leave the island in winter, soldiers of the 23rd United States Infantry, Companies E and K, had to stay and adapt to their winter home.
Throughout Fort Mackinac’s military history, British and American soldiers were issued bayonets to complement their shoulder arms. Learn a bit more about them here:
Two hundred years ago, the incredible tale of Sergeant James Wingard, a survivor of Mackinac Island’s most terrible day, was the talk at dinner tables across the nation.
