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Have an interest in the blacksmith shop on the island? Love the black-powder weapons programs at Fort Mackinac and Colonial Michilimackinac? Ever wondered how you can help out? Learn more here:
Have an interest in the blacksmith shop on the island? Love the black-powder weapons programs at Fort Mackinac and Colonial Michilimackinac? Ever wondered how you can help out? Learn more here:
Remember the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” as the Ark of the Covenant is being wheeled into the giant warehouse for storage? Want to know how that relates to a three-year project concluding at Mackinac State Historic Parks? Read on:
We’re past the halfway point of the archaeological field season. What have we learned?
It’s spring, and while many people think of gardening, archaeologists think of excavating. The 2025 archaeological field season at Colonial Michilimackinac has begun! Get re-acquainted with the dig site here:
This will be one of the coolest things you see all summer. Experience the power of Michilimackinac’s weapons at night. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. Rifle firing will start at
Thanks to a onetime influx of infrastructure money, Mackinac State Historic Parks is in the middle of a construction boom. Archaeological potential is considered during project planning, and testing and monitoring are carried out when appropriate. Here is a rundown of what’s been a very busy winter:
In the late 18th century, a small number of sailing vessels crisscrossed the upper Great Lakes. Each vessel only required a few sailors to operate, with diverse crews that involved enslaved individuals.
Mackinac State Historic Parks offers 10 stunning wedding venues throughout its family of historic sites and state parks. Learn about them here:
Last month, we shared the story of a small boat from the reconstructed sloop Welcome, which was transferred to MSHP from the Maritime Heritage Alliance of Traverse City. A few weeks later, our staff returned to Traverse City pick up two large models of Welcome. The MHA is streamlining their historic maritime collection of small craft and interpretive objects, and MSHP and the Maritime Heritage Alliance have a long history of collaborating to preserve and interpret Great Lakes maritime history.
