We care about your health and safety. 

We look forward to welcoming you to our sites in Mackinaw City and on Mackinac Island, and celebrating our 125th anniversary. Our sites will begin to open in stages on June 12, and we have developed a robust set of safety and cleaning procedures designed to keep our visitors and staff safe and healthy while being able to enjoy our historic sites.

Phased Reopening Schedule:

Friday, June 12:

• Colonial Michilimackinac and Visitor’s Center, Mackinaw City
• Michilimackinac State Park Restrooms, Mackinaw City

Saturday, June 13:

• Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Mackinaw City

Monday, June 15:

• Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park and Visitor’s Center, Mackinaw City

Friday, June 19 (Mackinac Island sites):

• Fort Mackinac
• The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum
• Mackinac Island State Park Visitor’s Center and restrooms
• Mackinac Island State Park restrooms and facilities at Arch Rock and British Landing
• Historic Downtown Mackinac (American Fur Company Store & Dr. Beaumont Museum and Benjamin Blacksmith Shop)
• Fort Holmes Blockhouse
• Mission Church
• Bark Chapel

The Biddle House, featuring the Mackinac Island Native American Museum, will open at a later date due to construction delays.

Health and Safety Guidelines:

To ensure that everyone’s experience is enjoyable at our historic sites, we have developed a set of guidelines following federal, state and local guidelines. Follow the the additional links below for information on each of our historic sites.

• Please do not enter our historic sites if you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19, are experiencing a cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat right now, or have experienced symptoms such as a fever, lost of taste or smell, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever in the last 48 hours.
• A face mask must be worn in all interior locations or when social distancing is impossible in outdoor locations.
• Please maintain a safe distance of at least six feet between your group and staff and other visitors near you.
• Hand-sanitizing stations are located at key locations. Please use them frequently.
• Wash hands more frequently, avoid touching your face, and practice good respiratory etiquette including sneezing into your elbow.
• The number of guests allowed inside some areas is limited. Please follow guidelines posted at the entrance of each building.

Click here for guidelines specific to Colonial Michilimackinac.
Click here for guidelines specific to Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
Click here for guidelines specific to Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park.
Click here for guidelines specific to Fort Mackinac.
Click here for guidelines specific to The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum.

Physical Distancing and Limited Contact:

• Please maintain at least six feet of distance between your group and staff or other groups.
• Follow posted floor markings or signs to maintain safe social distance.
• Plexiglass barriers have been installed at admissions and sales counters.
• We encourage you to purchase tickets in advance – tickets are available here.
• The use of credit or debit cards is highly encouraged for purchases made on site for the most contactless experience.

Cleaning and Sanitizing Schedules:

We have instituted a rigorous cleaning and sanitizing schedule to compliment are existing cleaning programs, and staff have been assigned to these areas. See the individual sites above for detailed schedules, but some of our guidelines include:

• Restrooms in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island will be cleaned throughout the day, with a deep cleaning prior to opening and closures for deep cleaning happening at least twice daily.
• Store and admissions areas will be sanitized on a schedule every hour, with additional sanitizing throughout the day.
• All exhibit and gallery spaces will be thoroughly cleaned prior to opening daily, with a scheduled cleaning process throughout the day.
• High volume exhibits, such as the Kid’s Quarters’ at Fort Mackinac, the interactive room within the “Redcoats on the Frontier” exhibit at Colonial Michilimackinac, and the Science and Technology Exhibit will be sanitized on an enhanced schedule throughout the day.

Below are some frequently asked questions about the 2020 season:

What steps are being taken to ensure the safety of visitors and staff at MSHP sites?

In addition to the above guidelines, we have instituted additional rigorous cleaning schedules for our admissions and store areas, exhibits, restrooms, and other public areas.  See the individual site guidelines above for detailed information about cleaning schedules.

Are all programs and demonstrations being offered as usual?

The majority of the demonstrations and programs offered at our historic sites will take place throughout the season. However, some have been suspended for the 2020 season out of concern for the safety of our visitors and staff. They include:

• The Adventure Tour at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park.
• Tower Tours at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
• Scheduled indoor interpretive activities at Colonial Michilimackinac, such as the tea program.
• Elements allowing visitors to try on historic clothing at Fort Mackinac, Colonial Michilimackinac, and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
• Play areas at Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, and Mackinac Island State Park.

Other demonstrations have been modified, such as:

• Cannon firing demonstrations at Fort Mackinac will be conducted with a smaller capacity. The program will be repeated if guest interest exceeds capacity.
• The sawmill demonstration at Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park will run in a similar fashion to the cannon demonstration at Fort Mackinac.
• Seating areas for demonstrations at Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park and Fort Mackinac will be spread out to promote social distancing.
• See the individual site guidelines for more information.

What is the status of Mackinac Island State Park?

Mackinac Island State Park is open and available for guests. There are more than 70 miles of hiking, biking and riding trails on the island, with geological features and historic sites throughout. All roadways and trails will be open; however, construction will is currently taking place on M-185 (the road that circles the island) to fix portions of the road affected by high water levels and beach erosion. It is currently closed from British Landing to just north of Mission Point Resort.

I purchased tickets online. How long can I use them?

Tickets purchased online are good for the entirety of the 2020 season. The sites are scheduled to close as follows: Historic Downtown Mackinac August 22; Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park September 27; Colonial Michilimackinac October 9; Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum October 11; Fort Mackinac October 25.

What is the status of events scheduled throughout the 2020 season?

We are currently evaluating all scheduled events for the 2020 season. Our events scheduled in May have been rescheduled – the Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge has been rescheduled for October 3. All events scheduled through June 24 have been cancelled or postponed. All events scheduled in conjunction with the Mackinaw City Area Arts Council have been cancelled. Other events scheduled for the 2020 season are still being evaluated. Governor’s Residence Tours, An American Picnic, the Mackinac Parks: 125 Gala Celebration, and various Mackinac Associates events have been canceled for the season.

Do you have any educational or online resources available on your website?

We do! All of our online resources are available here. 

Can I make donations to Mackinac State Historic Parks? 

Just about everything we do comes with support from Mackinac Associates, our friends group. Those interested in making a donation can do so at their website.

I had/have a group visit scheduled. What do we do now?

Please contact our Group Travel and Special Events Coordinator, Cassondra Boothroyd, for further information.

Are you still hiring?

We are! All available positions are listed here. 

We look forward to welcoming you to our sites on Mackinac Island and in Mackinaw City, and celebrating our 125^th anniversary season!

Thank you.