Revolutionary Times. 

This is Mackinac.

Treasures from the past come to life at this 18th-century fort and fur trading village, reconstructed based on historic maps and more than 60 years of archaeological excavations. As you walk through the site, you are stepping back in time to 1777, as the British prepared to end the American Revolution with a decisive blow. Here, you will see and hear how residents of this fur trading community participated in that campaign while defending their homes from new threats. Historical interpreters representing voyageurs, British soldiers, and French-Canadian merchant families are stationed throughout the fort to answer your questions and perform demonstrations. 

Located on the shore of the Straits of Mackinac, visitors can enjoy stunning views of the Mackinac Bridge, the straits, and the Upper Peninsula. 

Health and safety guidelines are in place for your visit. Learn more about them here. 

Highlights

Live Programs and Tours

Demonstrations and tours by costumed interpreters take place throughout the day. Cooking, crafts and trades are conducted at key locations and vary by season. Exciting programs for the 2020 season include Michilimackinac 1777: At War, The Pleasures of the Table: Canadian Cuisine at the Merchant’s House, She was very generally respected: Women at Michilimackinac, and Regulars on the Frontier: Barracks Life.
June 12 – September 6, 2020
September 7 – October 9, 2020

Click to enlarge.

Exhibits

All sixteen buildings in the fort are open and furnished with period settings or themed exhibits. Special exhibits include:

• France at Mackinac, 1670-1760, explores Michilimackinac as it was under the French regime.
• Treasures from the Sand, an underground exhibit exploring the process of historical archaeology.
• Redcoats on the Frontier, describing the life of the British soldier, including a new interactive space that will allow visitors to step back in time to experience the lives of British soldiers in the 1770s. Guests are invited to try on uniforms of soldiers of the 8^th Regiment, sit at a mess table, climb into a communal bunk (two soldiers per bed!), or help a military interpreter clean their equipment or cook a meal in the working fireplace.
• Powder Magazine and Firearms on the Frontier, a subterranean exhibit describing the preserved ruins of this military structure.
• Commanding Officer’s House, showcasing the life of Michilimackinac’s commanding officer.

Movies

Michilimackinac: Crossroads of the Great Lakes, a 15-minute movie, is presented in the King’s Storehouse. It plays every 20 minutes. Attack! at Michilimackinac presents the most dramatic event in the fort’s history. It plays continuously in the Trader’s House of the Southwest Rowhouse.

Kids’ Rendezvous 

In a playground just outside the Visitor’s Center, children can exercise both bodies and brains as they explore the routes of the fur traders.

Ongoing Archaeology 

During the main season, from early June until mid-August, you can witness archaeologists continuing the excavation of Michilimackinac. Continuing each summer since 1959, the dig is one of longest ongoing excavations of its kind in the nation.

Watch the video below to see all that Colonial Michilimackinac has to offer!