Revolutionary Times. 

This is Mackinac.

Treasures from the past come to life at this 18th-century fort and fur trading village. As you walk through the site, you are stepping back in time to 1776, as the American Revolution spread. Reconstructed based on historic maps and more than 60 years of archaeological excavations that continue today, Colonial Michilimackinac offers a one-of-a-kind experience from cannon and musket firings to hearth cooking and crafts.

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

Colonial Michilimackinac is closed for the 2019 season. We re-open May 6, 2020.

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 new programs debuting in 2019 include Michilimackinac 1776: First Strike, The Pleasures of the Table: Canadian Cuisine at the Merchant’s House, and She was very generally respected: Women at Michilimackinac. 2020 schedules will be posted soon.

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!