What’s Blooming at Historic Mill Creek? Posted May 25, 2018 Yellow Lady Slipper Yes, spring has arrived in the north woods, where an abundance of beautiful wildflowers are now covering the forest floor. At Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, the Yellow Trout-lily are at their peak. The Marsh Marigold are in full bloom along the edge of the stream, while the Large-flowered Trillium and the smaller Nodding Trillium are starting to bloom. Even the beautiful Jack-in-the -Pulpit are making their appearance. (more…)
Fort Mackinac Rifle Range Posted May 18, 2018 Join us for a look at the historic Fort Mackinac Rifle Range located behind the fort.
Canoes Posted April 6, 2018 Today, thousands of people travel to the Straits of Mackinac every summer, most of them by car. Similar numbers of people came to this area in the 18th century, but traveled in a very different vehicle, a birch bark canoe. (more…)
Archaeology Update: Winter Finds Posted March 23, 2018 Artifacts drying on trays in lab Although excavation ended at Michilimackinac in August, archaeological research continues year-‘round. All of the artifacts recovered during the field season must be washed, labeled with a number identifying the context from which they came, identified, counted or weighed, and stored in the Petersen Center. All of the catalog information is entered into the ARGUS collections database. These steps all take time. Washing and labeling, which begins on rainy days in the summer, was completed in October. Cataloging and data entry were completed in February, and storage in March. (more…)
Lost Hotels of Mackinac: St. Cloud Place Posted March 19, 2018 The original St. Cloud, ca. 1875 Located just a few doors from Island House hotel, nearly at the corner of Bogan Lane, is St. Cloud Place. Since acquired by the Chippewa Hotel in 1962 it has been used as a dormitory for summer staff. However, for most of the years from the mid-1870s to 1962 it served as both a private home and boarding house. An often overlooked fact of the building’s history is that it is one of two “St. Cloud” buildings to occupy the site. (more…)
Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse Construction Update Posted March 9, 2018 We’ve been hard at work this winter at the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Join Museum Historian Craig Wilson for a tour through the house and updates visitors can expect in 2018:
Behind the Scenes at MSHP Posted February 23, 2018 Serving as the winter archives intern with Mackinac State Historic Parks has kept Jessica Marks busy, from inventorying the library to labeling archival boxes, to … gilding candlesticks? (more…)
A Peek Into The Past: The Pratt Photo Album Posted February 16, 2018 Companies E and K, 23rd Infantry, at Fort Mackinac, 1886 Mackinac State Historic Parks is fortunate to have an ever-expanding collection of original objects related to the sites we preserve and interpret. These objects help us share the many stories of Mackinac with our visitors. One of the more unique pieces in the collection is an original photo album and scrapbook assembled by Edward Pratt, a U.S. Army officer who served at Fort Mackinac and several other stations around the world at the end of the 19th century. (more…)
Coming Soon to Old Mackinac Point Posted February 9, 2018 Although the museums and historic sites are closed, winter is a busy time here at Mackinac State Historic Parks! One of many projects currently taking place is the installation of a new science and technology exhibit at the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. (more…)
Colonial Michilimackinac Update Posted February 1, 2018 We’ve been busy this winter! Museum Historian Craig Wilson walks us through the new and exciting developments at Colonial Michilimackinac: Colonial Michilimackinac opens for the 2018 season on May 2. For more information on the site, or to purchase tickets, visit mackinacparks.com/admission.
