Outstanding Things to Do in Mackinaw City, Michigan That Will Make You Want to Visit

Welcome to part two of our three-part series where we explore some outstanding dog friendly things to do in Mackinaw City, Michigan and the surrounding area. Today is all about the history of Mackinaw City. We visit three local historical sights dating back to the 1700’s. Along the way, we catch a glimpse of the northern lights over the Mackinac Bridge and stop in St. Ignace to visit a farmer’s market. We end the day by exploring downtown Mackinaw City and find the source of Winston’s latest alien invasion obsession. Mixed in are the usual hot takes from your three favorite Boston Terriers!

Things to Do in Mackinaw City, Michigan. Bonus Points for Being Such a Dog Friendly City!

Mackinaw City is one of the most dog friendly places we have visited. There are very few places within the town that do not have some accommodation for dogs. Accommodations include water bowls, dog-friendly museums and attractions, and patio seating for pups and their “paw-rents.”

All three of the historical attractions that we visit in this blog allow pets to come along as you explore the museum both inside and out. Tommy, Winston and Louie all agree that this makes Mackinaw City, Michigan Traveling With Terriers approved!

Things to Do in Mackinaw City, Michigan- Historic Fort Michilimackinac

Originally built as part of the fur-trading network in 1715, the French controlled the Historic Fort Michilimackinac until 1761. They relinquished it along with their Canadian territory to the British after the French and Indian War. The British maintained the fort until 1780, at which point they decided the current location was too vulnerable to attack from the Americans. Throughout the next two years, they built a new limestone fort on the island. They dismantled and transported many of the other auxiliary buildings to the new fort. After moving as much as they needed, they burned the remains of the fort.

Mackinaw City reserved the fort site for a park upon its foundation, and Michigan declared it a state park in 1909. Since the 1950s, archaeological digs have uncovered 1700s artifacts, and much of the fort has been rebuilt based on evidence recovered from these digs.

Today, the fort includes a visitors’ center and a cast of re-enactors to engage and inform visitors. Louie and I enjoyed our visit and learned a lot about life at the fort in the 1700’s. Louie especially enjoyed learning about the dogs that lived in the Officer’s Quarters of the fort. He says they lived like kings!

Historic Mill Creek

Historic Mill Creek is the second of our things to do in Mackinaw City, Michigan highlights. Tommy and I enjoyed being outside in the fresh air. The historical site sits within a state park that includes lots of walking and hiking trails, and plenty of grass and sunshine.

Robert Campbell established Mill Creek in 1790 to provide lumber for new buildings on nearby Mackinac Island. Cambell’s property also included a small farm and eventually added a gristmill. The mill passed through multiple owners until its abandonment in the 1830s. Rediscovered in 1972, after multiple archeological digs, the rebuilt mill opened to visitors in 1984.

Today, costumed interpreters show visitors a firsthand view of how logging was conducted in the area. Beginning with the manual techniques used before the sawmill, the demonstration moves through the history of logging in the area and ends with a full demonstration of the sawmill’s efficiency. Throughout the presentation, interpreters answer any questions visitors may have and are very knowledgeable about the history of the mill.

After the presentation, Tommy and I took some time to explore the grounds and one of the shorter hiking trails on the property. The well-manicured trails were an easy way for us both to burn off some energy and get a little exercise. As a bonus, there were plenty of wild critters and scents for Tommy to explore!

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse; One of Many Things to Do in Mackinaw City, Michigan

After Tommy and I returned from the mill, Winston and I spent the afternoon at the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Sharing the grounds of Michilimackinac State Park, the lighthouse has stood guard on the Straits of Mackinac since 1889. Before it closed in 1959, the lighthouse was served by four generations of lighthouse keepers and their families and helped countless ships navigate the dangerous waters of the Straits of Mackinac. The need for its navigational beacon ceased when the Mackinac Bridge was completed in 1957 and the lighthouse was closed and turned into a museum. Eventually, the property was restored and reopened as part of the Michigan State Parks system in 2004.

As with all the historical sites in the area, costumed interpreters present demonstrations throughout the day. Unfortunately, due to the 51 narrow, winding steps to the top of the lighthouse tower, Winston and I were unable to participate in the demonstration. However, the museum on the main level of the lighthouse tower does offer audio and video tours of the top of the tower for those unable to make the climb.

The lens used in the lighthouse is one of the most fascinating parts of the museum. It is huge, but also beautiful and ornate. I had never seen a lighthouse lens before, so this one fascinated me.

The property sits right along a nice beach, and has lots of grassy areas, so Winston and I were able to enjoy a little walk along the shoreline before heading over the scary Mackinac Bridge to St. Ignace for pasties and their farmer’s market.

The Northern Lights Over the Mackinac Bridge

One of the highlights of our trip was watching the Northern Lights. Getting the opportunity to see these is one of the reasons we went to Canada. We joke that we should have just skipped Canada and headed straight to Michigan because there were no signs of them in Canada. (But then we would have missed all the really cool stuff we saw in Canada!)

Being the astronomy buffs that both Danny and I are, we will continue to chase these beautiful colors of the night sky but consider ourselves very fortunate that we got to see them for the first time over the Mackinac Bridge. It is a memory that we will have of Michigan for the rest of our lives!

We hope you enjoyed learning more about these things to do in Mackinaw City, Michigan. To see the full adventure, check out the video below.

Stay tuned for the third part of our visit in the Mackinaw City, Michigan area where we visit Mackinac Island! In the meantime, be sure to check out our other Travel-A-Long Adventures, Behind-the-Scenes Blogs, relaxing Drive-A-Longs, and our Top 5 Tips and Tricks. Or visit our Merch Store to find Traveling with Terriers apparel, swag, and our newly released book available now on Amazon! Until next time, happy traveling!