Mackinaw City Tourist Attractions

The main attraction is the narrow strip of land between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, the Mackinac Straits, whose name is derived from the Algonquin word for "big turtle". Traffic crossing the large bridge and river traffic can best be observed from the west side of Mackinac Island. It was once of great strategic importance, and Fort Michilimackinac, a British fort built in the late 18th C, was the scene of fierce fighting between British and French forces. Fourteen buildings have been restored, and private cars are banned on the island. Ferry services operate from Street Ignace and Mackinaw City.

Mill Creek provided lumber for the settlement of Mackinac Island in the 1790s. It was the Straits of Mackinac's first industrial complex. Today, skilled craftsman in 1820s period costume highlight hand-saw techniques and the power of a water-driven sawmill through use of tools and techniques to rebuild a home and blacksmith shop.

Colonial Michilimackinac was a French fur-trading village and military outpost that served from 1715 until 1781 when it burned to the ground. Thirteen of the buildings have been re-constructed and highlights include re-enactments from the British occupation in the 1770s occupation as well as the American Revolution era.

The Mackinac Bridge connects the Lower Peninsula at Mackinaw City to the Upper Peninsula at St. Ignace. This is one of the longest suspension spans in the world. It opened in 1957 and eliminated the backup of vehicles waiting for ferry passage across the straits.

The Mackinac Bridge Museum contains many interesting and original artifacts from the construction of the Mighty Mac.