St. Ignace Mission

St. Ignace Mission is a white wooden chapel by the Straits of Mackinac with traditional colonial architecture, a steep roof, and rectangular windows. The grounds include chapel rooms, a museum, and Father Marquette's burial site that visitors can explore.

Father Jacques Marquette founded this mission in 1671 to connect with Ojibwa communities along the straits. The building was relocated to its present location in 1954 while remaining one of the oldest church structures in the region.

Inside the chapel, a museum displays exhibits about indigenous traditions and shows how French missionaries and Native American communities lived together in this area.

The grounds are open daily from May through October, and visitors should allow time to explore the chapel rooms, museum, and burial site. Flat, easy-to-walk paths make it straightforward to move around the property and see all areas.

The site is among the longest-standing Catholic church buildings in the region and displays French-American connections that often go unnoticed. The original mission shaped local community history for centuries in ways that remain little-known today.

Location: St. Ignace

Inception: 1671

Founders: Jacques Marquette

GPS coordinates: 45.87167,-84.73194

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:04