Fort Michilimackinac State Park

Fort Michilimackinac is a reconstructed colonial military fort located where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet. The grounds contain replica buildings from the 1700s, fortification structures, and ongoing archaeological dig sites that reveal objects from the past.

French traders established this trading post in 1715 to control a strategic location in the Great Lakes region. The British took over the fort in 1761 following military conflict, and it served both powers as a vital hub for fur trading and regional defense.

Costumed interpreters perform daily demonstrations showing military routines, metalwork, and food preparation as colonists would have practiced them. Visitors experience directly how the fort functioned as a working community in the 1700s.

The park is easiest to visit during warmer months when the weather cooperates and demonstrations run daily. Visitors need a Michigan vehicle pass for access, and the adjacent lighthouse is worth including in your visit since it is part of the same property.

Archaeologists have been digging at this location for decades continuously, making it one of the longest-running excavation projects at a single site in North America. Visitors can watch this scientific work actually happen in real time as they walk the grounds.

Location: Michigan

Website: https://www2.dnr.state.mi.us/ParksandTrails/Details.aspx?id=444&type=SPRK

GPS coordinates: 45.78690,-84.73560

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:04