Mackinac Island: Ferries, Forts, and Fudge!
For centuries, Mackinac Island (pronounced MACK-in-awe) has served as an oasis for those who uncover its beauty. Located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, the island is situated between the Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
Students Explore Mackinac Island
Prior to European exploration in the 17th century, Mackinac Island was home to the Anishinaabe-Ojibwe Indians, who considered the island a sacred place. By virtue of its location in the center of the Great Lakes waterway, Mackinac Island was a tribal gathering place and burial ground for tribal chiefs. Later, it served as a strategic position amidst the fur trade commerce of the Great Lakes.
It was the Victorians, however, that made Mackinac Island one of the nation’s most favored vacation sites. During the warm summer months, visitors came from Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, and Chicago to enjoy the island’s cooler climate. Later, lodging such as the famous Grand Hotel was built to accommodate overnight guests. Today, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. The history combined with the island’s natural scenery and breathtaking architecture makes Mackinac Island an unforgettable educational adventure for student group travel.
The adventure begins when student groups arrive in Mackinac City. Three separate ferry services provide transportation to the island from Mackinac City or from St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula from May through October. Once students disembark on the island, they discover a world that seems to have been frozen in time. Mackinac Island prohibits the use of personal motorized vehicles. Instead, visitors and residents alike get around the island by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, or on foot.
Students at Colonial Michilimackinac
Rising like a beacon atop the island, Fort Mackinac is one of the area’s most visited attractions. As one of the few surviving revolutionary war forts in the United States, Fort Mackinac is comprised of 14 original buildings. Interpreters dressed in 1880s military uniforms welcome student groups, fire their rifles on the parade ground, and deliver a cannon salute over the harbor. On the parade grounds, students may observe a court-martial re-enactment or explore the area where prisoners were housed.
Grand Hotel
Before its rise as a premier tourist destination, Mackinac Island was a hub of the intercontinental fur trade that began in the 17th century and extended into the early 19th century. Today, historic downtown Mackinac Island presents a tour of five significant structures from the island’s trading past. The American Fur Company Store contains interactive exhibits in a period setting. History comes alive at The Biddle House as interpreters demonstrate crafts from the 1820s. The Benjamin Blacksmith Shop shows how important the local blacksmith was on an island where automobiles are prohibited. The McGulpin House, dating from 1780, features an interpreter on site to share the structure’s history and architecture. At the east end of the village, the Mission Church is Michigan’s oldest surviving church building. The church has been restored to its early 1830s appearance.
Following an educational tour of the island’s historic buildings, students can explore the retail stores and candy shops that line the downtown streets. One of the most popular items at these stores is the locally produced and nationally known Mackinac Island fudge. During a visit, students can view the fudge as it is being produced and sample the various flavors.
Teacher and Students at Mission Point
Student tours to Mackinac Island can be made especially memorable with lunch at the Grand Hotel. The hotel, open since 1887, has welcomed five U.S. presidents, and was the setting for two movies, including Somewhere In Time with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve. Lunch is served in the hotel’s main dining room, and includes a variety of salads, hot and cold selections, as well as a dessert table offering more than 20 freshly baked pastries. Afterward, students can enjoy the remarkable views from the hotel’s famous front porch. At 660 feet, it is the longest porch in the world.
Abundant in natural beauty as much as historical importance, Mackinac Island’s ecosystem has created unique geological formations. Rising nearly 150 feet above the water, Arch Rock is a limestone formation that can be accessed via a wooden stairway and nature path that leads up a bluff to the uppermost part of the formation. Devil’s Kitchen is a limestone cavern created by the effects of erosion and displacement of rocks. The site offers picturesque views of the Mackinac Bridge. Other popular geological formations include Skull Cave and Sugar Loaf.
Mackinac Island Carriage Rides
Student groups can see all of Mackinac Island’s legendary points of interest from a carriage ride tour. Mackinac Island Carriage is the world’s oldest, continually operated horse and buggy livery, with approximately 100 freight and passenger carriages put in motion by more than 400 horses. Other local suppliers rent mountain bikes, single speed, and tandems. Students may also bring their own bikes with them to the island via the ferry.
For more information about student tours to Mackinac Island, please visit Time Travelers: Interactive Michigan Heritage
