Harsha House Museum. | Photo by the Charlevoix Historical Society

Activities & Attractions in Charlevoix

The sight of this bustling community nestled between Lake Michigan and Round Lake is simply beautiful. The waterfront park is a jewel complete with a spectacular water fountain, and that’s just the start of the activities and attractions you’ll find in Charlevoix.

Here’s a sampling of the many activities and attractions Charlevoix has to offer:

Charlevoix’s History Museums

The Harsha House was built in 1891 by Charlevoix businessman Horace Harsha and was the family home. The Queen Anne style home was donated to the Historical Society by his granddaughter, Ann Harsha in 1979. Harsha House has more than 9,000 historical photos, slides and negatives and history research materials. The museum is open Thursday-Saturday during March and April, Tuesday-Saturday during May and June and September-January, and Monday-Saturday during July and August.

The Charlevoix Train Depot Museum was donated to the Charlevoix Historical Society by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pew in June of 1992. It has been restored and preserved through various fundraising events and is used as a venue for the Historical Society’s events and programs, and is also available to patron level members for private events as well as non-profit organizations.

Charlevoix Circle of Arts

The Charlevoix Circle of Arts is a vibrant, cultural center and presents six major visual exhibits annually. A quarterly schedule includes children’s camps, classes, and workshops in various mediums. There are also class held all year long on various art-related topics. The ever changing exhibits bring in art lovers all year long. 

The gallery shop showcases and makes available for purchase original art by some of the area’s most talented artists.

Activities & Attractions in Charlevoix
Charlevoix High School Performing Arts students sing holiday carols at the Charlevoix Circle of Arts. | Photo by Charlevoix Circle of Arts.

Beaver Island

Beaver Island is located 32 miles offshore of Charlevoix. It is the largest island in Lake Michigan and can be reached by boat or airplane.

Ferries run between downtown Charlevoix and Beaver Island that carry more than 40,000 passengers to the island yearly. The 13 by 6-mile island can be seen from M-119 north of Harbor Springs.

Fisherman’s Island State Park

Fisherman’s Island State Park is a beautiful park with more than 2,600 acres and five miles of gorgeous Lake Michigan beach. A tiny island just off shore of the picnic area gives the park its name.

Located just south of Charlevoix, the park features a rustic campground with some of the camping sites nestled in the dunes. The park road travels through the campground to the picnic area along the beach. 

More Activities & Attractions in Northern Michigan

Cross Country Ski Trails

Just a short drive from Harbor Springs or Petoskey are more than a dozen Northern Michigan cross country ski trails in Emmet County.

Cheboygan Opera House

Cheboygan Opera House

The elegantly restored Cheboygan Opera House is an acoustically superb, Victorian theatre that presents entertainment of many genres.

Up North Snowmobiling

With miles of scenic trails terrain and local snowmobile clubs, Northern Michigan is the place to bring the snow sleds in the winter.

M-119 Tunnel of Trees

Take a beautiful color tour as you travel under a tunnel of colorful trees along M-119 from Harbor Springs to Cross Village.