Great Outdoors
Why do people enjoy being up north so much? Find out what makes being up north feel special with our list of Northern Michigan specialties.
Northern Michigan Guides Stock Photo
Northern Michigan may be a place where many travel to because of our great outdoor activities, but there is more here than a kayak tour a day of skiing. Our arts, history and many types of entertainment mean visitors can spend the day on the golf course and then enjoy fabulous music or theatre.
The arts are an important part of the year ’round culture of Northern Michigan but in the summer months, art opportunities galore await visitors and residents. The wonderfully talented dinner theatre hosted by the Young Americans, Bliss Fest, endless opportunities for music and drama at Bay View Music Festival, and Street Musique every Thursday night in Harbor Springs are just some of the offerings available.
The galleries of the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey and the many fabulous art galleries in Northern Michigan provide days and days of art to view. Art has a significant presence in Northern Michigan and many fundraisers such as D’Art for Art focus on the arts. Art fairs? Oh, yes! July 4th boasts a spectacular art fair in downtown Harbor Springs. Petoskey’s Art in the Park and arts and crafts fairs bring art lovers from around the state. The Women’s Club of Northern Michigan’s annual art fair at Nub’s Nob is a rite of summer for many.
History? Yes! The Little Traverse History Museum and the Harbor Springs History Museum celebrate the many reasons that Northern Michigan has such a rich past. Lumbering, water, Native Americans, railroads, tourists, Chautauquas–just a few of the pieces that make the quilt of history in Northern Michigan.
Want more information on the arts, entertainment and history in Northern Michigan? Northern Michigan is rich in natural resources, history, arts, and entertainment. From dawn to dusk, there is much to do here!
Harbor Springs history? Right here: History Abounds In Harbor Springs
The Harbor Springs History Museum celebrates the past.
Walk through Petoskey’s history.
Learn about Chief Petosega and Ernest Hemingway and the Petoskey Area History at the Little Traverse History Museum.
Chief Andrew J. Blackbird was the first postmaster of Harbor Springs. Visit his home and post office at the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum in Harbor Springs.
Charlevoix has two museums, The Harsha House and Charlevoix Depot Museum.
Castle Farms in Charlevoix has history, museums, and garden tours plus is a spectacular setting for art fairs and celebrations.
The Bay View Association is filled with history, music and theatre: The Bay View Association’s Chautauqua Summer Theatre
The Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey is a year ’round cultural center: The Crooked Tree Arts Center
The Cheboygan Opera House provides music, theatre, and the arts as it has since 1877.
Ernest Hemingway loved Northern Michigan and his footsteps can still be traced here as this is Hemingway Country.
St. Ignatius Church just outside Good Hart in Middle Village dates back to the 1740’s.
The Cross in the Woods in Indian River is visited by more than 300,000 visitors each year.
Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City is a reconstructed fort. Daily activities and special events take place throughout the summer months.
Harris Gardens at North Central Michigan College, Petoskey, features 22 sculptures in a beautifully landscaped setting.
Why do people enjoy being up north so much? Find out what makes being up north feel special with our list of Northern Michigan specialties.
Built during World War II to haul heavy materials during the winter, the Icebreaker Mackinaw was in service for 62 years then became a museum.
The history of the fur trade in Northern Michigan is captured at Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City.
The history of the fur trade in Northern Michigan is captured at Colonial Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City.
The Petoskey area of Northern Michigan has parks, waterfront, and riverfront areas that are just waiting to be explored!
It’s just for kids–a fishing pond in Petoskey! Kids can throw a line in this one acre pond stocked with trout.
Harris Gardens at North Central Michigan College is a spectacular sculpture garden filled with 26 pieces of vibrant art.
In Northern Michigan, you’ll find lighthouses where lighthouse keepers once lived and worked that have been restored and are open to visitors.
Bicyclists, walkers, and roller bladers can go from Harbor Springs to Charlevoix on the 26-mile long Little Traverse Wheelway.