Arts, History & Entertainment in Northern Michigan
The arts, history and many types of entertainment in Northern Michigan mean visitors can enjoy fabulous music, theatre, and culture.
Photo by National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods
What began as an idea for a place of outdoor worship in the 1940’s turned into a project that now brings visitors to Indian River from around in the world: The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods. This stunning 55′ x 22′ redwood cross, cut from one redwood tree, with a 28′ tall bronze crucifix is located on Calvary Hill near an outdoor sanctuary.
The Cross in the Woods is a Northern Michigan destination that brings more than 300,000 people a year to Indian River. Named a shrine by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the beautifully landscaped complex near Burt Lake State Park includes the 250-seat Long House Chapel, 1,000 seat church, Holy stairs, and the shrines of Saint Francis, Our Lady of the Highway, St. Peregrine, and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
The Doll Museum includes more than 525 dolls and mannequins dressed in the appropriate religious habits of Diocesan clergy and more than 217 religious orders of priests, sisters, and brothers of North and South America.
The seven-ton bronze crucifix on the Cross is the work of famed Michigan sculptor Marshall Fredericks who spent more than four years creating the sculpture. The Cross was erected in 1954 and the Corpus was added in 1959. The cost for the figure of Christ created by Fredericks was $50,000. Fredericks donated his time on the project.
The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods is open daily with worship services Monday-Friday at 8:30 am and 12 pm, Saturday at 4:30 pm, and Sunday at 8:30 am and 10:30 am.
The National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods
7078 M-68, Indian River, MI, 49749
(231) 238-8973
The arts, history and many types of entertainment in Northern Michigan mean visitors can enjoy fabulous music, theatre, and culture.
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.
Wildlife sanctuary Thorne Swift Nature Preserve is located 3 1/2 miles north of Harbor Springs, between Lower Shore Drive and Lake Michigan.
Get the sleds and the skates out, put on the cold weather clothes, and enjoy sledding and ice skating in Northern Michigan.
The Harbor Springs History Museum offers a unique look at the history of the community, starting with the first Catholic missionaries.
West Michigan is home to numerous artists with so many different talents. Groovy music, vivid paintings, gorgeous photography, and more!
Just a short drive from Harbor Springs or Petoskey are more than a dozen Northern Michigan cross country ski trails in Emmet County.
Little Traverse Conservancy protects land and scenic areas and provides opportunities for all of us to appreciate the environment.
The Mackinac Bridge is the 10th largest suspension bridge (over water) in the world and connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsula.