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    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Fort Mackinac Photos

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    Went to Fort Mackinac during our trip to Mackinac Island. Sadly not impressed. It was raining and cold, which made it more miserable - but that is not the fort's fault of course. It seemed pretty run down, not a lot of exhibits, minimal information on the exhibits, a lot of meh rooms. Sadly not impressed. Because of the rain there was no riffle/cannon demonstration. Got through it rather quickly. The staff was pleasant. Pricing is ok, around $17.50 I believe. The climb to get to the fort is rough.

    View from fort
    Ted S.

    Great museum. They had rifle firing demonstrations while I was there. Great views of the downtown, docks and lighthouses. Lots of buildings to explore. It's on top of a hill so be prepared for a steep climb.

    Fort Mackinac
    Lea C.

    It is about $17 per adult to access Fort Mackinac , but the pricing includes entrances to other buildings within the historic district, take time to look at the brochure they give you so you understand what you can get into. We didn't arrive until 430 so she told us our tickets were good for the next day as well so we will most likely be back tomorrow. This is a very cool part of history of the upper peninsula And how this fort was an operation until the late 1800s. There are so many cool artifacts, different buildings that you can access of how they lived and several hologram take movies that are playing to give you a feel for what it was like during this time in history. The views of here are absolutely amazing, but please know there is a climb to make as well as about 27 steps- I think she said - which we were super happy for some extra cardio work today, but maybe more difficult for some others. At 5 PM they shoot the canon and they will tell you the history behind this event. This was quite cool to experience. It was super fun that different Boy Scout troops get to come here for a week and serve as volunteers while they get to explore the island , how fun is that?

    Entrance
    Tony J.

    Well our Shepler's Mackinac Island ferry arrived in the morning at Mackinac Island. This was our first time to tour Mackinac Island. This was also our first time to tour this fort. We walked from the Shepler's Mackinac Island ferry port to Fort Mackinac. My family of six including one elementary and two pre-schoolers walked up the hilltop to tour this fort. Our entrance fee was $52.50 for the six of us. Fort Mackinac is an 18th-century French, and later British, fort and trading post at the Straits of Mackinac. It was built on the northern tip of the lower peninsula of the present-day state of Michigan. See my many pics and videos of the fort. After the fort we enjoyed our lunch at the famous waterfront Pink Pony Patio Bar. I will review our family lunch at the Pink Pony Patio Bar next. Also more to come regarding the rest of our visit on Mackinac Island.

    Andrea U.

    The fort is up the hill overlooking the bay. This is the oldest building in Michigan from 1780. In 1812, British regular soldiers, Canadian voyageurs & Native Americans captured Mackinac Island in the Siege of Fort Mackinac.

    Monument plaque
    Cherryl B.

    This is a really cool stop on Mackinac Island. Really interesting history to the fort, and the displays and learning areas are very well done. No spoiler here, but be sure to visit the hospital area - a bit creepy given what we know about modern medicine now. Great little snack and "tea" patio with a gorgeous view of the harbor, we tried the scones and were quite happy about our choice. Excellent service all around the fort. Employees are very nice. Cannon and rifle demonstrations were good too - all the kids running around loved that part...

    Damian R.

    Road Trip Great Lakes Loop (From Philly) Stop: Mackinac Island, Michigan One of the most unique and memorable stops on our Great Lakes road trip was Mackinac Island. To get there, you take a ferry--no cars are allowed on the island, which immediately gives it a distinctive, charming feel. It's like stepping back in time... at least until you see the Starbucks. Unfortunately, that was the first thing I noticed when I arrived, and it felt a little out of place. It's the only national chain I noticed, but even one feels like too many in a place that thrives on its small-town character and local businesses. It just detracted a bit from the authenticity of the island. That aside, the island offers a lot: you can explore on foot, rent a bike, or enjoy a carriage ride pulled by horses. The pace is slower, and that's part of the appeal. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, and historic sites to visit, and it's easy to spend a whole day--or several--just wandering. A highlight for many is the Grand Hotel, made famous by the film Somewhere in Time. Even if you're not staying there, it's worth checking out for the architecture and views alone. In short, Mackinac Island is a beautiful and fascinating place--rich in history and scenery. I just hope future development stays in harmony with what makes it so special in the first place. Almost forgot to mention, they are dog friendly.

    Rifle demonstration
    Izzy W.

    WOW!!! Highlight of our trip to Mackinac Island. My boyfriend and I both really enjoy history and we had a great time learning about the military history of the fort and the island. The demonstrations were really cool and the exhibits were informative and entertaining. We got to chat a bit with Josiah, the reenactor who did the rifle demonstration and he taught us a lot about the history of the rifle he was using. You can get a great vantage point to see the rest of the island from the fort and we spent a decent amount of time there and definitely got our money's worth! Great place to spend a sunny day.

    This typo gets funnier every year it isn't fixed.
    Danylle L.

    Historically inaccurate, cheaply put together and typos galore, I would hardly call this a museum. It's more like a playground. After 30 years of coming, I wonder where all of the money goes because it's not used to update anything inside. Besides the dead bugs and dust (which I get adds to it), there are a few untruths you'll find throughout the museum and some places that genocidal people are made to be heroes (hence historical inaccuracies). The history of people of color is well dismissed to make for a happy-go-lucky story of war and colonization. Either way, I just wish they'd do something for accessibility. I don't know why the island Tourism board doesn't care about disabilities but I wish they did. I wish every person could enjoy this island but that's not their dream for the island, I guess.

    View from Fort Mackinac
    Dina E.

    Interesting to walk around the historic fort. Several officers quarters, etc. open to visitors. Great video on the history of Mackinac Island. The restaurant has decent lunch and one of the best views on the island. The entrance fee was reasonable as well.

    The hole.
    Brandon M.

    A little bit of a workout if you're older or out of shape to get up the hill to the fort but worth it. Soldiers dressed in period uniforms. Scheduled cannon and rifle firings. Beautiful views. Several historic buildings with replica period items and descriptions. Probably fits the history buffs the best and family with tweens or teens. I haven't been back in 17 years and enjoyed the re-visit. I would recommend.

    View from the top
    Randy C.

    Really good experience, takes you back in time with an accurate depiction of what it must've been like at such a difficult time...not just a stationary museum, but they display how a cannon was set up and fired...they actually fire a cannon during the demonstration!!! They also show a musket being loaded and fired, and it really hits home the difficulty soldiers faced at the time...and makes you proud of our soldiers in current time as they spend hours away from loved ones training to protect our country! It is an exceptional value, and a must see...

    View from fort
    Buffy B.

    We bought our ticket and enjoyed all the areas you could tour. The view from the fort is the best!!! We watched the cannon firing..exciting! With a ticket purchase you get to visit the art museum, the biddle house, and the fur company. A lot to enjoy for the price. I recommend doing this and you can go at your own pace.

    Hike of the fort - is worth it!

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    Great history and some reenactment that was interesting. Took about 2 hours to go through.

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    A bit pricey in my opinion (even relatively speaking) but there is a lot to do and the live demonstrations are really cool.

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    Ask the Community - Fort Mackinac

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    Review Highlights - Fort Mackinac

    My wife and I arrived to view the rifle demonstration on the open grounds; we also got to experience the cannon salute as well.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    City of Mackinac Island

    City of Mackinac Island

    3.8(57 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    The city has a total area of 18.84 square miles, 4.35 square miles is land and 14.49 square miles…read moreis water. The island population is about 583. The island has a large craft industry devoted to making fudge in a traditional manner, creating portions on cold marble slabs. Mackinac Island is the destination of both the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race. A unique local ordinance passed in 1895 prohibits the use of any motor vehicles on the island. The only exceptions to this are city emergency vehicles (ambulance, police cars and fire trucks), city service vehicles & snowmobiles in the winter. Today the most common means of travel is by foot, bicycle, horse or horse-drawn carriage. Roller skates and roller blades are also allowed, except in the downtown area.

    Visited Mackinaw island with family in May 2026. To my surprise it was soooo cold!! Yikes!…read more I was not super impressed. The island is small. I found the ferry system to and from the island while running frequently a little tedious. Tickets to and from the ferry were pricey too. The island island was ok but personally wasn't impressed. a number of the shops were not open. There are things like biking, kayaking, etc which I don't do. We went on horse drawn carriages but I was deeply concerned for the well being of the horses carrying so many people. Restaurants were ok. We stayed off the island in terms of a hotel. Hotels on the island were pricey and didn't seem super up to what I would expect for the prices. No cars which was interesting and unique. Lots of fudge, a fort to see, horse carriages, carriage museum, Grand hotel (which charges $14 bucks to enter to see!!), the Arch rock was interesting, etc. We visited for about a day and a half. Some people stay a few days some do it in one. Depends on how much you do. For me not super exciting but glad I checked it off the bucket list.

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    City of Mackinac Island - Suitcases carried by ferry onto the island

    Suitcases carried by ferry onto the island

    City of Mackinac Island
    City of Mackinac Island

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    Fort Holmes

    Fort Holmes

    3.7(3 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    It's free to walk around Fort Holmes and there's a nice view to the lake from the top of the hill,…read morewhich is the highest point on the island. The house building is opened during the day and there are displays inside containing pictures and information about the fort. ....| \ _ , , , - - , , _ , .../ , ` . - ' ` ' . _ \ - ; ; ; , _ ..| , a - ) ) _ . ; . ( ` - ` - ' - ' ' - - - ' ' ( _ / . _ ) - ' ( _ \ _ ) 2019

    I have been to the island many times and after a while you run out of things to do besides the…read morestandard activities like riding bikes around the island, eating fudge, and shopping. Our last trip we decided to bike into the island rather than go around it and that is how we ended up at Fort Holmes. Local worker at the place we rented bikes also suggested we check this place out. He said going at night is even better to see amazing the stars. The bike ride up is a bit rough and you definitely need a mountain bike rather than a cruising bike. Once you get to Fort Holmes you have to take a lot of stairs - I will emphasize "a lot" again - to actually get to the fort. People were walking down the stairs and before we went up we asked them if the hike up is worth it and they said "yes". So we took all the stairs to the top and I must say it is worth it! Fort Holmes is the highest point of the island and the views are the best. We went during the day but I can only imagine what it looks like at night. We spent about an hour, maybe less here. The reconstructed fort is pretty cool, I wish there was a bit more historical context provided but it was neat to see what the fort used to be like. Benches are provided throughout the land and again the views are the best - at least 180 views of the island, maybe a bit more. Do not pass on visiting this gorgeous place, just be prepared to walk a lot of stairs - but it is worth it! Place is free, so cannot be beat!

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    Fort Holmes - Fort holmes

    Fort holmes

    Fort Holmes - Fort.

    Fort.

    Fort Holmes - Plaque.

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    Plaque.

    Fort Mackinac - landmarks - Updated June 2026

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