Mackinaw City's Heritage Village lets visitors explore life in the Straits of Mackinac as it was in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Heritage Village looks just as it would back in the day of no lights, no cars, no modern conveniences. The Mackinaw Area Historic Society manages the 43-acre Heritage Village as a joint project with the Village of Mackinaw City and continues to add new buildings and exhibits. The Heritage Village is just west of downtown Mackinaw City at 1425 Central Avenue.
Visitors are welcome anytime to this free attraction. Docents are available Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 till 5:00 for tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Audio tours are available anytime by phoning 231.486.0003 and keying in stops 201-215. Please visit mackinawhistory.org for more information or visit us on Facebook at Heritage Village@Mackinaw or twitter@HeritageVillag2.
Come and visit us at the Heritage Village and enjoy all we have to offer. Plan to spend the day and enjoy a family fun time. Bring a lunch, enjoy the hiking trails and take a step back in time.
- A completely restored church from nearby Brutus available for weddings, vows renewals, and other life events
- An 1880's one-room School House from the nearby community of Freedom
- The Mackinaw City Pest (pestilence) House from the same era as the school house
- The turn-of-the-century Sawmill that cut the logs for the locks at Sault Ste. Marie
- A tar paper work shack
- A vintage baseball field where games are still played annually at the August Summerfest
- An Artifacts building filled with pieces of history
- A Community Garden tended as it would have been at the turn of the century
- A covered Community Pavilion
An 1897 church from nearby Brutus was moved to Heritage Village and is fully restored to its original state. We are also restoring a period Machine Shed, and constructing a replication of the Stimpson Homestead a prominent family's farm. School children from around Michigan come to Heritage Village in the spring and fall to learn about the history of the area. Volunteers and docents offer half and full day educational programs.
The annual Summer Historic Festival takes place on Friday evening August 1, and all day on Saturday, August 2, 2014. The Mackinaw Area Historic Festival at Heritage Village has Vintage 1880's Baseball, period clothed docents in each of the historic buildings, children's games, Native-American displays, and more--including great food! Sign up for our fun run that takes place at the village on Saturday morning of the Festival. For more information go to mackinawhistory.org or visit us on Facebook at Heritage Village at Mackinaw City or twitter @HeritageVillag2.
