Top Mackinaw City Cultural Tours

Immerse yourself in a world of history and engineering while taking in fresh air on a boat tour along the Straits of Mackinac. Travel under Michigan’s majestic Mackinac Bridge and learn about the many shipwrecks that happened below. Discover more than 100 years of history in the Straits of Mackinac and see Fort Michilimackinac and the Old Mackinac Point Light from the water.

Explore Michigan’s Mackinac Island on a self-guided walking tour highlighting Somewhere in Time's filming locations. This picturesque island, with its preserved Victorian architecture and car-free charm, was the perfect backdrop for the 1912-set film. Starting at the iconic "Somewhere in Time Tree," you’ll visit spots like Windermere Point and Marquette Park while hearing insider stories from Dan Dewey, a production assistant and island resident. Along the way, gain behind-the-scenes insights into how the movie was made and the challenges of filming on this unique, timeless island.

Explore Mackinac Island at your own pace, choosing to stop wherever you like with this self-guided audio tour. Rent your bicycles separately, and then choose your route. You don’t need to stick with a tour group or a fixed itinerary. You can start and finish when you like, and you also have offline access to maps, geodata, and your audio guide.

Mackinac Island's West Bluff is one of the Midwest's finest collections of Victorian architecture, built by industrialists escaping the heat and grime of post-Civil War cities. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll trace the stories behind eleven of these grand cottages, from the lumber barons and meat-packers who built them to the governors and immigrants who shaped their legacy. The tour starts at the Walter C. Newberry Cottage, the first home past the Grand Hotel. You'll walk along the bluff, passing Queen Anne turrets, wraparound verandas, and shingle-style facades, while hearing how wealthy families competed for leases on this National Park land starting at just $25 a year. Along the way, you'll discover how business partnerships, family dynasties, and architectural rivalries played out side by side on this single stretch of shoreline.