Colonial Michilimackinac Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Colonial Michilimackinac. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Mackinaw City Sunset Cruise

• Mackinac Bridge History Cruise

• Colonial Michilimackinac Admission

Admission to Colonial Michilimackinac costs US$17.50 for adults, US$10.50 for kids ages 5–12, and kids 4 and under visit for free. Group rates and passes for all Mackinac State Historic Parks are available. Discounts are also available for visitors with disabilities and military personnel.

At Colonial Michilimackinac, you can explore a dozen-plus authentic fort buildings, furnished with period settings and themed exhibits. Artillery and musket firing demonstrations occur throughout the day, and costumed interpreters portray voyageurs, soldiers, and merchants. What’s more, in summer, archaeologists are on site excavating—this is one of North America's longest-running digs (since 1959).

Plan on spending two to three hours touring the fort and learning about its history—though if you’re really into it, you could stay longer. For most, a few hours are enough to explore the buildings, watch the demonstrations, interact with the costumed interpreters, and thoroughly stroll the grounds.

French soldiers constructed Fort Michilimackinac in 1715 as a fur-trading post—for decades, it was the northwestern center of trade. The British took control after the French and Indian Wars, though the settlement has hosted diverse populations—French traders, British soldiers, and Indigenous tribes took turns in power. It was designated a state park in 1909.

Absolutely. Colonial Michilimackinac is a National Historic Landmark, home to one of North America's longest ongoing archaeological digs—humans have been here for thousands of years, and Europeans since 1715. The costumed interpreters know their stuff, the exhibits are well-designed, and the site offers a look at colonial life.