Mackinac & Straits
Mackinac Island
A car-free island in the Straits of Mackinac. Bike or walk from a busy harbor town to an old fort and a state park that covers most of the island.
Resort · Mackinac & Straits
Grand Hotel
On Grand Avenue, Mackinac Island
Grand Hotel went up on Mackinac Island in 1887, built by railroad interests together with the Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company to draw summer travelers to the Straits. It still stands on Grand Avenue, and its long front porch, set with rocking chairs, is the image most visitors know it by.
Traditions are a large part of a stay. The hotel and the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau both point to afternoon tea in the Parlor and evening dancing, and the hotel keeps stables with a collection of historic carriages. Its golf course, The Jewel, uses horse-drawn carriages to move golfers between the two nines. There is also an outdoor pool overlooking Lake Huron, a range of restaurants and bars, and an activity center with bike rentals and lawn games.
The hotel runs on a seasonal schedule, and its own calendar marks an end-of-season closing weekend in late October before winter. No cars are allowed on the island, so guests arrive by ferry and get around on foot, by bike or by carriage.
Location
Where Grand Hotel is
1 place on an OpenStreetMap map
Approximate location. The host shares the exact address when you book.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
Historic site
Fort Mackinac
The fort on the bluff above Mackinac Island's harbor, founded by the British in 1780 and now a living history museum with fourteen restored buildings.
State park
Mackinac Island State Park
Michigan's first state park covers more than 80 percent of Mackinac Island: forest, limestone formations, historic sites and 70-plus miles of roads and trails.