Blog - Mackinac State Historic Parks

More Models of Welcome

Last month, we shared the story of a small boat from the reconstructed sloop Welcome, which was transferred to MSHP from the Maritime Heritage Alliance of Traverse City. A few weeks later, our staff returned to Traverse City pick up two large models of Welcome. The MHA is streamlining their historic maritime collection of small craft and interpretive objects, and MSHP and the Maritime Heritage Alliance have a long history of collaborating to preserve and interpret Great Lakes maritime history.

What’s New for 2025?

As the calendar flips to 2025, the Mackinac State Historic Parks team is hard at work protecting, preserving, and presenting the rich history of the Straits of Mackinac by creating new exhibits, galleries, and tours, improving visitor experiences, celebrating a major anniversary, expanding our collections area and library, and finishing major infrastructure improvements on Mackinac Island.

Christmas Music at Michilimackinac

Music is an important part of the Christmas season for many people. What Christmas music would the residents of Michilimackinac have known?

Preparing for a North Woods Winter

As we prepare for the first official day of winter, let's look at the amazing adaptations animals use to get ready for the long winter.

Thanksgiving Day at Mackinac (1831)

As we gather this Thanksgiving, may we be grateful for a bountiful harvest, the natural wonders around us, and family and friends to share them with, just as William and Amanda Ferry did in 1831.

Welcome Back, Welcome’s Boat!

In the early 1970s, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission decided to reconstruct "Welcome," a trading vessel originally built in the mid-1770s. A small boat to accompany the sloop was also built, and it's now back home. Read on:

Chimney Rock Revisited

Our Park Naturalist, Kyle, is ready to set the story straight: Chimney Rock and Sunset Rock are not one and the same. Let's revisit Chimney Rock:

Michilimackinac Archaeology 2024 Season Wrap-Up

The 2024 archaeological field season was concluded. What did we learn?

Lost Rocks & Mackinac Millstones

The millstones currently on display at Historic Mill Creek are the originals, and they had a wild ride to get back to the site. But also - how were they made? And how did those rocks end up here at the Straits?

Mackinac Associates Supporting Exhibits

Mackinac Associates are friends preserving and sharing Mackinac's heritage, providing crucial support in the development of new MSHP exhibits.

Wild Hay for the King’s Cattle

More than 240 years have passed since wooden sloops brought wild hay to the King’s Cattle on Mackinac Island. During your next visit, scan the watery horizon and imagine the scene from a bygone era. Perhaps you’ll glimpse a broad, white sail billowing in the wind. Or listen closely, and just maybe you’ll hear soft, clanking cowbells as supper makes its way across the Straits of Mackinac.

Mackinac in 3-D: Stereoviews of Mackinac Island

Not only do stereoviews and stereoscopes allow us to see these historic photos of Mackinac, but they allow us to see them in 3-D!

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