Mackinac State Historic Parks and Mackinac Associates are preparing to launch the public phase of an ambitious new campaign to redesign and renovate Michilimackinac State Park, one of the most iconic public spaces along the Straits of Mackinac.
Image courtesy of Mackinac State Historic Parks
The public kickoff for the Where Michigan Meets campaign began Tuesday, May 19, at 10 a.m. at the Colonial Michilimackinac Visitor’s Center.
The project focuses on the 15-acre stretch of shoreline parkland located between Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse at the base of the Mackinac Bridge. The area welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is widely considered one of the premier viewing locations for the Mackinac Bridge.
According to Mackinac State Historic Parks, the redesign will create a more immersive visitor experience centered on the history of the Straits of Mackinac and the construction of the Mackinac Bridge while also modernizing amenities throughout the park.
Planned improvements include refreshed landscaping, accessible picnic areas, expanded irrigation systems, a special events pavilion, a new boardwalk along the southern Lake Huron shoreline, and a pergola designed for weddings and gatherings. The project will also introduce interpretive panels highlighting the cultural and historical significance of the Straits.
Additional features include accessible picnic “pods” and upgrades intended to make the park greener, more welcoming, and easier to navigate throughout the busy summer season.
Michilimackinac State Park was designated as a state park in 1909, making it Michigan’s second-oldest state park. Over the decades, the park has served multiple roles, including as a campground and maritime park, while remaining home to two of the region’s most recognizable historic attractions: Colonial Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
The total cost of the project is estimated at approximately $3.5 million.
Mackinac Associates, the nonprofit friends group supporting Mackinac State Historic Parks, is leading fundraising efforts for the campaign. Founded in 1980, the organization has supported nearly every major preservation and improvement initiative across the parks system over the last four decades.
Past projects funded by Mackinac Associates include the reconstruction of Fort Holmes, exhibit updates at the Biddle House and Mackinac Island Native American Museum, renovations to the Kids’ Quarters at Fort Mackinac, and the addition of new cannons at both Fort Mackinac and Colonial Michilimackinac.
The Where Michigan Meets campaign is expected to become the organization’s largest fundraising initiative to date.
Those interested in supporting the campaign can contact Michelle Walk, Chief Development Officer for Mackinac Associates, at [email protected] or 231-436-4100.
