More information about 50th Anniversary:

On June 15, 1958 a modest fort museum on Mackinac Island opened to the public, ushering in an era of preservation, reconstruction and restoration that would eventually lead to Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) as we know it today, complete with four living history museums and parks, costumed, historic interpreters and park naturalists, and four accreditations by the American Association of Museums.

 

In 1957, Fort Mackinac was a crumbling fort, as described by former MSHP Director Dr. Eugene Petersen in Inside Mackinac. Built by the British during the American Revolution, it wasn’t unusual for the defensive palisade and its well-used buildings to be in dire need of repair. What was unusual, however, was that the historic military installation not only received the TLC it needed and deserved, but it was eventually transformed from a “ghost town” to an 1880s-era living history museum, inhabited once again by American soldiers and Victorian ladies.

 

Due to the extensive efforts of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and many pioneering men and women, many areas of Fort Mackinac were transformed through the use of revenue bonds: the grounds were sprouced up; the Soldiers' Barracks was cleared; and exhibits were installed in the Soldiers' Barracks.  The cost to the public was 25 cents for children and 50 cents for adults. Following the nearly overnight success of the museum, more revenue bonds were sold for further restoration of Fort Mackinac and the Mackinac Island historic downtown buildings; the reconstruction of Colonial Michilimackinac and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park; and restoration of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, the later three located in or near Mackinaw City, Michigan.

 

Visited by nearly 20 million guests since 1958, MSHP celebrates its 50^th anniversary year by offering many exciting opportunities and events, including the June 15 celebration in Fort Mackinac, the very day the fort opened 50 years ago and the same day as the famed Mackinac Island lilac festival grand parade. Music, engaging speeches, and special events await your family at this anniversary celebration within the fort. In addition, the anniversary will also be celebrated by way of the June 17 Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park grand opening event and the June 21 Mackinac Associates G. Mennen Williams celebration.

 

To experience the accomplishments and hardships of the men and women who pioneered the creation of MSHP, read the articles provided through links below in the articles box. Each article is one part of a four-part series, with part three to be added May 26 and part four to be added August 25. A gallery of historic photos of the parks is also available through the historic photographs link below.

 

Experience the 50^th anniversary of MSHP by reading about the history of the parks in this special website section, and then see the parks for yourself May 5 – October 12. At Mackinac State Historic Parks, you’ll learn about history, and then you’ll live it.