Cities in Michigan

Easily the most well-known city in the state, it’s also the largest. With its entertainment, attractions, historic sites, museums and even casinos, Detroit sets the standard for the Michigan high life. With the unique hometown music of Motown as a soundtrack, visitors to Detroit will find that this city exceeds all expectations. Here are just a few things to see in Detroit:

1. Detroit Historical Museum—Walk through history and see how the state was settled and what made it flourish, via a recreated street from the late 1800s and many more exhibits and antiques.
2. Diamond Jack’s River Tours—Take a narrated tour of the Detroit River and take in the sights of the shore aboard an exiting vessel.
3. Detroit Zoo—One of the premiere zoos in the country, visitors can see everything from coral reef inhabitants to big cats and all sorts of animals from A to Z.
4. Motown Historical Museum—Visit the home of Motown records and see artifacts, exhibits and demonstrations that outline the history of this unique music form.

Michigan’s capital city is a busy place, with a wonderful historic district as well as new developments expanding ever outward. The Grand River winds through Lansing, creating many lovely scenes as visitors explore the city. With residential, commercial and entertainment districts aplenty, any time spent in Lansing is well worth it. A few of Lansing’s main attractions include:

1. Hawk Island Park—Swim, boat, hike or picnic at this community park that includes boat rentals, boardwalks, fishing docks, volleyball, horseshoe pits and more. Winter means sledding, tubing and skating.
2. Funtyme Adventure Park—Where else can you find adventure golf, batting cages, arcades, skating, go carts, bowling and more but at the three Adventure park locations in the Lansing area? Take the whole family for a great time.
3. Abrams Planetarium—Located on the Michigan State University campus, the planetarium lets visitors marvel at the wonders of space via exhibits, a gallery and shows in the sky theater.
4. Lansing City Market—Easily one of the oldest farmer’s markets in the country, this open air celebration features everything from locally-grown produce to arts and crafts and live music.

It’s the biggest city on Michigan’s upper peninsula, and the gateway to this pristine outdoors paradise. Even the city itself gives a nod to outdoor recreation, with miles of biking and walking paths spread throughout Marquette. The plentiful city parks show the resident’s dedication to green space, and there are still plenty of indoor attractions in the form of cultural arts, museums, galleries, sporting events, shopping and dining. Here are just a few of Marquette’s top attractions:

1. Marquette Maritime Museum—With so much of the state’s history immersed in the nautical, it’s amazing to see the history of this unique heritage in exhibit and multimedia form. See restored boats and other memorabilia that document the maritime past, present and future.
2. Lakeview Arena—When it’s cold outside, head indoors for controlled climate winter sports, such as skating and hockey. Find skate rentals and lessons of all kinds, plus public skate times and plenty of group events. Also, catch the many shows, circuses, concerts and more that are held here.
3. Hiawatha Water Trail—Follow the same water trail in a canoe or kayak that Native Americans and early French fur traders marked out, and get access to national recreation areas, state parks, national forests and more in a unique and adventurous way.
4. Ojibwa Casino—Enjoy the glitz of the casino nights and celebrate blackjack, craps, roulette, poker and good old slots. When you need a break, stop by the bar or snack shop.

Michigan’s oldest city is also the site of the Soo Locks, where ships can move from Lake Superior to the lower lakes. This city has easy access to urban fun, such as casinos and museums, as well as outdoor recreation through the nearby forests, shoreline and inland lakes. To see more of what Sault Ste. Marie has to offer, check out these attractions:

1. Soo Locks—Among the busiest locks in the world, these testaments to technology and engineering are lots of fun to watch, with an observation platform, landscaped gardens, informative exhibits and a lovely fountain.
2. Fishing in the St. Mary’s River—Pull out some of the biggest and best fish from the St. Mary’s River, which is full of walleye, pike, whitefish, rainbow trout, salmon, smallmouth bass, herring and more. Perfect for beginners and advanced anglers, this picturesque river has many guides or you can go it alone.
3. Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum—Learn about the mysterious shipwreck of the ship Edmund Fitzgerald and other perilous and disastrous maritime accidents at this comprehensive and interesting center.
4. Kewadin Casino—Get Vegas-style gambling right in Sault Ste. Marie at this casino, with live entertainment, accommodations and restaurants. Finish your stay by taking in a show at the 1,500-seat theater.

Agriculture is a large part of this moderate-sized city located on the northwest side of the lower peninsula. It’s Michigan’s best wine-producing area and cherry and apple orchards dot the landscape along with vineyards. Tourism is important to the Traverse City area, made attractive by a four-season climate, rolling hills and gentle shoreline. Find out why so many people come to Traverse City to play:

1. National Cherry Festival—Coinciding with the cherry harvest in mid-July, this festival is a huge event featuring food, music, games, arts and crafts and competitions.
2. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons—See many historic buildings restored to former glory, set among walkways, arboretums, woodland and wetlands.
3. Local Wineries—There are several wineries to visit for a tour of the vineyards, wine tasting and live entertainment, including Bowers Harbor Vineyards, Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Left Foot Charley Winery & Tasting Room, Bel Lago Winery and more.
4. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore—Marvel at the unique natural features of this park, including the dune formations, glacial deposits and more. Don’t forget to see the South Manitou Island Lighthouse during your visit.