Museums, Culture & Historic Sites
Be Part of our Story
Time doesn’t stop in the U.P. More than a hundred museums, historic sites and homes tell centuries of our fascinating stories.
Take a ferry to Mackinac Island and immerse in the War of 1812 days. Follow the footsteps and waterways of fur traders. Learn how our trees helped Chicago rise from the ashes and were turned into Henry Ford’s “Woodies” plus mountains of paper and furniture. Peer down at sunken ships. Hear stories of America’s greatest skiers. Rappel into the depths of an abandoned copper mine. Marvel at the ingenuity of suspension bridge and lock-building engineers. Enter ghost towns if you dare.
As you travel, explore the cultures that help make us who we are. Learn about the ancient copper miners and traders who lived thousands of years ago on Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula. Meet the Ojibwe who cherish their language, art and stories and share them at pow wows with you. Try warm beef and rutabaga-stuffed pasties introduced to the region by Cornish immigrants. Celebrate Heikinpäivä mid-winter with our Finnish-American neighbors. Invite us into your conversations over a craft beer. We can explain why we wear Stormy Kromers and say sisu.
Art, Music & Theater
Be Enthralled
A few hours in the U.P. and you’ll see why so many artists and musicians, dancers and performers, poets and writers spend time here. Settle here. Hone their talents here. You can discover their diverse ideas and styles in hundreds of galleries, art centers and fairs from Drummond Island to Ironwood, Copper Harbor to Menominee. Then bring home the artwork that enthralls you.
While you are visiting, take in a live performance as well. We’ll astound you with our homegrown, national and international talent. Watch their concerts and shows on outdoor stages, in historic and contemporary theaters, in grandstands, on pub floors and around crackling bonfires. It will make your heart soar.
