Reviews of Fort Mackinac (Museum)

Stephanie McCown

Excellent demonstrations by the actors, and informative displays in each of the beautifully restored buildings. If you enjoy history, this is an affordable and fun way to see it up close.

Melissa Becker-Pierce

Have been to Ft. Niagara and Ft.Erie, this Fort is very bland and overall expensive. The restaurant is good but very over priced.. I was disappointed. The gift shop was severely lacking. Forget it if you are hoping to come home with any shirts..

rjmckay98

Fun historic fort for kids of all ages.

Timothy Joseph Cohee

Great place kids had a blast marching with reenactors

Brian Spratke

They've done a great job rebuilding and maintaining

Charity Williams

Great displays and performances by the actors who teach you about the period.

enitan deSouza

Fantastic experience. I recommend you spend more than a day.

Ashi Gupta

Cannon demo and other demos were amazing. Really worth it

Joel Burger

Lots of fun, definitely enjoyable for all three generations we had visiting

Akshay Elhence

nice views of the island from the fort. gun firing and cannon shots were the only events since the fun stops after schools open before labor day but it was an ok experience given it was labor day

Kevin Perry

Very scenic historic and time era story inspiring of soldiers trade and period interests complete with cannons wood stockades and smith's. Complete with bridge view and fur and canoes. Yes it's family oriented and educational. Love the area it's near.

Mz Smiley

Beautiful, historic, we had a lively day to explore the island!

Tony Koeman

Interesting to revisit the colonial era...a bit pricey for the admission to the fort. A less expensive option is to simply walk around the perimeter of the fort for free and see the amazing views of the Straits of Mackinac.

Chris Scriber

I enjoy the history. I'd like to hear more of the Native American people.

Donald Cushman

Fort Mackinac is Full of History of the Building of America. Beautiful Historical sites Preserved for future generations to see.

Lacey Hutchinson

Always a good place to visit. Definitely worth visiting and donating too! I think donations are definitely important to this place so we don't loose our history as well as the knowledge we can leave our future generations awestruck with, like we were at young ages. Everytime I visit, I look forward to reading the history, even if I've done it before. Definitely worth every penny and minute!

Matt Porter

Very interesting to see how soldiers lived on the island and the view is breathtaking.

Carole Parker

The stories told by historic actors gave a great historic presence to the Fort. Loved the explanation to how to fire a cannon AND the musicians and MANDOLIN PLAYER were fun for kids of all ages to learn about how people lived 150 years ago

Welder6131

If you like history...must see stop on island. Bring walking shoes.

Mike

Great place full of history. Fun gun and cannon demonstrations.

Amy Kent

I LOVE this place. Great weekend getaway. Couples or family can totally enjoy. No cars on the island, only bikes or horseback. Highly recommend renting a bike for 4 hours to do the 8 mile reasonably flat path around the island. Buy your fairy ticket the night before, saves the hassle in the morning.

Jigna shah

Huge fort with history of being captured multiple times. They have Canon shooting every hour..Fort has different exhibits depicting the way soldiers lived.. They have a great Tea room, that serves cold drinks and snacks a great place to chill and take in the views of the city..

Karla Sullivan

Stunning views, interesting and informative displays, and very well maintained grounds.

Monty Watson

Again, an amazing living history center. We didn't get to the other historical exhibits throughout the island, but the Fort was outstanding. We probably could have spent more than an afternoon just here. The reenactors are excellent, with the whole company of troops being there all day, cannon firings, musket firings, and talks about what daily life would have been.

Ken Wilkins

While on Mackinac Island, we walked to Fort Mackinac. We toured around the fort and watched the firing of the cannon. Our children enjoyed this demonstration and considered it as their best experience on the island. The adults liked the historic information that was spread around the fort.

Anthony Paluch

Very good historical site for kids, they loved the cannon and soldier demonstration.

Liam Taylor

Both us and the kids loved the fort.

Emo Trash

I love the way the old medical center tells the storys of what doctor's thought was happening with the patients at the time and what we think was happening with modern medical knowledge

Shane Thomas

Loved it. Lots of walking - especially the hike to get in!

Cathy Brookshire

My review wont do any good for anyone! You just have to see it for yourself!

Allen Ruhf

Very cool. History runs deep here as well the beauty.

Kim Michels

Stunning views from the fort on Mackinac island! Super steep walk up to the fort. Take the buggy to get you there. Educational re-enactments & lots of history to read in each house along the way. Watch the cannon fire from the fort.

Brandon DeJonge

The Fort was well kept and it was reasonably priced. Pretty cool just to walk around and adventure for a couples hours. They do have some cool "shows", like firing the cannons that may be going on while you're there.

Robin Anderson

Fun to learn about history plus beautiful views over the island.

Verdella Walters

The trees are just starting to change the was perfect

Kristopher Sanchez

They had 18-19 year olds doing the canon demonstration which kind of made me think. There have always been 18-19 year olds on the cannon. They should name it hugh heff. Rip

Mike Norris

Awesome stop for history buffs on the island. It’s not particularly cheap but it is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Frequent rifle and cannon demonstrations as well. Lots to see!

wesley smith

Absolutely beautiful! I would suggest going before or after the tousists season. It gets very crowded.

Daidra Jagger

This was a neat historical place for a visit. My kids even enjoyed it.

Erik Kuck

Great views and a lot more history than I knew

Timothy Dodd

If you are into historical sites, you will definately want to visit this place. You can learn all about the history of the fort through the different demonstrations and exhibits inside the fort.

michelle jenkins

Interesting tour and enjoyed all the fort sites

Lindsey Brayton

Almost five stars except there's a million stairs. The exhibits are great! I especially love the ones with videos on the walls. Lots to see and totally worth the money! There's even a place to eat that looks out over the Marina. Gorgeous views!

Daniel Marr

We all had an awesome time exploring Fort Mackinac! As a veteran it was really cool learning about the history of the fort and how it impacted the island. The re-enactment they performed was pretty cool to see as well.

Lillyana Kooiker

I didn't go in because it costed 14 dollars a person... But i did hear the canons all day and they sounded AWESOME!

rob smith

Love the history always a good time.

j k

I liked the fort in Mackinaw City better. More interactive and less crowded. However this is still a great place to visit if your on the island and don't mind the hike up the hill. Great views and tons of information about the fort and island.

April Royston

Local guides are great, boy scouts host and they do a good job of so much information from the fort. Great historical visit

Daniel DeRoos

Cool history and great views of the straits.

Sky

They have cool demonstrations of what it was like near 1812 and showed alot of what is cool about history

Ashley Lindsay

Cool place to visit if u wanna pay and arm and a leg.

GRACI FINKLE

Island transportation was a challenge and expensive. The Fort was similar to other forts we have seen but still interesting and of course another fee.

Nicole Newton

Very historical. The reenactments are engaging I was excited to see the kids room. My kids really enjoyed an area where they could touch everything and get dressed in time period clothing.

Michelle Schumann

The history of this place is amazing. The tour guides are funny and knowledgeable. The fudge is outstanding. Overall it was a good day out.

Jenn Christ

Nicely done : very educational and had enough kid stuff intermixed to keep them entertained and happy

Debbie Crownover

Fun for all ages. The narators, demonstrations & interactive activities are great!

Nick W

Well priced and very well maintained, well worth the time and money for a visit. Lots to look at, and they even do mini events like firing the cannons and other reanactments. The stairs to the top are quite a climb, so keep that in mind when planning a trip (getting a ride up may be necessary).

heather g

Price was alittle heavy for a self guided tour ,but overall it was interesting , seeing the cannon fire and the reenactment soldiers was also a plus. A nice look at some of the history of the island.

Holly Hodges

Very interesting! Lunch is delicious and fun at the Tea Room up on the hill. The views are amazing!

r vix

Great historical experience...very nicely maintained and the historical interpretations are excellent.

Akhilesh Singh Sengar

There are several events throughout the day like cannon blasts, the rifle fire and the soldiers march, etc. There are different demonstration buildings/sites inside this fort. We explored all the buildings. The exhibits are very well presented. We enjoyed the music and the firing of the cannon demonstrations. The views from this high top area were magnificent.

Raveena M

Beautiful view of Mackinac straits, island, and bridge, and informative about the military history of Mackinac Island. Totally worth the hike.

M McG

Enjoyable historical location. Great view of the harbor and town.

Jason Gropp

Our kids loved the cannon demonstration.

Ken Nadeau

Very cool place to visit first time there was a lot to see couldn't do it all in really one day but we enjoyed it

Louise Archambeau

Wonderful

joek2k

Very intresting tourist destination to visit. Throughout the day, the cosplay soliders shoot cannonballs from a live cannon! Many antique homes to visit and everything is well preserved. Lots of information to learn about the place. The cost to get in is very pricy in my opinion. $13.50 per peraon which seems like much.

Scott Magruder

Beautiful view of Lake Huron. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff in period clothing. Interesting demonstrations every 30 min. It's a must see on Mackinac Island. They also offer a military discount.

Karen Brutzman

We took the family- us, our children, and 2 grandkids ages 2 & 4. Everyone enjoyed the afternoon. Some exhibits were specifically set up with the little ones in mind. There is a restaurant that offers good food and fantastic scenery.

Maureen Hall

Best, most complete and interesting fort I've visited. Well worth the trip. You could spend all day here.

Nathan St. Onge

Great history, awsome reenactments and a fantastic view.

Isaac Moore

Very interesting facts about the war of 1812

KC

Very nice historical place to visit and can see beautiful view of the island.

Kimberly Meadows

A treasure of historical information for the enthusiast! The island is a unique location in the world. This region is the heart of the Great Lakes. For Michigan history, as well as history on the settling of European nations into the United States and Canada, this is the place to start.

J Rose

The fort is a must see when on the island if for no other reason than to take in the scenery. The buildings are authentic and loaded with artifacts and exhibits that bring the history of the place to life.

Larry J Rausch

Signage was great. Better reenactors at Ft. Michilamackiac.

Raven Burrous

I loved the demonstrations and how clean it was there. There is an amazing view and everyone was so friendly.

Scott W

Really well done and preserved historical site. The talks and demonstrations informative. The views of the harbor were beautiful. They had Michigan Girl Scouts stationed at different areas to help with questions

Stephen Etheridge

Always clean and full of history. Reenactors fire Muzzle loading Rifles and Cannon. Some days can be wet especially in spring. Bring a waterproof jacket. Great harbor views.

Steve Alspaugh

If you're in the area this is a great must see sight. Lots of good history and plenty of beautiful scenery

Ismael Enciso

It's a good place for people who are interested in history! Even though I'm not one myself, the people dressed up made it quite fun! They are nice and a nice redhead girl let my sister take a picture with her! That was nice of her cause she was her break! The view is splendid as well.

Hanna Lytle

This is one of my favorite sites on the island. The staff is knowledgeable and welcoming. The grounds hold rich history. If you find yourself on the island, make sure to visit Fort Mackinac!

Jakester910

The staff is all very friendly. There is so much to see and to do. Plenty of fun for the whole family, and you'll learn a little too.

Tamara Neal

We loved every part of the fort!

April Beaujean

Loved all of the history here. Cant wait for my hubby to bring me again.

brett gray

Fun place to spend the day or even a night with reservations well in advance. Sheplers ferry is great, the island is very pet friendly. But only a few restaurants there are so be aware. The grand hotel allows them on the patio and the view is amazing.

Patricia Merchand

Teaching my Grandchildren the history. It saddens me that the Island has wiped out the history of the native American tribe that first inhabited the island.

will raff

This is a great way to see the history of the island. Staff was very informative and took there time making sure we had a great experience. One of the coolest things there was the fact they shot off old canons every hours or so. I will definitely come back.

Keith Kidd

The fort is definately a worthwhile stop for any history lovers.

Christin Badge

It is a great place to visit as a couple or as a family... You receive a lot of history. They shoot a cannon off regular times for the young and older to enjoy.. My only recommendation is to not go in May! The midge flies (though non biting) are very annoying..the amount of them is unreal. Even though they were annoying it was still a wonderful visit and will be back again later this summer

God Chasers Something pursued

Love it here. Can't wait to go back again soon

Cheryl Lawal

Was quite a walk to get here and not very interesting. While they try to make it interesting, unless you are a history buff, you don't really care.

Debbie sunseri

Great demonstrations. We were able to get some good historical information from the reinactors

Todd Homman

Just amazing history everywhere in this Fort you will be AWED by it. They even fire off the replica 1841 Mississippi 6lb cannon for you. And if you call a month or so ahead of time to sign up and YOU can pull and fire the cannon.

trevor harnden

Mackinac Island was amazing, and the fort is fun, a lot of great history, fun for all!

Kenneth Tarmann

It was not bad. There were plenty of barracks locations with different details in each, we watched a canon blast that takes place at the end of the day and spent some time exploring what there was of the fort. It was concluded by a demonstration of firing guns of the era and some fighting positions and inspections by old fashioned military personnel. It wasn't anything thrilling but was more of a living museum.

Michele Kranz

If you plan to visit the island this place is a very suggested destination to add. In 30min or 1h you'll be able to visit.

Eleanor Gatewood

Magical for little kids.

Ann Lythjohan

Zach and Logan were great boy scouts that were volunteering that day we were there. Great tour too.

Jesse Ajanel

The historic richness of the building is worth the visit. There are several exhibits, and the fort ground is well-preserved.

Andrew Francoeur

Quite the hike up the hill unless you take the carriage tour and get off at the top but a overall great historical education and experience.

Eric Cochran

The history of this place is amazing. Great place for someone who enjoys learning about the War of 1812 and how this area played a role. Would definitely recommend it.

Clark Knudsen

The fort offers a view of the past. Be prepared for the entrance. Summer of 2019, adult entrance was $17.75 and kids were $7.50. Entering here let's you see how things were back in the day and how important a location this island was historically.

JD Peash

Great place to learn and experience history!

Alida Boni

Beautiful fort to visit. They have exhibits and demonstrations with muskets and even fire a cannon over the wall!

Mike Callahan

Love the fort. Period dressed young men doing the demonstrations were fantastic.

Philip Austin

The view from the top was great. They had different demonstrations or activities every half hour. Definitely recommend.

RocketYT

A 1800 fort turned into a museum About the history of the area. Has live Cannon and rifle demonstrations and expansive exhibits

Tyco New

No AC in the building, but it was abnormally hot while we were there. Demos are cool, but good Lord they are amateur actors haha

maria john

Taken back to olden times ..cannon demonstration was good ..worth a visit

Scott T

Interesting displays in well maintained old fort and grounds. You can get glimpse of life foe these soldiers. You also get great views of the harbor.

Lavonna Skeans

It was a beautiful place. Well maintained and presented. The girl scouts were awesome!

Jimmy B

Would be much better if there were reinactment personel to interact with, instead its all mannequin's, text on plaques, and a few video's. its nice, and unique, just not an immersive experience that i thought it was going to be.

Jeremy B

Cool reenactments good displays very educational and plain out fun after walking up the huge hill to get to it.

Sianna Orr

Really cool museum to slowly wander. Lots of places to sit and enjoy the beautiful weather, take photos and watch the performances.

Michele Velez

If you love history, you will love Fort Mackinac! The actors do a great job explaining and demonstrating life as it was lived here with clothing from that time period, with a rifle showing and shooting demonstration, and a cannon demonstration. Every building has a sign telling what it is and giving you information about the structures, artifacts here, and the people that lived here. Mackinac island is a very family friendly place to visit. My kids loved that there were no vehicles here and that everyone either walked or biked to get around the island which we also did. The prices were also very reasonable for entrance fees and tickets.

Victoria Sheldon

Active archaeological site on premises. Interesting exhibits. Entertained both of my elementary age boys.

Myra May Hughes

Lovely, well preserved piece of history. A great spot for anyone to visit, especially with the view to the entrance

charmedsingingangel

Great history lessons! Great family fun

Brian beswick

Had a blast here. Very informative staff

Kris Strnad

History bluffs will enjoy. Hard for handicapped to get around the grounds.

Linda Miller

Very historical, excellent presentations by the tour guides. They were very knowledgable.

Ron Willette

It is awesome. Great history of the straits area.

S B

Ok this place is awesome! In period actors who are very knowledgeable and helpful. Lunch in teas room a must do.

Trevor Kilpatrick

Pretty views and cool history but overpriced.

Kurt Prosser

Wow...really impressive place.

S M

Great place for families or schools to learn about Michigan history. Lots to explore and hand on learning.

John Smith

Had a spectacular time here. Was everything i expected.

John Schultz

We didn't actually go. So maybe this is the most wonderful place on earth BUT researching how to get there, I came up with expenses of about $100 for two people! And the cannon and gunshots would freak my dog out. $25 for round trip ferry ride per person $10 parking $13 fort entrance fee per person We happen to have just been at Fort Wilkins in Copper Harbor which, while there were no actors this time of year, was free with a self guided tour and you could get there by walking.

Lynda Brainard

Our visit to Fort Mackinac was so spectacular. We ate at the Tea Room and were wowed by the views and the service. The iced tea is the best we have ever had. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. We learned some new things and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. <3

Scott Parks

Enjoyable afternoon touring the buildings and watching the reenactors.

Sabrina Fiedler

LOVED it! Family vacation and this was by far the best attraction on the island. Reasonably priced and a lot to see. Very educational and you have free range to walk through the entire facility, which is huge, at your own pace. Very nice little café behind the fort, overlooking the lake off the cliffs. The café has both indoor and outdoor seating, a wood burning fireplace, great food and cold beer :-). Behind the fort there are miles of walking trails into the woods where there's more to see. We spent a few hours up there and still didn't see everything. Highly recommend.

Alayna Nicole

Really nice. Worth the long walk.

Deb Hagger

AWESOME PLACE TO VISIT FOR THE DAY

Sweetpea

Lots to see. The displays offered lots of arranged settings of moments back in time with dialog to read. The sight over looks main street, the docks and homes. There are a handful of employees dressed in period apparel. At appointed times they do a brief arms show shooting off shotguns into the hillside. There is a tea room where you can sit down to eat or a snack cart where you can grab a bite to eat. The bathrooms are immaculate and there is a water fountain for drinking. Ticket price is $13.50 for adults and $7.50 for kids. They do need to change things up to draw in visitors. A different reenactment show is needed.

Russell Brix

Great trip beautiful views would highly recommend

Mike Rola

Fort tour was informative, but the inner fort "lilac tour" was disappointing. The lilac history tour around the island was far better.

kathy dean

History preserved and presented in precise and understandable presentation by displays,movies and actors ! A true treasure ! Historical society and life of past shown and demonstrations available! Information and hands on displays for children to all adults ! Well worth admission fees and time spent! Thank you for this great opportunity for me to learn about last!

Arahshiel Silver

As a person with a history undergrad and American Culture Master's, I can tell you that this is a fascinating place. The educational presentation is just great!

Kyle Vargo

Great staff. They know a lot of the history of the fort and the demonstrations are intresting.

Chad Orton

It was a beautiful trip. Riding the carriages and hearing about the history.

David Jeup

Very interesting historical perspective of Michigan’s founding and fight for commerce.

Bob McMillan

Great views, interesting history. A little bit crowded but not too bad in the fort. Wear good walking shoes. Bring a camera.

Anku V

Place is located at the top of the iland . Tou can see great view from the top.

Drew Garen

This place does is awesome. Not only educational but they also fire historical rifles and cannon when you are there. They do charge admission but it's worth it.

Tom L

Packed with very dedicated and engaged staff members and detailed explanations, demonstrations, and models, historically accurate and representative of the time period. If you can make the walk up the steep hill and few sets of stairs at the top, it is definitely a place to add on your bucket list, or to visit if you find yourself in the area!

Betty Hennessy

Loved it.. Beautifully restored. Specially liked educational videos and plaques

Abhishek Master

Amazing fort with friendly staff and multiple demonstrations. Cheap tickets: we got tickets for $13.50 each.

Jim Peter

Well preserved, the tour guide was in period costume and very knowledgeable about the area history.

Michael Beach

Very cool. Great history. The cannons firing and very cool

Mr. Awesomenezz

Lots of cool descriptions and artifacts and whatnot here. Cool demonstrations and many original buildings. I feel bad for the staff and them having to be in such big outfits on such a hot day! This one mans face got incredibly red from the heat.

Gowtham Sundar

Soooooo much stuff to do. Easily a 3 day trip

J H

Excellent tourist attraction and history experience.

Bernard Davis

I loved the fort had so much history behind it

Lisa Youngborg

Best thing to do on Mackinac! The displays are interactive and well prepared. Hike up to fort is strenuous. Views are goegeous!

Galaxy Art

It was really fun to see what the fort used to look like in 1812!

Adam N.

Very well done historic site, and museum. I’d rate it higher based on views alone. The two cannon men were great, and engaging.

Sarah Martin-Fanone

This is a great stop for history buffs and a pleasant school trip. There is quite a bit to see and the facilities have all been preserved/restored very nicely.