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We've compiled the best of the best in Michigan - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
At Pewabic Pottery, founded in 1903, you can see where the brilliantly glazed ceramic Pewabic tiles found in buildings throughout the nation—including the Detroit Public Library and Washington National Cathedral—are made. The pottery now houses a ceramics museum, a workshop, a store, and a learning center.
A goal to provide high-quality, year-round arts programming to people of all ages and backgrounds in the Saugatuck area led to the establishment in 2003 of this nonprofit organization. Housed in a former pie factory (the 420-seat theater used to be the freezer), it fits right into the artsy Saugatuck feel and achieves its mission with gallery exhibits, arts classes for adults and children, live musical performances, two film festivals—one for children—and professional Broadway-caliber shows like "Avenue Q" and "Cabaret" in the Mason Street Warehouse Theatre.
Originally used to transport horses across the Kalamazoo River, this fringy little ferry is now a top tourist attraction. Built in 1857, it's the only hand-cranked chain ferry left in the country. It takes about 200 cranks and about five minutes for the U.S. Coast Guard-inspected vessel to float the 100 yards across the river.
Designed for thrill seekers and nature buffs alike, the dune rides are a popular activity and many claim your visit is not complete until you have viewed the region from a towering sand dune. Included in a 40-minute ride along rolling dunes on Lake Michigan, seated in a 20-passenger customized schooner, are historical facts about the region. To protect yourself from flying sand, be sure to wear closed-toe shoes and sunglasses. Plenty of stops along the way provide photo opportunities.
A replica of the tall ships that once traveled along Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay during the 1800s, Schooner Manitou is 114 feet tall and one of the largest tall ships currently operating on the Great Lakes. Activities on the 59-passenger ship include daily two-hour sails (at noon, and in the afternoon and evening) and a unique, floating, bed-and-breakfast concept with room for 24 guests (in 12 cabins) and including a full breakfast. The evening sail includes a picnic dinner. During September, multiday windjammer sails are offered.
Second Baptist Church of Detroit, organized in 1836, is Detroit's oldest black congregation. The church was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, and African-Americans gathered here to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation.
