Michigan · best-of list
29 Top Things to Do in Michigan
All 29 things to do our route editors picked in Michigan, across 8 destinations, gathered in one list. 5 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
29 things to do in Michigan, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Detroit 6 picks
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
Major art museum anchored by Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry murals.
Tip: Free for residents of 3 local counties; others pay. Closed Mon.
Photo: Sailko · CC BY 3.0
Guardian Building
Detroit · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
1929 Art Deco skyscraper with a tiled, vaulted lobby open to the public.
Tip: Weekday lobby visits are easy; free.
Photo: WMrapids · CC0
Campus Martius Park
Detroit · On our Frankenmuth & Detroit route
Downtown square with the city's Christmas tree, a skating rink and lit trees, next to the Cadillac Square holiday market.
Tip: Skate after dark, then browse the holiday market chalets in Cadillac Square next door.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
Detroit · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route
Midtown museum whose core exhibit walks from a slave-ship hold to Detroit's civil-rights and Motown years.
Tip: Closed Mondays; open until 7pm Thursdays.
Photo: Quick fix · CC BY-SA 2.0Greenfield Village Holiday Nights
Detroit · On our Frankenmuth & Detroit route
Evening walks through The Henry Ford's historic village with carolers, horse-drawn wagons and fireworks.
Tip: Book ahead and dress for a long walk outside; the village is lit mostly by lanterns and fires.
The Henry Ford
Detroit · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route
Huge museum of American innovation in Dearborn, with Greenfield Village next door.
Tip: Plan most of a day if adding Greenfield Village.
Photo: Detroit Publishing Company · Public domain
Mackinac Island 5 picks
Fort Mackinac
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
18th-century fort above the harbor with cannon firings and costumed interpreters.
Tip: Ticket includes several downtown historic buildings.
Photo: Drdpw · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
1887 hotel with the world's longest porch and formal gardens.
Tip: Non-guests pay a fee to visit; dress code after 6pm.
Photo: rboed* · CC BY 2.0
Mackinac Island Carriage Tours
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route + 1 more
Narrated horse-drawn carriage tour of the island's sights.
Tip: Get off at Arch Rock and catch a later carriage.
Photo: Jamie Nucum · Google
Lake Shore Boulevard (M-185)
Mackinac Island · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route
Car-free 8.2-mile loop around the island, the only state highway with no cars.
Tip: Rent bikes near the docks; ride counterclockwise.
Photo: Luke McLaughlin · Google
Mackinac Island Bike Shop
Mackinac Island · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Bike rentals for the flat 8-mile M-185 loop around the island shoreline.
Photo: 唐国宇（信马由缰） · Google
Belle Isle 4 picks
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory
Belle Isle · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Glass-domed 1904 conservatory with palms, cacti and a fernery, warm inside on a cold day.
Tip: Open limited days; confirm Jan 1 hours with Belle Isle Conservancy.
Photo: P. Hughes · CC BY-SA 4.0Belle Isle Aquarium
Belle Isle · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Albert Kahn's 1904 aquarium, with a green-tiled vaulted ceiling over Great Lakes and tropical tanks.
Tip: Free entry; hours are limited to a few days a week, so check before going.
Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Belle Isle · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Maritime museum on the island's river side, with a freighter pilothouse and Great Lakes shipping history.
Photo: Chris Woodrich · CC BY-SA 4.0
James Scott Memorial Fountain
Belle Isle · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Marble 1925 fountain at the island's west tip, facing the downtown skyline across the river.
Tip: The water is off in winter, but the skyline view from here is the best on the island.
Photo: Mkrajenke12 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sleeping Bear Dunes 4 picks
Crystal River Outfitters
Sleeping Bear Dunes · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Kayak and tube rentals for a slow float down the clear Crystal River.
Photo: Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District · Google
Dune Climb
Sleeping Bear Dunes · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Steep 110-foot sand climb; the full trail to Lake Michigan is 3.5 miles round trip.
Tip: Bring water and shoes; the trail to the lake is harder than it looks.
Photo: Yuki Fujita · Google
Glen Haven Historic Village
Sleeping Bear Dunes · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Restored lumber-era village with the Cannery Boat Museum and a blacksmith shop.
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail
Sleeping Bear Dunes · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Paved bike path linking Empire, Glen Arbor and Glen Haven through the lakeshore.
Photo: Logan Deneau (Logo) · Google
Downtown Detroit 3 picks
Hart Plaza and the Detroit RiverWalk
Downtown Detroit · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
The riverfront plaza looks straight across the Detroit River to the Windsor skyline, with the RiverWalk running east.
Tip: The best free spot downtown for a midnight view of both skylines.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resolution Ball at the Masonic Temple
Downtown Detroit · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Detroit's largest NYE party fills the Masonic Temple's Crystal and Fountain ballrooms with DJs, stage acts and a midnight balloon drop.
Tip: VIP tiers include dinner from 8 pm; general admission is dancing and the midnight drop.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0The Rink at Campus Martius Park
Downtown Detroit · On our Detroit New Year's Eve route
Downtown's seasonal ice rink sits under the city Christmas tree and lit trees, ringed by office towers.
Tip: Skate rentals are available; go before dinner, as the rink closed at 10 pm on NYE 2025.
Holland 3 picks
Holland Museum
Holland · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Downtown museum on the town's Dutch settlers and immigrant history.
Photo: Holland Museum · Google
Saugatuck Dune Rides
Holland · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Guided dune-buggy rides through the Lake Michigan dunes south of Holland.
Photo: Randolfo Santos · · Google
Windmill Island Gardens
Holland · On our Michigan Lake Shore route
Park with De Zwaan, a 250-year-old working Dutch windmill, plus tulip gardens.
Tip: Open about late April to early October; tulips peak in May.
Photo: Yuki Fujita · Google
Frankenmuth 2 picks
Holz-Brücke Covered Bridge
Frankenmuth · On our Frankenmuth & Detroit route
Wooden covered bridge over the Cass River, linking Main Street with the Bavarian Inn Lodge.
Tip: Walk across and look back from the riverbank for the best view of the bridge.
Photo: Crisco 1492 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Silent Night Memorial Chapel
Frankenmuth · On our Frankenmuth & Detroit route
Replica of the Oberndorf, Austria, chapel where 'Silent Night' was first sung, on the Bronner's grounds.
Tip: Read the plaques along the path, which show the carol's words in many languages.
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Traverse City 2 picks
Mission Point Lighthouse
Traverse City · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route
1870 lighthouse at the tip of Old Mission Peninsula, with beach and trails.
Tip: Climb the tower; small fee.
Photo: Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads) · CC0
Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
Traverse City · On our Great Lakes Hidden Gems route
Seven-mile loop through the dunes with overlooks 450 ft above Lake Michigan.
Tip: Stop 9 (Lake Michigan Overlook) is the best view.
Photo: Clint Stephenson · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Michigan?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 29 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Michigan has the most things to do on this list?
Detroit has the most (6 of 29), followed by Mackinac Island (5) and Belle Isle (4).
Are any of these free?
10 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Guardian Building, Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, Hart Plaza and the Detroit RiverWalk, Holz-Brücke Covered Bridge, Belle Isle Aquarium, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Michigan
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Detroit 6 on this list
- Mackinac Island 5 on this list
- Belle Isle 4 on this list
- Sleeping Bear Dunes 4 on this list
- Downtown Detroit 3 on this list
- Holland 3 on this list
- Frankenmuth 2 on this list
- Traverse City 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.