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Fort Mackinac

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Fort Mackinac is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The British built the fort during the American Revolutionary War to control the strategic Straits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and by extension the fur trade on the Great Lakes. The British did not relinquish the fort until fifteen years after American independence.Fort Mackinac later became the scene of two strategic battles for control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. During most of the 19th century, it served as an outpost of the United States Army. Closed in 1895, the fort has been adapted as a museum on the grounds of Mackinac Island State Park.HistoryAmerican Revolutionary WarBefore 1763, the French used Fort Michilimackinac on the mainland south shore of the Straits of Mackinac to control the area. After the Treaty of Paris (1763), the British occupied the French fort but considered the wooden structure too difficult to defend. In 1780/1781, its lieutenant governor Patrick Sinclair constructed a new limestone fort on the 150-foot limestone bluffs of Mackinac Island above the Straits of Mackinac. The British held the outpost throughout the American Revolutionary War. Captain Daniel Robertson commanded the garrison on Mackinac Island from 1782 to his death in 1787. Despite the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1783), the British did not officially relinquish the fort to the United States until 1796.

Address: 7127 Huron Rd, Mackinac Island, MI 49757, USA
Phone: (906) 847-3328
State: Michigan
County: Mackinac County
Zip Code: 49757



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Reviews
A great way to spend your morning on the island. They have cannon and rifle firing demonstrations throughout the day which are informative and cool to watch. The fort itself is in good condition for how old it is. The whole fort has videos, placards, and interactive exhibits to learn more about life back in the 1800s. They have a whole room dedicated to early medicine which was very interesting.nnI highly recommend this fort, it has more to it than one might think.
What a beautiful view of the island from Fort Mackinac! There were so many different attractions simply within the camp that made the entire experience of visiting Mackinaw Island. Reenactors of men and women at the time display cannon firing and rifle firing demonstrations while sharing history of that time on the island. Every exhibit is so beautifully restored and there are informative plaques or educational videos playing throughout the entire Fort. There is a commissary-turned-gift shop which has great memorabilia. There's also a building full of kids activities such as dress up, building, etc. there are bathrooms on site which is nice as the walk is considerably set apart from the main street of the island. Would absolutely love to see it all again someday!
Fort Mackinac and the overall island is worth a trip via ferry in my opinion. The motor free island has its own vibe that forces you to do things differently. As a former Soldier and history nerd I love what Fort Mackinac offers. It's well maintained and on par, if not exceeding similar national sites. The reenactors do a great job bringing the past back to life and teaching something new. It's interesting getting a peek into what life was like back in the past and learning about the history and role this place had in the War of 1812.
A must do and see for anyone, even if you're not into history it's still the most ideal place to visit. The island does shut down in the winter so I suggest checking when it's open before planning to visit.nIt's a 15 minute ferry ride to the island to get to the fort.nThere are no cars on the island so comfortable shoes I highly suggest. Or there's bicycle rentals, there's horse back ride rentals, a carriage ride tour or horse drawn taxis.nThere is a fee about $15 or so to enter but if you plan on seeing both forts look into buying the package for both to save a few dollars.nThe amount of learning about the fort, the soldiers, the medical things, the way they lived and the how the fort became a part of history war of 1812 was incredible to learn. It's a long walk up a hill to get to the fort the ticket booth is at the bottom before you start walking up the hill. The view from the inside of the fort is unlike anything else I've seen. The town is clean minus horse poo and the people are friendly.nThe older buildings are very well kept, but unfortunately once inside the fort you can see where someone is building townhouses or something on the other part of the island which to me takes away from the history and beauty.. but the rest is 100% a priceless experience.nI'm adding some of the pictures but can't post all because of limits so you'd have to see it in person to get the real experience.
It is definitely an interesting historical site. There's different buildings to see here and a lot of walking. There was also a cannon demonstration. The kids were amused.
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