Not sure what to do on your next vacation? Check out this list of the top 11 activities in Michigan, USA that you won’t want to miss! From strolling around and exploring parks, all the way up through sightseeing tours and historical landmarks – we’ve got something for everyone. Get ready for an unforgettable experience!
The Best Thing To Do in Michigan

Detroit Institute of Arts
- Address: 5200 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (10009)
- Phone: +1 313-833-7900
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: ClosedTuesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMWednesday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMThursday: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMFriday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PMSaturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PMSunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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Top 11 Things To Do Michigan, USA

Mackinac Island State Park
- Address: 7029 Huron Rd, Mackinac Island, MI 49757, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (7206)
- Phone: +1 906-847-3328
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
- Reviews:
Beautiful place to visit with a lot of history! Lots of little shops, especially with a huge variety of fudge! The people who work on the island are all pretty friendly. You definitely want to explore the butterfly house, it’s amazing! The one thing that I’d highly suggest is that if plan on eating, stand outside the door at least 15 minutes prior to the restaurant opening! Trust me, the wait time can be almost 2 hours! Have fun!By Jennifer Manninen (6 months ago)You need to take a ferry to get to this park. This is a historic and a scenic park. The coolest thing about this place is that there are no cars inside and the transport is either through Horse Carriage or by renting a bike. There are lot of scenic attractions. The Arch Rock was our favorite. You can bike/hike through the entire perimeter of the island. You can see amazing turquoise color water here. Some great food options available near the ferry terminal.By Saiprabhu B (8 months ago)This place is a must see, you just have to experience it to appreciate it. No cars, all bike, walk or horse drawn carriages!! The history This place offers is amazing. Our carriage driver was wonderful, I forget her name but she was from Portland Oregon and she was great! We went to the Ft. Macinaw, butterfly conservatory, the grounds of the island is beautiful no matter where you go and the views are all amazing!!!By Elke Ream (7 months ago)It’s a great place to ride your bicycle with all roads & paths both paved and single track trails through the woods. You can also take an 8.2 mile ride around the island on M-185. There are some great views of downtown Mackinac Island and the Straits of Mackinac along the roads on the east and west bluffs. When you are done riding there is always a good choice of places to eat downtown.By James Bur (7 months ago)The island is really beautiful with no cars allowed on it. The usual route is to reach Mackinaw city or St. Ignace and take a ferry to the island. Flight routes are also available.
The island offers bikes and horse cart for roaming around on rent . The perimeter is almost 8 miles long, so a bike rider can cover it in usually 1.5 hrs. There are a few spots such as Arch rock, the fort and a few others to go for. It might take just 3-4 hours to checkout all the spots and complete a perimeter bike ride. There are several beach like small spots to hangout in the lake and smal food shops.By Anurag Kumar (7 months ago)
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- Address: N8391 Sand Point Rd, Munising, MI 49862, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.9 (6212)
- Phone: +1 906-387-3700
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: Open 24 hoursTuesday: Open 24 hoursWednesday: Open 24 hoursThursday: Open 24 hoursFriday: Open 24 hoursSaturday: Open 24 hoursSunday: Open 24 hours
- Reviews:
Absolutely beautiful. When you’re here make sure you take the boat tour to fully appreciate the beauty of the cliffs. In the park itself, the trails are very nice, taking you to multiple waterfalls and scenic views. I definitely recommend the trail to the Grand Sable Dunes, the view was beautiful.
Negatives: both visitor centers were closed and apparently in need of renovation. Prepare yourself appropriately for the bugs, especially the Sable flies.
By Matt Grantz (6 months ago)It’s immaculate up here. One thing I love about the Upper Peninsula is that there’s so many cool and small towns, and in between it’s just nothing. you start in St. Ignace and have to drive a couple hours to Pictured Rocks but it’s great! This is one of my favorite national nature places to visit. I hope one day it’ll become a national park because it surely deserves that final titled, even if it’s still being funded by the federal government anyway. It’s great here!By Hunter Machin (7 months ago)What an absolutely gorgeous place to visit! If you do visit here be sure to take one or two boat tours of the area! There is so much beauty to take in! Miles and miles of tall cliffs, neat coloration of the rocks from mineral deposits, and beautiful blue green water that you just have to see in person to appreciate!! There are also lighthouses, eagles and their nests, and waterfalls! Pictures and videos are gorgeous to look at, but nothing beats seeing it with your own two eyes! Be sure to stop in at the visitor center and pick up some souvenirs and a map of the area!By Heather H (6 months ago)Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is an absolutely beautiful place to visit! I highly recommend taking the boat tour at sunset. We went in the fall and the leaves are not only amazing that time of year, but they change greatly as the sunset progresses over the evening. The boat tour is a great way to see the lakeshore and all the beauty that Pictured Rocks possesses, as well as scope out some of the hikes that you are interested in. We spent the next day hiking and chasing waterfalls in the area which is a great way to spend the day as well. If you can time this in the fall then it has the added value of some of the best fall colors I have ever seen- even compared to my home state of Colorado! This is a true gem and should be a bucket list item for you!By Jeremy Janus (10 months ago)Seeing the beauty of the Pictured Rocks can truly only be fully appreciated in person. The water is stunning, and the rocks are just beautiful! I highly recommend a tour of them one way, or another. We took the Glass Bottom shipwreck tour to see them, which was amazing, as well!By Leanne McMillen (5 months ago)
Michigan Science Center
- Address: 5020 John R St, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (2159)
Headlands International Dark Sky Park
- Address: 15675 Headlands Rd, Mackinaw City, MI 49701, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.8 (2035)
Detroit Historical Museum
- Address: 5401 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48202, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (1458)
Call of the Wild Museum
- Address: 850 S Wisconsin Ave, Gaylord, MI 49735, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (975)
West Michigan Tourist Association
- Address: 721D Kenmoor Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 3.9 (10)
MICHIGAN HISTORICAL MARKER
- Address: Farmington Hills, MI 48331, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4 (2)
State of Michigan Historical Marker
- Address: 375-399 Depot St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 5 (2)
Danau Michigan Huron
- Address: Huron, MI, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating:
That’s it for our list of the best things to do in Michigan! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers too!
Large museum with lots to see. The exhibits don’t flow very well, so take a map to be able to follow your path if you want to make sure you see everything. Very cool cafe inside, museum architecture itself is interesting. Weekend day was not too crowded in the afternoon which was nice. $14 for adult, $8 if you’re a student, reasonable prices.
I highly recommend the DIA for your wedding or event. I just recently worked with Luis who is in charge of their events at a recent wedding. It was an immaculate day. He was so attentive, on it, and knew exactly how to serve our client well. He was very communicative with vendors prior explaining things like the building lay out and parking for the event to ensure it would go seamlessly. I cannot say enough great things.
The Detroit Institute of Arts was an absolutely amazing experience! The exhibits, architecture, and artwork are top notch and this is one of my favorite museums I have ever visited! We spent all day here and I feel like we still didn’t even scratch the surface. If I could change anything I would have planned to come right at opening so we could experience this for the entirety of opening! You will be amazed at the beauty of this museum, I highly recommend it!
There is just so much to see. I could spend days just staring at the artwork. Mind you I am partial to art. We went and they had a car exhibit and they were so unique. Also seeing a real life van Gogh painting was really cool. I’d definitely go again. They also had art from Mexico, middle east, native Americans, Japan and Korea. I love international art so it was fun to look at everything. Also seeing a real life mummy was really cool but creepy to think there’s a skeleton in there.
This place is beautiful! The staff is so wonderful and friendly and helpful. You can buy tickets once you get there but if you buy them in advance, it goes faster. Elevators and stairs, bathrooms on every floor. 3 floors total. Price of tickets aren’t bad either. Went to the Van Gogh exhibit, but will definitely be back to see the rest.