The Mackinac Blog

Mackinac Island – Twilight Turtle Trek – March 1, 2025

Mackinac Island Turtle Trek – A lantern-lit ski and snowshoeing trek through some of Mackinac Island’s natural winter wonderland.

The trail begins at Greany Grove (corner of Arch Rock Road and Huron Road) with a bonfire and hot chocolate. The trail is groomed, track set, lit by lanterns and approximately two miles long.

This is a free event sponsored by Mackinac State Historic Parks, Mackinac Island Community Foundation and the Mackinac Island Ski Club. #thisismackinac

**Transportation can be difficult to Mackinac Island in the winter months. Please check ferry and plane schedules.**

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Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

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Visit Mackinac Island – Twilight Turtle Trek Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel – Prepare The Grand – April 25 – May 1, 2025

Grand Hotel - Early Opening

Prepare the Grand, a First Look with Dorothy Draper & Company

We invite guests to experience Grand Hotel as it prepares to open for the 2025 season. The pre-opening rate offers guests a chance to enjoy the tranquility of Mackinac Island and a casual stay as the staff gets ready to officially open Grand Hotel for our 139th season. This year, be among the first to explore the stunning restorations of the Parlor, Main Dining Room, and Gate House. Enjoy exclusive guided tours, meet the designers from Dorothy Draper & Company, Sebastian Varney and Rudy Saunders to experience a sneak peek of the incredible transformations.

Prepare the Grand guests also have exclusive access to explore a variety of guest rooms as they are prepared for the upcoming season, each showcasing its own unique design. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness the unveiling of our beautiful restorations and everything that makes springtime on Mackinac Island so magical!

Please note: This unique Grand Hotel package provides accommodations only. We will have limited services and amenities during this time, as the staff finishes preparation for the 2025 season. Casual attire is permitted at all times. Grand Coffee & Provisions will be open daily, and a Continental Breakfast Buffet will be available in the Main Dining Room for purchase. The restored Gate House a short walk from Grand Hotel will also be open for Lunch and Dinner. 

Please call Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263 for specifics regarding the limited services available during this time.

Package Includes:

  • Grand Hotel accommodations (up to 4 people per room)
  • Casual attire is permitted at all times

Prepare the Grand reservations can also be booked by calling Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263.

View Grand Hotel Policies and Information >>  to learn more about our luggage process, and more.

View the Tentative Agenda below. Please note that the events, times and locations listed in the Tentative Agenda are subject to change.

*Subject to 6% Michigan sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, 19.5% resort fee, and a $15.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability, 30-day cancellation policy applies.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Grand Hotel Page On Facebook.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel Opening Weekend – May 2 – 4, 2025

Grand Hotel Opening Weekend

Grand Hotel Opening Weekend, a First Look with Dorothy Draper & Company

For familiar traditions and something all new, join us in the festivities of Grand Hotel Opening Weekend.  Be the first to experience our exciting restorations of the Parlor, Main Dining Room and an update on the Facade! Take exclusive guided tours, meet the designers Sebastian Varney and Rudy Sauders from Dorothy Draper & Company, and get an insider’s look at the latest transformations. Don’t miss this rare chance to experience the reveal of our exciting restorations and all that beautifully unfolds in the springtime on Mackinac Island!

Enjoy elegant meals in our Main Dining Room, explore over 70 miles of bike trails, play lawn games in our Tea Garden (and find our Secret Garden as it begins to bloom), listen to our Resident Historian’s first lecture of the year, and experience all we have to offer as we kick off our 139th season! Highlights include:

Friday, May 2, 2025

Opening Ceremony and Champagne Toast

Saturday, May 3, 2025

Grand Opening with Toast

Front Porch Restoration Project Tour with Dorthy Draper & Company designers and architects from HopkinsBurns

Opening of The Jockey Club & Kentucky Derby Celebration – Champagne Toast for winner

Evening Cocktail Reception

Package Includes:

  • Grand Hotel accommodations
  • Breakfast and dinner daily
  • All resort amenities
  • Afternoon History Lecture
  • Friday Opening Ceremony with champagne toast
  • Friday evening Season Opening reception and celebration
  • Saturday Evening Cocktail Reception
  • Annual Kentucky Derby Party in the Terrace Room

The Grand Hotel Opening Weekend package can also be booked by calling Grand Hotel reservations at 1-800-334-7263.

View Grand Hotel Policies and Information >> to learn more about our evening dress code, luggage process, and more.  

View the Tentative Agenda below. Please note that the events, times and locations listed in the Tentative Agenda are subject to change.

*Subject to 6% Michigan sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, 19.5% resort fee, and a $15.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability, 30-day cancellation policy applies.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel On Facebook

Below are the latest postings from the Grand Hotel Page On Facebook.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel – Spring Murder Mystery Weekend – May 2 – 4, 2025

Spring Murder Mystery Weekend

Consider yourself warned: Not everything is how it seems at Grand Hotel during the Spring Murder Mystery Weekend. Immerse yourself in a mystery at Grand Hotel that can only be solved by you and your team.

It’s springtime in the 1960s, and you’re part of an exclusive, underground betting ring gathering for the Kentucky Derby. It’s a gas, until a murder threatens to bring an end to the festivities – and the riches. You and your team will need to put your heads together to find the killer and get this event back on track, or you’ll get zilch! In the high-stakes world of illegal gambling, deceit and betrayal are around every turn. Hang tough and track down this conniving suspect to take your place in the Winner’s Circle!

Package Includes:

  • Grand Hotel accommodations
  • Breakfast and dinner daily
  • All resort amenities
  • Friday Welcome Reception
  • Friday after dinner event
  • Saturday morning and afternoon investigation sessions
  • Sunday morning “Who Done It” closing session

This Murder Mystery Weekend package is also available to book by calling Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263.

View Grand Hotel Policies and Information >> to learn more about our evening dress code, luggage process, and more. 

View the Tentative Agenda below. Please note that the events, times and locations listed in the Tentative Agenda are subject to change.

About the Murder Mystery Weekend

This invite comes from somebody with murder on their mind. Your invitation promises plenty of excitement and intrigue. However, beyond the glitz and glamor of this event lies something more sinister.

You and your party play the detective in this interactive game of mystery and murder behind the closed doors of Grand Hotel. Investigate the scene of the crime, interrogate suspects, and solve a murder. This one-of-a-kind event promises to be nothing short of a “Grand” ol’ time.

Upon check-in, receive your first packet of information and clues. Friday is the kick-off performance, which sets the tone of events and when the first murder takes place. On Saturday, there is a brief gathering with the Detective, who explains the hunt for clues. (This also allows you some time on your own to enjoy the beauty of Mackinac Island and Grand Hotel.)

Come back on Saturday afternoon, when Act II is performed and another murder takes place. The evening concludes with three interactive mysteries, where guests in different groups will be rotated into the mystery experiences. Sunday morning the mystery is solved!

Watch “Grand Hotel Presents The Murder Mystery Company” Video

*Subject to 6% Michigan sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, 19.5% resort fee, and a $15.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability, 30-day cancellation policy applies.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Grand Hotel – Mother’s Day Weekend Package – May 8 – 10, 2026

Grand Hotel - Mother's Day Weekend Package

Available Friday, May 8, 2026 – Sunday, May 10, 2026

Celebrate Mother’s Day in unforgettable style at Grand Hotel, where elegance, fine dining, and timeless charm come together for a weekend to remember. On Sunday, delight in the Grand Luncheon Experience, a bountiful showcase of locally-inspired cuisine thoughtfully prepared by our chefs, all highlighted by a Champagne Toast in honor of mom.

Package Includes:

  • Grand Hotel accommodations
  • Breakfast and dinner daily
  • All resort amenities
  • Saturday History Lecture with Grand Hotel Resident Historian Bob Tagatz
  • Sunday Grand Luncheon Experience in the Main Dining Room with a Mother’s Day champagne toast
  • Rose at check-in for mom
  • Admission to the Richard & Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum

This Mother’s Day hotel special package can also be booked by calling Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263.

View Grand Hotel Policies and Information >> to learn more about our evening dress code, luggage process, and more.  

*Subject to 6% Michigan sales tax, 4% Mackinac Island assessment, 19.5% resort fee, and a $16.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability, 30-day cancellation policy applies.

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Visit Grand Hotel Website >>>>

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Mackinac Island Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge – May 9, 2026

Mackinac Island Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge
The 2026 Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, beginning with the sound of the musket at 9:00 am. Runners and walkers will start inside Fort Mackinac, then through the Sally Port gate to the racecourse ahead. All proceeds help support the Mackinac Historic State Parks!

There will also be a Virtual Race, which can be run or walked anytime at participant’s convenience. All virtual times can be logged by the participant in a separate Virtual Race category (no awards).

The Fort2Fort Five Mile is part of the Mackinac Island Trio Series! Register and complete either the Fort2Fort Five Mile Challenge or the Lilac Festival 10K, plus both the Mackinac Island Eight Mile and Great Turtle Trail Run, and you will receive a special Mackinac Island Trio Series medal. This will be a separate medal from the other finisher’s medal and will be awarded following the Great Turtle Half Marathon. (Note, Virtual events count as participation in the Trio).

STARTING TIME

The start of both the 5 Mile Run and Walk will begin inside Fort Mackinac at 9:00 am with the sound of the musket firing. Runners and walkers will go through the Sally Port gates to the course ahead on Huron Road

Fort doors will be open and rest rooms available inside. Restrooms are also available outside at the Huron Road Pavilion.

LOCATION

The race will finish on the lawn behind and east of Fort Mackinac (next to start line).

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