Mackinac Island in Mackinac County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Grand Hotel

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

1. Grand Hotel Marker

Inscription.

Opened on July 10, 1887, the Grand Hotel was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana and the Michigan Central railroads and the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company through the efforts of Sen. Francis B. Stockbridge. It is built of Michigan white pine. With its magnificent colonial porch, longest in the world, it is a classic example of gracious living seldom seen today. One of the outstanding landmarks on the Great Lakes, it is the world’s largest summer hotel.
Michigan Historical Commission Registered Building No. 10

Erected 1958 by Michigan Historical Commission. (Marker Number HB10.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 10, 1887.

Location. 45° 51.043′ N, 84° 37.509′ W. Marker is on Mackinac Island, Michigan, in Mackinac County. Marker is at the intersection of West Bluff Road and Cadotte Avenue, on the right when traveling west on West Bluff Road. The marker is located at the southeast corner of the hotel. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mackinac Island MI 49757, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

of this marker. Mackinac Conference (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Grand Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); "Is it you?" (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Little Stone Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lawrence A. Young Cottage (approx. ¼ mile away); Biddle House / Agatha And Edward Biddle (approx. 0.3 miles away); Trinity Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Fort Garden (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mackinac Island.

Regarding Grand Hotel. National Register of Historic Places #72000637; National Historic Landmark (6/29/1989); and Michigan State Historic Site (1972).

Also see . . .
1. Grand Hotel History.

A member of Historic Hotels of America since 2001, the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan, is one of the last surviving Grand Dames of the Gilded Age. When it opened in 1887, the Grand Hotel quickly emerged as the preferred destination for vacationers from places like Chicago, Detroit, and Montréal, among other places. The hotel's 600-foot Front Porch soon became the primary meeting spot for anyone on Mackinac Island, especially for island romantics who referred to it as “Flirtation Walk.” A number
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

2. Grand Hotel Marker
(southeast corner of hotel in background)
of leading American figures frequented the Grand Hotel around this time as well, including Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. In fact, it was quite common to see Edison play with a few of his inventions while visiting, such as the time when he unveiled his phonograph on the front porch. The hotel even managed to attract such illustrious guests like Presidents Grover Cleveland and Theodore Roosevelt. Many influential guests continued to frequent the hotel during his tenure, including additional Presidents like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

(Submitted on December 22, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Grand Hotel.

In 1886, the Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company formed the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. The group purchased the land on which the hotel was built and construction began, based upon the design by Detroit architects Mason and Rice. When it opened the following year, the hotel was advertised to Chicago, Erie, Montreal and Detroit residents as a summer retreat for vacationers who arrived by lake steamer and by rail from across the continent. The hotel opened on July 10, 1887. At its opening, nightly rates at the hotel ranged from $3 to $5 a
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

3. Grand Hotel (southeast elevation)
night.

(Submitted on August 15, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Grand Hotel Timeline.

1890s • Grand Hotel’s Front Porch — the longest in the world — becomes the principal meeting place for all of Mackinac Island.
1957 • Michigan Historical Association selects Grand Hotel as a State Historical Building.
1980 • Somewhere In Time, filmed at Grand Hotel and starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer, is released.
2006 • The hotel welcomes its 5,000,000th overnight guest.
2022 • This year marked the hotel's 135th birthday, celebrated throughout the month of July. (Submitted on August 15, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

4. Grand Hotel (east elevation)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

5. Grand Hotel Horse-drawn Carriage
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 30, 2017

6. Grand Hotel Jockey Club

Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 413 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 15, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.