What Is Michigan Known For? Famous Places, People, Food, and More 

Michigan may arguably have the most discernible shape of all U.S. states. While the state is technically divided into two peninsulas, Michigan’s lower peninsula looks like a mitten. 

But Michigan is known for much more than its ease of pinpointing on a map. From bustling metropolises to breathtaking natural beauty, iconic celebrities, one-of-a-kind cuisine, and more, Michigan is a state no visitor to the United States should ignore. 

To assist me in writing this article, I consulted my friend, Michael DeFranceschi, a travel blogger and Michigan resident. He’s written several articles on the best things to do in his home state, which you can find on his blog, Michael Visits All. 

Miners Falls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

What is Michigan Known For?

Michigan is known for a variety of things. Below is a short list (keep reading for more!):

• Famous places: Detroit, Dearborn, and Ann Arbor
• Famous people: Tim Allen, Madonna, and Henry Ford
• Famous food: Superman ice cream, Mackinac Island fudge, and Vernors
• History and traditions: Automobile industry, going “Up North,” and “Painting the Rock”
• “Firsts”: Two women running for governor, the first state to abolish the death penalty

Most Famous Places and Attractions in Michigan

The first question any traveler will likely ask before visiting Michigan is, where should they go?

Here are seven of the top destinations to see in Michigan: 

Detroit 

Upon its entrance into the 21st century, Detroit had the unfortunate status of a great city that had fallen from grace, but in the 2010s, an effort to revitalize the city commenced. Fast forward to 2023, Detroit is once again one of the most vibrant big cities in the United States! 

Today, visitors to Detroit will be mesmerized by the city’s world-class architecture, abundance of eye-catching street art, variety of sports entertainment, and rich history and appreciation of music and visual arts. 

Nicknamed the “Motor City”, Detroit is most well-known for its significant contributions to the automobile industry. This fact serves as a segue to the next attraction that both automobile and museum enthusiasts should visit, and that is…  

Dearborn  

Most of the automobile innovations that contributed to Detroit’s legacy can actually be found in its neighboring city of Dearborn. 

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is the most popular and arguably most fun museum in Dearborn. Visitors will feel as if they stepped back in time upon seeing the numerous classic vehicles, such as the Model T and Model A. There are also exhibits dedicated to the history of aircraft and locomotives.

Two other amazing attractions that are conveniently next to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation are Greenfield Village and the Automobile Hall of Fame. 

Ann Arbor 

Home to one of the world’s most prestigious public universities, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a vibrant college town, especially known for its eclectic food scene and world-renowned annual art fair. 

One of the most fun things for couples, families, and even solo travelers to do in Ann Arbor is to locate all of the “fairy doors.” It’s a scavenger hunt that is free to do and takes you through much of downtown. 

Sports fans will want to catch a glimpse of the “Big House,” as it is the world’s largest (American) football stadium. 

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is one of the most romantic retreats in the state. Visitors will be captivated by its enchanting views of Lake Michigan and the downtown’s colonial architecture. 

Even though the state of Michigan is usually associated with the automobile industry, Mackinac Island has a law that prohibits the use of motor vehicles! 

To get around Mackinac Island, you will either walk, rent a bike, or use a horse-driven carriage, and you can only get to the island by ferry, from either Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. 

There are two things all visitors to Mackinac Island should do: eat some Mackinac fudge and bike around the entire island. 

Traverse City 

For a city with a population of only about 15,000 residents, there sure is a lot to do in Traverse City! 

If you’re a beach fan, you will want to check out Traverse City State Park Beach, which grants you another opportunity to catch some beautiful views of Lake Michigan. 

The city has lots of trails for hiking and riding bikes. Aside from the chance to be outdoors, one of the most fun things to do in Traverse City is go on a wine tour at the Chateau Chantal Winery & Tasting Room.

Sleeping Bear Dunes 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, often referred to as just “Sleeping Bear Dunes,” is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, and it’s one of Michigan’s greatest gems. This park spans about 71,000 acres along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and is comprised of many sand dunes, some more than 500 feet tall.

A favorite area in Sleeping Bear Dunes is the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, which will take you to some of the most impressive dune overlooks. There is also a Dune Climb area of the park where you can enjoy hiking up and down the dunes.

If you’re not as interested in the dunes, there are also plenty of dense forests with hiking and biking trails at Sleeping Bear Dunes.

“Tahquamenon falls upper” by Attila Nagy is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Tahquamenon Falls 

Tahquamenon Falls is located in the part of Michigan that’s not shaped like a mitten: the Upper Peninsula. While many tourists do not make it this far north in Michigan, if you have the opportunity to cross the Mackinac Bridge to the “U.P.,” you won’t regret it.

There are many waterfalls located in the U.P. and Tahquamenon Falls is one of the most popular. What particularly entices visitors to this waterfall is the color of the water. Tannins in the fall give the water a rich, earthy-brown hue.

Lavender fields at Lavender Hill Farm in Boyne City

💎 Check out this post for a list of hidden gems in Michigan! 💎

Famous People From Michigan

Many household names, including actors, musicians, businessmen, and one U.S. president, originate from the state of Michigan. Here are some prime examples: 

Tim Allen (b. 1953)

The comedian and actor most famously known for his roles as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on the American sitcom Home Improvement and the voice of Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story film series, was born and raised in Michigan. 

Tim Allen has also lent his voice to television commercials funded by the state of Michigan’s tourism chapter, Pure Michigan. 

Madonna (b. 1958)

The “Queen of Pop” was born in Bay City, Michigan, and briefly attended the University of Michigan on a dance scholarship before relocating to New York City. 

Jack White (b. 1975)

The guitarist and vocalist best known as the frontman of the indie rock duo The White Stripes was born in Detroit. He achieved prominence in the Motor City in the early days of the band. 

Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006)

Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska but was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended the University of Michigan, after which he turned down an offer to play professional football for the Detroit Lions. 

Ford is the only politician from Michigan who has ascended to the U.S. presidency, becoming president following Richard Nixon’s resignation.  

Henry Ford (1863-1947)

The founder of Ford Motor Company was born in Springwells Township and died in Dearborn.

Aside from founding one of the world’s most well-known automakers, Ford was also an advocate for the five-day workweek, a labor standard still in practice today. 

Famous Food From Michigan

Food is an integral part of any travel experience, and Michigan has its fair share of food and drink items it’s known for. Be sure to include at least some of these items on your Michigan itinerary: 

Superman ice cream

Superman is a hybrid flavor of ice cream whose colors of red, blue, and yellow mirror the colors of Superman’s suit. Legend has it that the colorful concoction originated at Stroh’s Ice Cream in Detroit during the Prohibition era. 

What makes the Superman flavor peculiar is that there is no consensus on which three flavors of ice cream should be blended to make it. For the “blue” portion, Blue Moon is often selected. For the “yellow” portion, lemon is the popular choice. The “red” portion is usually made up of a red fruit-flavored ice cream. 

Mackinac Island fudge

As mentioned earlier, Mackinac Island is one of the state’s best destinations, and while you’re on the island, you must try their eponymous fudge. 

Travelers with a strong sweet tooth will especially enjoy Mackinac Island fudge, as the dessert is very rich in flavor. 

This sweet treat is usually served in bite squares of a half-circle slab. The ingredients that compose Mackinac Island fudge are sugar, cream, butter, and natural ingredients. 

Many sellers of this sugary delicacy, such as Joann’s Fudge, prepare the fudge daily, so you can be confident you are always getting the freshest product! 

Detroit-style pizza

Just like how New York and Chicago have a signature style of pizza, Detroit also boasts its own style. 

Whereas Chicago style is usually served in a large circular shape and New York has the iconic triangle shape, Detroit style is rectangular-shaped. 

Detroit-style pizza isn’t as deep and thick as Chicago-style, but it’s still quite dense. Many people can feel full after eating just two slices.

Coney Island hot dog

Like the Superman ice cream flavor, the origins of the Coney Island hot dog are tough to pinpoint, but Detroit is often claimed to be the birthplace of the food item.

Imagine a regular hot dog with beanless chili, mustard, and chopped onions adorning it. This is the Coney Island style of a hot dog. 

You will often find these hot dogs in diners of the same name throughout Michigan. What’s especially nice is that Coney Island hot dogs are often inexpensive — perhaps under $2 for one.

Cherries

Of course, you can find cherries anywhere, but the cherries grown in Michigan are extra special. Michigan is often hailed as the “cherry capital of the world,” with the unique weather conditions of Lake Michigan providing an optimal environment to grow the fruit. 

Traverse City, mentioned earlier as one of the top places to visit in Michigan, has an annual cherry festival that spans an entire week during early summer. For 2024, the festival will be held from June 29 through July 6. 

History and Traditions Michigan is Known For

Every place has its own unique history and quirky traditions, and Michigan is no exception. Here is a list of some of the most interesting historical facts and traditions in Michigan: 

Historical fact: The popularization of the automobile 

Michigan was not the first place in the world or even the United States to invent the automobile, but the state — in particular, the city of Detroit — quickly placed itself on the map for its significant contributions to the automobile industry. 

The Model T, one of the oldest and most well-known classic cars, was designed in Michigan and sold by Ford Motor Company.

Historical fact: How Michigan acquired the Upper Peninsula 

The city of Toledo, located in Ohio today, used to belong to Michigan. Ohioans and Michiganders disagreed on which state the city should belong to and a war known as the Toledo War broke out. Although mostly bloodless, Ohio won the war. 

As a sort of consolation prize, the U.S. Congress gave Michigan the Upper Peninsula in exchange for losing Toledo.

Historical fact: Only two presidential candidates have been from Michigan 

The only two politicians from Michigan who competed in a general presidential election were Lewis Cass (1848) and Gerald R. Ford (1976). 

Cass ran as a Democrat in the 1848 election and lost to Zachary Taylor. 

Ford, a Republican, served as Vice President to Richard Nixon. However, after Nixon’s resignation due to the Watergate scandal, Ford became President in 1973 and served the remaining two-and-a-half years of Nixon’s first term. Ford ran for re-election in 1976 but lost to Democrat Jimmy Carter. 

To date, this means that no presidential candidate from Michigan has ever become president through winning an election.

Tradition: Painting the rock in Ann Arbor 

For the Michigan Wolverines, the college football team for the University of Michigan, home games are a big affair. One of the most well-known traditions is painting a large rock at the corner of Washtenaw and Hill on game day.

Tradition: Going “Up North” 

Whenever Michiganders travel from the lower parts of the state to either the northern part of the lower peninsula or into the Upper Peninsula, the commute is colloquially referred to as “going Up North.” 

Tradition: Complaining about the unpredictable weather

Being surrounded by lakes leads to some wacky weather. There are weeks in the year when it can feel like summer one day and snow the next. 

Beautiful Lake Michigan near the town of Elberta

Michigan “Firsts”

Some notable “firsts” from Michigan include:

Two women running for governor

The 2022 gubernatorial election in Michigan marked the first time in Michigan’s history where both of the top two contenders were women. 

The race for governor was between Democrat incumbent Gretchen Whitmer and Republican challenger Tudor Dixon. Whitmer won re-election. 

Speaking of female governors, Jennifer Granholm was the state of Michigan’s first female governor, who served from 2003-2011. 

The first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel

Yes, the first person to attempt this outrageous stunt and survive was a 63-year-old woman named Annie Edison Taylor from Bay City. Taylor performed the stunt in 1901 and since then, an estimated 5,000 people have attempted to replicate this. 

The reason Taylor tried this death-defying activity? For money. And the really sad thing is…she was never financially compensated for it. 

The first state to abolish the death penalty

In 1846, the state of Michigan passed legislation that completely removed the death penalty for all crimes — with the exception of treason. 

But no one has ever been executed for treason in Michigan, and the death penalty for those convicted of treason was abolished in 1962. 

The first state to overturn Prohibition

In case you need a quick history recap, “Prohibition” was a name given to the years spanning 1920-1933 when the United States passed an amendment banning the production, sale, transport, and import of alcohol. 

In 1933, a new amendment was passed to overturn Prohibition, and Michigan was the first state to ratify it.

The first international automobile tunnel

Given Detroit’s contributions to the automobile industry, it’s no surprise that Detroit also led the way in the construction of the first international automobile tunnel. 

The car tunnel, which is still frequently used today, connects Detroit to Windsor, a city in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Michigan’s iconic Mackinac Bridge, or the “Mighty Mac”

FAQs

Here are answers to other common questions about Michigan:

How did Detroit get the nicknames “Motor City” and “Motown”? 

Detroit is commonly touted as the city that “put the world on wheels.” Following Henry Ford’s innovations in the automobile industry, eventually, two more automakers — General Motors and Chrysler — set up their headquarters in Detroit and metro Detroit, respectively. The presence of such large companies gave Detroit one of its nicknames: the Motor City.

As for the nickname “Motown”, this came from the legendary record label Motown Records, which was founded in Detroit by Barry Gordy, Jr. in 1959. To further draw attention to Detroit’s reputation as an automotive city, the name “Motown” is a portmanteau of the words motor and town. 

What are Michigan’s state symbols? 

Michigan has several state symbols, including a rock, a flower, and, of course, a coat of arms.

On the state’s coat of arms, you’ll find three Latin phrases: e pluribus unum (out of many, one), tuebor (I will defend), and si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (if you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you). 

Pictured on the coat of arms are an elk, moose, and bald eagle surrounding a shield depicting an armed man on some land. 

Other state symbols include the state rock (Petoskey stone), state flower (apple blossom), state bird (robin), and state fossil (mastodon).

When is the best time to visit Michigan?

To answer this, we’ll start with the worst time to visit Michigan, and that would be winter. Since Michigan is surrounded by three large lakes, the state’s winters can be devastatingly cold, with temperatures occasionally dipping below zero degrees Fahrenheit. 

Summer is not a bad time to visit but it does tend to be a heavy construction season, which poses an annoyance to both visitors and residents. 

The best time to visit Michigan would either be in late spring or early fall, as temperatures are warm but not hot. Sports fans will be more inclined to visit during the fall, as you can catch games for the Wolverines, Lions, and Red Wings. 

The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island