Dedicated on September 6, 2018, the Coast Guard City Monument in Traverse City, Michigan honors and celebrates the United States Coast Guard’s presence in this lakeside city since 1946. Traverse City is one of 21 communities formally recognized by Congress as Coast Guard Cities and serves as the base for rescue aircraft operations over all of Lake Michigan, as well as the majority of Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

Top Places in Traverse City

Traverse City, Michigan

Traverse City State Hospital

Former self-sufficient mental institution now a planned community.

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Traverse City, Michigan

The Hippie Tree

Though its branches are painted bright colors by generations of locals, the tree is said to be a haunted portal to hell.

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Traverse City, Michigan

Tunnels of Traverse City State Hospital

A subterranean world of tunnels links several buildings of this rare 19th-century asylum.

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The sculpture at the center of the monument is based on a design submitted by a student from Traverse City West High School, entitled “Guardian.” It depicts the artist’s representation of a MH-65 “Dolphin” air rescue helicopter.

These aircraft were the type deployed at the station from 2011 until the summer of 2017. The MH-65 helicopters have since been replaced by MH-60T “Jayhawk” helicopters. The rescue aircraft are stationed at the city’s coast guard station, which is linked to Cherry Capital Airport.

The monument, including related site landscaping and masonry work, cost approximately $60,000 to complete, all of which came from donations, local groups and charities, and volunteers.