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All United States Michigan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Michigan

247 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Michigan

Updated May 26, 2023

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Cities

Top Cities
Detroit
A curious fellow takes a peek inside.
Ann Arbor
The primary tunnel.
Traverse City
Steelcase Pyramid
Grand Rapids
Fishtown.
Leland
Dymaxion House
Dearborn
All Cities
  1. Ann Arbor
  2. Baldwin
  3. Battle Creek
  4. Beulah
  5. Cadillac
  6. Carp Lake
  7. Cedar
  8. Charlevoix
  9. Crystal Falls
  10. Dearborn
  11. Detroit
  12. Durand
  13. East Lansing
  14. Grand Rapids
  15. Grayling
  16. Hickory Corners
  17. Holland
  18. Ishpeming
  19. Kalkaska
  20. Lansing
  21. Leland
  22. Mackinac Island
  23. Mackinaw City
  24. Marquette
  25. Midland
  26. Mount Pleasant
  27. Port Huron
  28. Saugatuck
  29. Sault Ste. Marie
  30. South Lyon
  31. Traverse City
  32. White Pigeon
  33. Williamsburg
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Michigan

Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park.

Onsted, Michigan

Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park

The remains of an abandoned dinosaur theme park litter the woods just off the highway.
Grande Ballroom

Detroit, Michigan

Grande Ballroom

Abandoned concert venue legendary for its rock counterculture.
The stacks of John K. King Used & Rare Books.

Detroit, Michigan

John K. King Used & Rare Books

This sprawling bookstore spans four floors and has more than a million books in stock.
Kitch-iti-kipi

Manistique, Michigan

Kitch-iti-kipi

This freshwater spring fills with 10,000 gallons of water per minute.
Inside St. Agnes Church

Detroit, Michigan

St. Agnes Church and School

This Detroit ruin was once a gothic bastion of its community, but now it stands as a haunting ruin.
Hell, Michgan

Hell, Michigan

Hell, Michigan

Hell on Earth is actually a small town in Michigan where anyone can be mayor for a day.
(Derek A. Young/Flickr)

Port Austin, Michigan

Turnip Rock

Turnip-shaped island just off the Michigan shore in Lake Huron.
A postcard from the inside of the aquarium, dating to 1907 or 1908.

Detroit, Michigan

Belle Isle Aquarium

The Beaux-Arts aquarium boasts a vast collection of saltwater and freshwater fish on an island in the Detroit River.
See All 247 Things To Do in Michigan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Michigan

The Raven Cafe

Port Huron, Michigan

The Raven Café

Located in a Civil War era building, this café is engrained with the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe.

Detroit, Michigan

The Raven Lounge

One of Detroit’s oldest blues clubs stands in defiance of the passage of time and the city’s shifting fortunes.
The entrance decked out for the holidays.

Detroit, Michigan

Grand Trunk Pub

The grandiose interior of this bar speaks to its past as home to famous jewelers and railway offices.
Giant carrots.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Food Gatherers' Giant Carrots

The 10-foot-tall vegetables belong to Michigan’s first food rescue program.
See all 10 Places to Eat in Michigan
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

7 Mechanical Marvels in Michigan

Michigan is famous for its steep, sweeping sand dunes, freckling of lakes, and unique fossils—but across the state, you'll find slews of automated wonders, past and present. From old animatronic toys to the ruins of early assembly lines, here are seven places to be dazzled by industry. As the pandemic continues, we hope this virtual trip helps you explore America’s wonders. If you do choose to venture out, please follow all guidelines, maintain social distance, and wear a mask.

View Itinerary
Diego Rivera's mural sprawls across a light-flooded room in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Explore Michigan

Museums And Collections 20
Architectural Oddities 17
Water 15
History 15
Animals 13
Abandoned 13
Parks 13
Transportation 12
Roadside Attractions 12
Art 11
History & Culture 11
Shops 10
Unique Restaurants & Bars 4
Places To Stay 3

Michigan Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for rickbbiking
    rickbbiking
    39
  2. Avatar image for Nicholas Jackson
    Nicholas Jackson
    20
  3. Avatar image for Johnmeszaros
    Johnmeszaros
    12
  4. Avatar image for Rebecca Byrne
    Rebecca Byrne
    8
  5. Avatar image for jase
    jase
    7

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Nicholas Jackson
    Nicholas Jackson
    40
  2. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    22
  3. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    15
  4. M
    Martin
    13
  5. Avatar image for wythe
    wythe
    11

Places Visited

  1. M
    marionchristiansen
    126
  2. Avatar image for Ian Sanwald
    Ian Sanwald
    122
  3. Avatar image for apbreuhan
    apbreuhan
    117
  4. Avatar image for rickbbiking
    rickbbiking
    100
  5. Avatar image for mrbrettwjones
    mrbrettwjones
    91

Recent Michigan Activity

  • D

    disnerd626

    has been to Mackinac Island

  • K

    Konczewski

    has been to Former World's Largest Cherry Pie Pan

  • M

    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to Baobab Fare

  • M

    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to The Fatberg at the Michigan Science Center

  • M

    minoupoulpe

    wants to go to McNamara Terminal Light Tunnel

Stories About Michigan

Podcast: Moose Boulder

How far would you go to find the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the United States?
by The Podcast Team
April 27, 2023

These Intrepid Surfers Chill Out Riding the Great Lakes' Wintry Waves

Stressing the need for proper gear and training, members of this close-knit community say their sport gets them through the long, cold season.
by Eden Arielle Gordon
February 23, 2023
Adam Johnson (center) dresses up as Heikki Lunta as part of the Upper Peninsula's Heikinpäivä festival in Hancock, Michigan.

The Dancing Snow God That Brings Blizzards to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Heikki Lunta even has his own song.
by Daniel Bromfield
January 5, 2023
The Milky Way and curtain-like auroras fill a clear southern sky off Nugget Point, at the edge of New Zealand’s remote Catlins. While the island nation is too far north to see the aurora australis regularly, aurora-hunters flock to the Nugget Point lighthouse area for its dark skies and unobstructed view off the South Island’s southeastern coast.

Aurora Hunters Capture the Wonder of the Northern (and Southern) Lights

A curated collection of images shows why this natural phenomenon has fascinated and inspired humans for millennia.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 21, 2022
The Gloucester Cathedral-shaped lamprey pie for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

Michigan’s Bloodsucking Parasite Is Britain’s Royal Delicacy

Lamprey pie is a coronation tradition.
by Diana Hubbell
September 20, 2022
All of the Atlas Obscura Easter eggs in the maze PDF are clickable.

How a Master Maze Maker Gets You Lost

Michigan-based artist Michelle Boggess-Nunley has created a new, Atlas Obscura–inspired challenge.
by Victoria Stapley-Brown
May 5, 2022
Lake Superior batters a Minnesota shoreline.

Are the Great Lakes Really Inland Seas?

Well, yes. And no. Actually, it depends on where you stand, in more ways than one.
by Gemma Tarlach
April 27, 2022
No lighthouse is complete without a ghostly resident or two.

Haunted Houses Have Nothing on Lighthouses

From drowning to murders to the mental toll of isolation, these stoic towers carry a full share of tragedy.
by Sarah Durn
October 12, 2021

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