One of the things we did on our trip to Mackinac Island was visit Fort Mackinac. This was a pretty cool place and well worth the hike up the incredibly steep hill. (You can also get there by horse-drawn taxi carriage.)
Here is one page I scrapbooked about our visit there:
The fort was founded during the American Revolution. It was originally Fort Michilimackinac, which I'll post about later, in Mackinaw City, but it was moved (yes, moved!) to Mackinac Island in 1780 because the British thought it was too vulnerable to American attack in its original spot. That didn't stop Americans from taking over in 1796. But then the British took it back in 1812. And then the Americans attempted but failed to take it back in 1814. Still, after the War of 1812, it was given back to the Americans, and it remained an active fort until 1895.
I haven't gotten the rest of the pictures scrapped, but here they are in high-resolution for you. This guy will greet you as you walk up to the main entrance.
And here is the Avenue of Flags.
There are several buildings on the grounds of the fort that you can walk into, explore, and learn about military life back in the day. The stone ramparts, the south sally port, and the Officer's Stone Quarters are part of the original fort from 225 years ago. The other buildings date from the late 1790s to 1885. The buildings have been restored to how they looked during the fort's final year of occupation.
Check out The Black Hole. This is where soldiers were sent if they misbehaved.
Yep. A hole in the ground.
The best part of Fort Mackinac was the demonstration schedule. We got to see how the soldiers would have marched, a mock court martial, dancing and music, and a rifle shooting demonstration. All of the "actors" were very well-spoken, knowledgeable, and seemed really into their jobs. My mom and I actually got to participate in the marching demonstration.
If you visit Mackinac Island, a visit to Fort Mackinac is definitely worth it. When we went, they had a three-park admission ticket, which got you into Fort Mackinac as well as two other parks of your choice. (We did a lighthouse and Colonial Michilimackinac.) Your admission ticket also gets you into several historical buildings on Mackinac Island for free. More about those later!
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