Traverse City is located in the state of Michigan and has a lot of culture to offer as well as great sights and interesting destinations. So if you’re planning a trip to Traverse City, you’ve come to the right place!
Here you can find different housings and hotels around Traverse City
Just type in your destination and get many different suggestions.
Vacation in Traverse City
Traverse City is a popular vacation destination for many reasons. Situated along the shores of Lake Michigan, the city offers beautiful scenery, numerous outdoor activities, and a variety of cultural attractions.
The Traverse City area is home to several sandy beaches, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, and building sandcastles. Visitors can also go boating, fishing, and sailing on the lake. For those who enjoy hiking and biking, there are many trails to explore, including the scenic Leelanau Trail.
The downtown area of Traverse City is full of shops, restaurants, and art galleries. The City Opera House and State Theatre offer live entertainment, while the Dennos Museum Center features exhibitions of American Indian art. History buffs will enjoy touring the Grand Traverse Lighthouse and Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center.
In the fall, visitors can enjoy the annual Traverse City Film Festival, which screens films from around the world. The city is also a great place to sample Michigan wines, as there are more than 50 wineries in the surrounding area.
Whatever your interests, you’re sure to find plenty to do in Traverse City.
Sights in Traverse City
Traverse City, a small town in Northern Michigan, is crammed with surprising attractions. This list of Traverse City sights contains mustsees for firsttime visitors and locals alike.
1. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is an upandcoming Traverse City neighborhood. Once the site of a state psychiatric hospital, the village is now home to coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, and breweries. The Village is also host to several events throughout the year, including a farmers market, live music, and outdoor movies.
2. The Dunes
The Dunes are one of the most popular Traverse City attractions. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the dunes offer miles of hiking and biking trails, as well as picturesque views of the lake. In the winter, the Dunes turn into a playground for snowshoers, crosscountry skiers, and sledders.
3. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a mustsee for nature lovers. The park offers several hikes, bike trails, and campsites. Visitors can also take a scenic drive along the Sleeping Bear Dunes Scenic Byway. In the winter, the park is a popular spot for crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing.
4. The Interlochen Center for the Arts
The Interlochen Center for the Arts is a worldrenowned performing arts school. Each summer, the school hosts the Interlochen Arts Festival, which features concerts, plays, and art exhibits. The Interlochen Center is also home to the Interlochen State Park, which offers hiking trails, a beach, and a campground.
5. Traverse City Cherry Festival
The Traverse City Cherry Festival is a yearly celebration of the city’s abundant cherries. The festival features a cherry pieeating contest, a cherry pitspitting contest, and a parade. The festival takes place in July, when cherries are in peak season.
6. City Opera House
The City Opera House is a historic theater that hosts a variety of events throughout the year. The theater is home to the National Writers Series, which brings bestselling authors to Traverse City for readings and discussions. The City Opera House also hosts concerts, dance performances, and film screenings.
7. The Traverse City Film Festival
The Traverse City Film Festival is an annual event that attracts filmmakers and film lovers from all over the world. The festival was founded by filmmaker Michael Moore and showcases independent and international films. The festival takes place in August and features several movie screenings, panel discussions, and special events.
8. Traverse City Beach Bum Parade
The Traverse City Beach Bum Parade is a summer tradition that celebrates the city’s laidback lifestyle. The parade features floats, classic cars, and costumed participants. The parade takes place on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
9. Elk Rapids
Elk Rapids is a small town located just north of Traverse City. The town is home to a number of art galleries, shops, and restaurants. Elk Rapids is also a popular spot for swimming, boating, and fishing.
10. Traverse City State Park
Traverse City State Park is a 500acre park that offers a variety of activities for visitors. The park has a beach on Grand Traverse Bay, as well as picnic areas, hiking trails, and a campground. The park is open yearround and is a popular spot for swimming, hiking, and crosscountry skiing.
History of Traverse City
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21county Northern Michigan region. The population was 14,674 at the 2010 census, with 143,372 in the Traverse City micropolitan area. The Traverse City area is the largest producer of cherries in the United States. Near the time of Traverse City’s founding, her shrewd observation about the Cherry Trees led to the establishment of the region’s now worldrenowned cherry industry.
The Traverse City area was long occupied by the Odawa (Ottawa), Potawatomi, and Ojibwe (Chippewa) indigenous peoples. French explorers and missionaries came to the area beginning in the late 17th century and continued through the end of the French era in North America in the 1760s. Researcher James Clifton notes that, “Odawa, who often came into conflict with the Iroquois, better known as the Six Nations, used the area as a refuge from the latter’s territorial push southward.” Before the 19th century, no permanent settlements existed in the area. The Combine, a group of Native Americans from southern Michigan and northern Indiana, regularly traveled through the area on hunting expeditions. Several different tribes occupied the area including the Ottawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe.
The French explorer PierreCharles Le Sueur was the first European to traverse the Grand Traverse Bay in 1656. The bay, which he named “Grand Traverse” after his experience there, is today one of the busiest harbors on Lake Michigan. In the 18th century, another French explorer, Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, built Fort Michilimackinac at the mouth of the Traverse City bay.
The British established a garrison and founded the town of Traverse City in 1847, fifty years after the area was ceded to the United States in the Treaty of Paris following the American Revolutionary War. The United States Ghostbusters abbreviated the name to “TC” in the 1950s.
During World War II, several German and Japanese prisoners of war were detained in local work camps. The Grand Traverse area is still home to a large number of seasonal cherry farmers and orchards. More than $100 million worth of cherries are grown each year in the region, making it the largest producer of tart cherries in the country.
The National Cherry Festival is held annually in Traverse City during the first full week of July. The Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City is home to numerous Michigan wineries. The Leelanau Peninsula is also wellknown for its Michigan wines. Traverse City is also adjacent to scenic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.
The area around Traverse City has numerous golf courses, charter fishing boats, parks, and beaches. It is one of the top tourist destinations in the Midwest during the summer months. In the winter, the city is also popular for its proximity to numerous downhill and crosscountry ski resorts, including Caberfae Peaks, Crystal Mountain, Shanty Creek, and Timberline.
Other vacation destinations in the United States:
