Tour Route 2024 | Michigan State University

1. Mount Pleasant

Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways

The Ziibiwing Center of Anishinabe Culture and Lifeways is dedicated to preserving and promoting the culture, history and arts of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. It offers a range of exhibits, educational programs and cultural events designed to educate the public and support the Anishinabek community.

2. Le Roy

M&R Pickling

M&R Pickling is an independent business that grows, processes and sells a variety of pickled vegetables as well as canned fruits and spreads. The company is a client of the MSU Product Center — which supports innovation and growth for those in food, agriculture and natural resource sectors — and is a recipient of the 2024 Value-Added Agriculture Award.

3. Grayling

Camp Grayling

The Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center is the largest National Guard training facility in the United States and the main training facility for the Michigan National Guard. It comprises 148,000 acres of four-seasons training lands and 337 square kilometers of restricted airspace.

Camp Wa Wa Sum

Camp Wa Wa Sum is an MSU conference center and research facility used by the departments of Fisheries and Wildlife and Forestry. It is located on the AuSable River, six miles east of Grayling. The Au Sable is considered one of the best brown trout fisheries east of the Rockies.

4. Traverse City

Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center

Founded through the efforts of the northwestern Michigan area fruit industry, the 137-acre AgBioResearch center is the premier research site for integrated pest management, horticultural production and handling, value-added processing, marketing and farm financial management practices for sweet and tart cherries, wine grapes, apples, plums and hops. Currently, the center is home to 10 MSU researchers and six specialists and support staff.

5. Glen Arbor

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Encompassing nearly 72,000 acres along the northeast shore of Lake Michigan, this national park is one of the most iconic locations in the state. Shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago, the dunes offer visitors sightseeing, recreational and educational opportunities all year.

6. Arcadia

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club is a nationally renowned golf destination located on the shores of Lake Michigan, offering two championship golf courses.

7. Ludington

Ludington State Park

The park is home to three campgrounds, sandy beaches, scenic sand dunes, an iconic lighthouse, wetlands, marshlands and forests. It is situated between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan, with several miles of beautiful shoreline along both lakes.

8. Conklin

Martinez Farm

Martinez Farm is a thriving apple farm in Conklin owned by Paulino Martinez that produces varieties for both processing and fresh consumption. Martinez and his team have participated in MSU's Great Lakes Latino/a Farmers Program, which provides training in agricultural and management practices to Michigan farmers.

9. Muskegon

Muskegon Museum of Art

The Muskegon Museum of Art is renowned for its extensive collection of American and European artworks, as well as one of the Midwest's finest studio glass collections. Founded in 1912, it hosts rotating exhibitions and educational programs, aiming to foster lifelong appreciation of the visual arts and promote community involvement in an inclusive environment.

Muskegon High School

Muskegon High School serves a diverse community of just over 1,000 students from the city. MSU is a top destination for its graduates.

10. Rockford

PFAS remediation sites

Land and water sources in Rockford and Belmont have experienced contamination by PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals. MSU’s Center for PFAS Research, formed in 2020, is an interdisciplinary center that leads agricultural and natural resource PFAS research in Michigan and works with communities to create remediation strategies.

11. Grand Rapids

Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building

Part of MSU’s Grand Rapids Innovation Park, the 200,000-square-foot Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building opened in 2021. It houses the nation’s first total-body PET/CT scanner for clinical use on patients – the ideal tool to diagnose and guide treatment of cancer. The MSU Grand Rapids Innovation Park anchors the 'Medical Mile' in the city. It also includes the MSU Grand Rapids Research Center and Perrigo's North American Corporate Headquarters.

12. Zeeland

Herman Miller

Michigan, particularly the city of Grand Rapids, gained notoriety as the nation's furniture capital for its resources, location and significant contributions to the furniture manufacturing industry. Michigan continues to influence furniture design and manufacturing, with numerous companies and designers based in the state, including Herman Miller, a subsidiary of MillerKnoll, maintaining its legacy as a central figure in America's furniture market.

13. Hickory Corners

Kellogg Biological Station

With nearly 4,000 acres, the Kellogg Biological Station is MSU’s largest off-campus education complex and one of North America’s premier inland field stations. It is a superior site for field experimental research in aquatic and terrestrial ecology that takes advantage of the diverse managed and unmanaged ecosystems. KBS is home to 12 faculty members, more than 20 graduate students and research associates and numerous specialists and support staff.