Founded in 2016, Up North Arts, Inc. is a nonprofit community arts center dedicated to fostering visual, performing and literary arts in the Cadillac area. The center hosts classes, workshops and events year-round, providing space for artists and students to learn, create and connect.
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center is a community hospital serving northern Michigan and a partner in the Northern Michigan Opioid Response Consortium. The federally funded collaborative works across 25 counties in northern Lower Michigan to improve prevention, treatment and recovery services related to opioid use disorder. MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Michigan Center for Rural Health are key partners, linking medical education and opioid response efforts to the hospital.
Founded by Spartan alumni Chad Munger and Tracy Hickman, Mammoth Distilling aims to connect northern Michigan’s agricultural heritage with the craft spirits movement. Its lakeside campus produces vodka, gin, bourbon, rye and brandy from locally sourced ingredients and features a rustic tasting room, cocktail service and expanding production facilities.
The Mackinac Bridge, which opened in 1957, is a five-mile suspension bridge connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas over the Straits of Mackinac. Known as “Big Mac” or simply “the Mighty Mac,” it remains one of the world’s longest suspension bridges and offers travelers sweeping views where Lake Michigan meets Lake Huron.
Built in 1895 on Lake Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shoreline, Seul Choix Pointe Lighthouse offers a museum, historic keeper’s quarters and seasonal tower climbs. Operated by the Gulliver Historical Society, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and known both for its maritime history and local ghost lore. It is one of more than 120 lighthouses across Michigan.
The MSU Forestry Innovation Center spans a 1,745-acre AgBioResearch station in Escanaba, focused on advancing forestry research and innovation in areas such as forest genetics, silviculture, biomass energy and non-timber forest products. The center also offers educational outreach, reports, bulletins and demonstration events for community and industry partners.
Since 1958, the Iron Mountain Iron Mine has welcomed visitors to ride an underground train 2,600 feet into the historic East Vulcan Mine, where guides demonstrate mining techniques and tools used during its operation from 1870 to 1945. The tour offers an immersive look at the region’s iron mining heritage.
Connor Sports was founded in 1872 and is a global leader in portable and permanent hardwood sports flooring systems. At its production mill in Amasa, the company manufactures elite-level courts used in venues like NCAA March Madness, the NBA/WNBA, the Olympics and high school gyms, making it one of the most recognized names in athletic surfaces worldwide.
Chartered in 1975 by the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College is a tribal community college that offers associate degrees, certificates and applied programs rooted in Anishinaabe culture, language and values. Located on the L’Anse Reservation, it serves as both an academic institution and cultural hub for Ojibwe and non-Ojibwe learners alike.
MSU College of Human Medicine's U.P. Campus, affiliated with U.P. Health System Marquette and various hospitals across the Upper Peninsula, leads the Rural Physician Program, a mission-driven training track that prepares medical students for service in underserved areas. The campus also runs the special COMPASS elective in wilderness, emergency and sports medicine. U.P. Health System runs a Family Medicine Residency that is affiliated with MSU and partners with the MSU Psychiatry Residency on a rural track.
The Sand Point Marsh Trail is a half-mile wheelchair-accessible boardwalk that loops through wetlands, ponds, and cedar and spruce stands within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Interpretive signs highlight the area’s ecology, making it a peaceful and educational stop for bird-watching and nature walks.
The Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, established in 1899, is an MSU AgBioResearch facility in Chatham that advances sustainable agriculture, horticulture and farm business incubation tailored for Upper Peninsula conditions.
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum features more than 180 antique, vintage and prototype snowmobiles plus extensive memorabilia. The nonprofit museum welcomes visitors year-round to explore snowmobile history through exhibits, a gift shop and special events.
The Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency Head Start offers free preschool education for children ages 3-5, including health, nutrition and family services; it also operates Early Head Start for pregnant families and children from birth to age 3. The program follows federal Head Start performance standards and serves multiple counties across northwest Michigan.
A family-run farm transformed into a vibrant fall destination since the 1970s, Uncle John’s Cider Mill delights visitors with fresh-pressed cider, legendary donuts, homemade baked goods, a gift shop and a taproom featuring hard cider, wines and spirits. It also hosts seasonal activities like corn mazes, wagons, jumping pillows and gemstone mining.
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