Our 10 Best Things to Do in Traverse City, Michigan looks at a city renowned for the growth of more tart cherries than anywhere in the United States. Traverse City is home to museums, art centers, parks, and wineries. During your visit to Traverse City, you can explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakes and relax at the beaches, hike, and ski. Additionally, visit the art centers located within the city to look at the fine art, especially the fantastic Inuit collections. Since the city is located next to the lake, you can bask in the sun at the various beaches located with this fantastic city of Traverse City.
Further, you can stop by at the various farm markets located in the city to meet the natives, buy local produce and learn more about the culture of the people living there. You can also visit the historic buildings a learn a lot about the past lifestyle of the people living in Traverse City. Moreover, Traverse City being the center spot of wineries and vineyards, you can visit any of the wineries to learn how wine is made and taste the locally produced wines. You can also attend the annual National Cherry Festival that attracts around half a million visitors yearly.
Traverse City has endless fun activities that will make your visit memorable. Traverse City covers around 22.43 square kilometers, and it has an elevation of 191m. As per the 2019 census, the number of people staying in Traverse City is approximately 15,570. The area code for Traverse City is 231.
Here are the best ten things to do in Traverse City, Michigan.
# 10 – The Dennos Museum Center
We open up our 10 Best Things to do in Traverse City, Michigan article with the legendary Dennos Museum Center. The Dennos Museum Center is located at 1701 E. Front Street. The Museum features over 3,000 works of art dating back to the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Additionally, The Dennos Museum Center features an extensive collection of Inuit art, i.e., arts from Alaska and Canada and Greenland’s arctic area. The over 1,600 works of the Inuit collection consist of prints, drawings, sculptures, and textiles.
Further, the Dennos Museum Center features works from Woodland artists from Canada and Jozsef Domjan. You will also find 19th and 20th century American and European graphic art plus 18th and 19th-century Japanese prints in The Dennos Museum Center during your visit. This museum also holds performances, concerts, and film screenings during various times of the year. The admission costs are $6 for adults and $4 for persons under 17 years. The museum center is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
# 9 – Clinch Park
If you want to spend some time outdoors during your stay in Traverse City, Michigan, Clinch Park is your destination. Clinch Park is also a perfect place to spend time outdoors with your kids due to the calm waters and several amenities. This park is located close to the city, and you can visit it in the evening after a long day to relax, take a dip or look upon the beauty of Lake Michigan. This park features a 1500-foot-long beach, picnic tables, bike trails, kayak rentals, splash pad, seasonal lifeguards, and bike racks, among other convenient amenities. You can also visit this park to view the fantastic sunsets. The park is located at 111 E Grandview Pkwy, Traverse City, and it opens from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
# 8 – Traverse City Farmers Markets
A visit to the farmers market is an excellent opportunity to interact with the natives of Traverse City, experience their culture, and get information, plus learning more about the people living in Traverse City, Michigan. These farmer’s markets located in the city mainly sell products that are grown locally. The markets also feature handicrafts. Some of the markets in Traverse City, Michigan that you can visit during various days of the week include Sara Hardy Farmers Market, Gallagher’s Farm Market, and Bakery, Hoxsie’s farm market, and Michigan farm Market. Vegetables, meat, cheese, eggs, baked goods, and wine are some of the merchandise sold at the various markets located in Traverse City, Michigan.
# 7 – Great Lakes Children’s Museum
Are you visiting the city with kids and wondering what fun and exciting thing you can have with them? Well, you should head over to the Great Lakes Children’s Museum. This museum was opened in 1988, and most exhibits featured inside are designed for kids between one to ten years. The exhibits featured in this museum interactive a wide range of topics such as gravity, water tables, dress-up games, the Great Lakes watershed. Additionally, located within the museum, there is a puppet theatre that promotes kids’ imagination and a room designed to help in fine and gross motor skills development for youngsters. Great Lakes Children’s Museum is located at 13240 S W Bay Shore Rr, Traverse City.
# 6 – Traverse City State Park
Located two miles from downtown Traverse City in Traverse City, State Park. This is one of the best places to visit if you are an outdoor enthusiast. This state park spans around 48 acres, and it features beaches with plenty of waterfront activities that you can do as you soak yourself up in the sun. Some of Traverse City State Park’s special activities include hiking, sunbathing, fishing, swimming, metal detecting, and even boating. Boats are available for rent within the park. Traverse City State Park also features around 343 campsites suitable for electrical and water hookups, picnic tables, and firepits. This park was established in 1920, and it is located at 1132 US-31 North, Traverse City in Michigan.
# 5 – The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park
There is something for everything and everyone at Traverse City, Michigan. This is the perfect place to find solace and cool in your mind while in the region. The Botanic Garden is located in the heart of the city, and it spans 25 acres. The 25-acre botanic garden is beautiful and unique, and it is designed to inform and inspire people about nature and promote the natural beauty of Michigan. Inside the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park, various plant species and wildlife exist. The Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park is located at 1490 Red Drive, Traverse City.
# 4 – Long Lake
This is a 4.5-square mile lake with 88,000 feet of shoreline. Long Lake is easily accessible to the shops and restaurants in the city. This lake is both quiet and peaceful. The lake features sandy beaches that you can relax in to have some quiet and peaceful time while in the area. Additionally, the Long lake is one of the places in traverse City perfect for swimming, fishing, waterskiing, sailing, and kayaking.
# 3 – The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
A visit to The Village at Grand Traverse Commons will give you a glimpse of the historical buildings that Traverse City people used to live in in the past. This village is a historical preservation place where historical buildings of the past are preserved instead of being demolished to be used for the community’s greater good. Most of the structures inside The Village at Grand Traverse Commons were built in the 1800s and are currently used as salons, eateries, stores, boutiques, exercise studios, and offices. Inside this 480-acre preserve, a gorgeous 63-acre complex was designed in a Victorian-Italianate style. The 480-acre preserve also features pedestrian walkways, broad lawns, a historic arboretum, picnic sites, hiking and biking trails. The Village at Grand Traverse Commons is found at 830 Cottageview Drive, Traverse City in Michigan.
# 2 – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Have you ever seen perched dunes? Well, if you want to see them you should never fail to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore while in Traverse City, Michigan. The towering dunes at the national Lakeshore were formed by glaciers, and they stretch 35 miles long. Lake Michigan tide pushing sand up onto the shore over time led to dunes from the slopes left behind by the glaciers. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore features beaches and forested hiking trails. There are over 100 miles of trails within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Some of the trails include the Empire Bluff Trail, the Pyramid Point Trail, and Alligator Hill Trail.
Additionally, you can visit this place to bike, kayak, canoe, and scuba dive. During the winter season, the park located around Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers a perfect place for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding, among other activities. Sleeping Bear Dunes, National Lakeshore is open from 8.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 6 p.m. depending on the season.
# 1 – Traverse City Wineries
If you are a wine lover, then you have something to rejoice in during your visit to Traverse City in Michigan. Two American Viticultural Areas are located next to this fantastic city of Traverse City. Traverse City features over 40 wineries that you can visit while in the region to enjoy a taste of vino, local Michigan wine. Proximity to the lake makes Transverse City one of the most prosperous places for wine production in the united states. Some of the wineries found in Traverse City include Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery, Chateau Grand Traverse Winery, Bowers Harbor Vineyards, and Mari Vineyards. You can visit the various wineries during various times and hours depending on the winery for tastings.
