USA TODAY 10Best
Gilmore Car Museum wins Best Michigan Attraction
Best Michigan Attraction (2017)
Michigan is the Midwest with the volume turned up. From the Lower and Upper Peninsulas to the Thumb, the state boasts 2,000 miles of shoreline (more than California) with access to four of the five Great Lakes. While the natural attractions are plenty desirable, so are the cultural, from the museums of Detroit to the windmills of Holland.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Michigan Attraction are as follows:
- The Henry Ford & Greenfield Village - Dearborn
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Empire
- Ludington State Park - Ludington
- Holland
- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park - Grand Rapids
- Downtown Frankenmuth
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Munising
- Mackinac Island
- Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Alpena
- Gilmore Car Museum - Hickory Corners
Photo courtesy of The Henry Ford
No. 10:
Car-loving kids love The Henry Ford, located in the Detroit metro area. This museum showcases the development of technology in the U.S. and documents the width and breadth of American inventions and innovation.
No. 9:
Along Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore stretches for 35 miles. Visitors come to climb the dune formations, swim on a sandy beach or hike through the forest for a stunning view over this spectacular shoreline.
Photo courtesy of iStock / LarryKnupp
No. 8:
The 5,300-acre Ludington State Park is known for its beaches, fishing, hiking and biking in the summer, and for its 16 miles of cross country ski trails come winter.
No. 7:
A slice of the Netherlands in the heart of the U.S., Holland has everything from windmills and tulips to sandy Lake Michigan beaches and a thriving downtown.
Photo courtesy of William J Hebert
No. 6:
Spanning 158 acres in Grand Rapids, the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park features four-seasons outdoor gardens and a five-floor, 15,000-square-foot Tropical Conservatory, where visitors can see tropical plants from around the world, including fig trees from India and orchids from South America.
Photo courtesy of iStock / RiverNorthPhotography
No. 5:
German heritage is obvious in Frankenmuth, located 75 miles north of Detroit. Thanks to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, one of the world's largest Christmas stores, the holiday spirit is alive year-round in this Bavarian town, and the downtown area has a fantastic food scene as well.
No. 4:
The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore covers more than 40 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. Outdoor adventure is on the menu during every season in this landscape of beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls and forested trails.
Photo courtesy of iStock / DougLemke
No. 3:
One of the last car-free destinations in the U.S., Mackinac Island, sandwiched between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, seems trapped in the past, but in the most delightful way. With 80 percent of the island occupied by protected state parkland, those looking to explore the outdoors will find plenty of opportunity for hiking and biking.
Photo courtesy of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
No. 2:
Situated in northwestern Lake Huron, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the Great Lakes. Beneath the surface lies one of the nation's best and most significant collections of shipwrecks – more than 100 have been discovered to date.
Photo courtesy of Gilmore Car Museum
No. 1:
Auto enthusiasts will find one of the best car museums in the world in Hickory Corners. The Gilmore Car Museum's collection includes more than 400 cars and motorcycles from many eras.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jane Simon Ammeson (Will Travel for Food),Amy S. Eckert, Susan R. Pollack, Mike Sonnenberg (Lost in Michigan) and Pure Mittigan were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in the state.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Amy S. Eckert
Amy S. Eckert has lived all her life in Michigan.... Read More
Amy S. Eckert has lived all her life in Michigan. She’s a freelance writer specializing in travel and is the author of 100 Things to Do in Detroit before You Die. Follow Amy on Facebook.
Amy S. Eckert
Amy S. Eckert has lived all her life in Michigan. She’s a freelance writer specializing in travel and is the author of 100 Things to Do in Detroit before You Die. Follow Amy on Facebook.
Jane Simon Ammeson
Ever since she started her own newspaper at age... Read More
Ever since she started her own newspaper at age eight, selling it to neighbors who had no choice but to subscribe, Jane has loved to write. She’s now upped her game writing about travel, food, history for newspapers, magazines and Websites and is the author of 11 books including the recently released Hauntings of the Underground Railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest and Murders that Made Headlines. Crimes of Indiana. She also authored A Jazz Age Murder in Northwest Indiana, a true crime book about a murder that took place in her hometown. She authors a weekly food column for the Herald Palladium and Shelf Life, a book column for the Times of Northwest Indiana and currently has three Bindu Travel Apps: Michigan Road Trips, Experience Curacao and Indiana Journeys. A James Beard Foundation judge (we told you she likes food) as well as a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and Midwest Travel Journalists Association (MTJA), Jane’s home base is on the shores of Lake Michigan in Southwest Michigan. Follow Jane on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog, Will Travel for Food for the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Jane Simon Ammeson
Ever since she started her own newspaper at age eight, selling it to neighbors who had no choice but to subscribe, Jane has loved to write. She’s now upped her game writing about travel, food, history for newspapers, magazines and Websites and is the author of 11 books including the recently released Hauntings of the Underground Railroad: Ghosts of the Midwest and Murders that Made Headlines. Crimes of Indiana. She also authored A Jazz Age Murder in Northwest Indiana, a true crime book about a murder that took place in her hometown. She authors a weekly food column for the Herald Palladium and Shelf Life, a book column for the Times of Northwest Indiana and currently has three Bindu Travel Apps: Michigan Road Trips, Experience Curacao and Indiana Journeys. A James Beard Foundation judge (we told you she likes food) as well as a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and Midwest Travel Journalists Association (MTJA), Jane’s home base is on the shores of Lake Michigan in Southwest Michigan. Follow Jane on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog, Will Travel for Food for the Times of Northwest Indiana.
Mike Sonnenberg
Mike Sonnenberg is a native Michigander born and... Read More
Mike Sonnenberg is a native Michigander born and raised in Saginaw Michigan. He is the creator of the Lost in Michigan website. Traveling the back roads of Michigan he highlights scenic and historic places throughout Michigan. Follow Lost in Michigan on Facebook or Twitter.
Mike Sonnenberg
Mike Sonnenberg is a native Michigander born and raised in Saginaw Michigan. He is the creator of the Lost in Michigan website. Traveling the back roads of Michigan he highlights scenic and historic places throughout Michigan. Follow Lost in Michigan on Facebook or Twitter.
Pure Mittigan
Pure Mittigan celebrates the great state of... Read More
Pure Mittigan celebrates the great state of Michigan by highlighting its culture, landscapes and attractions through quality content and products. On Instagram, Pure Mittigan showcases the best of Michigan photography – photos that inspire travelers to get out and explore the state's many worthy state parks and vacation destinations.
Pure Mittigan
Pure Mittigan celebrates the great state of Michigan by highlighting its culture, landscapes and attractions through quality content and products. On Instagram, Pure Mittigan showcases the best of Michigan photography – photos that inspire travelers to get out and explore the state's many worthy state parks and vacation destinations.
Susan R. Pollack
A member of the Society of American Travel... Read More
A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Susan R. Pollack has written about travel for three decades, specializing in Michigan and covering scores of countries on five continents, 48 states, six Canadian provinces and hundreds of cities, islands and outposts along the way. Her award-winning stories and photos have appeared in The Detroit News (where she worked for 36 years), Dallas News, Toronto Star and other newspapers and in magazines including Delta Sky, Jetsetter, Long Weekends, Prevue Meetings, Group Tour and more. She copy edits the travel website secondchancetravels.com, blogs at detroitnews.com/travelblog and has contributed to home&away.com, gardendestinations.com and travelingmom.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Susan R. Pollack
A member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Susan R. Pollack has written about travel for three decades, specializing in Michigan and covering scores of countries on five continents, 48 states, six Canadian provinces and hundreds of cities, islands and outposts along the way. Her award-winning stories and photos have appeared in The Detroit News (where she worked for 36 years), Dallas News, Toronto Star and other newspapers and in magazines including Delta Sky, Jetsetter, Long Weekends, Prevue Meetings, Group Tour and more. She copy edits the travel website secondchancetravels.com, blogs at detroitnews.com/travelblog and has contributed to home&away.com, gardendestinations.com and travelingmom.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
