Discover the beauty and stories woven into every shoreline, forest, and village. This summer, explore seven memorable ways to connect with Leelanau’s rich history—through music, trails, lighthouses, festivals, and more. Slow down, savor each moment, and celebrate the people and places that make this peninsula unique.
1. Experience Music at a Historic Venue
- Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn Summer Picnic Music Series
Gather at the historic Leelanau County Poor Farm Barn—built in 1901 as a place of care for the county’s most vulnerable. Today, under the stewardship of the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society, this cherished landmark is being restored as a vibrant site for community events, education, and fundraising.
Learn more: Event Information
2. Explore Trails Through Historic Farms
- Ruby Ellen Rex Dobson Farm & Hiking Trail
Explore the scenic trails of the historic Dobson farmstead in Bingham Township, beginning at the barn and winding through fields and orchards shaped by generations. Walk in the footsteps of one of Leelanau’s pioneering farming families and glimpse a century of agricultural heritage.
Learn more: Ruby Ellen Rex Dobson Farm
- Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail & Port Oneida Fair
Ride, walk, or run through Port Oneida, a historic rural district dotted with 19th-century farmsteads. Visit in August for the Port Oneida Fair, featuring hands-on demos that bring the past to life. This scenic trail connects visitors to the people and places that shaped early Leelanau.
Learn more: Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail
3. Tour Historic Lighthouses
- North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse
Join limited summer tours for a rare look inside this offshore light, where renovations are underway to preserve its legacy. Don’t miss the annual Crib Cruise on National Lighhouse Day (August 7th), to circle the lighthouse while the North Manitou Shoal Light Keepers share stories of its past and plans for the future. Once a vital guide through the treacherous Manitou Passage, “The Crib” remains a beacon of Great Lakes history.
Learn more: North Manitou Light Keepers
- South Manitou Island Lighthouse (via Manitou Island Transit)
Take a day trip with Manitou Island Transit—run by the same family that’s ferried people and mail across the Manitou Passage for over a century—and tour the South Manitou Lighthouse.
Completed in 1871, this beacon helped guide ships through one of Lake Michigan’s most dangerous stretches, vital to timber and grain transport during the Great Lakes’ shipping heyday.
Learn more: South Manitou Lighthouse Complex
4. Dine on Local Cuisine with a Taste of History
- Locals – Lake Leelanau
Dine at Locals, a new restaurant in the former Thunderbird Gift Shop, just steps from Lake Leelanau. Enjoy creative menu items rooted in local traditions.
Learn more: Locals-Lake Leelanau
- Polish Countryside Kitchen
Farm to Fork Polish Cuisine, utilizing their own farm grown meats from Polish Heritage Farm. Traditional Polish fare food truck located in Cedar, MI.
Learn More: Polish Countryside Kitchen
5. Explore Festivals that Celebrate Our Heritage
- Cedar Polka Fest
Dance, eat, and celebrate at this vibrant cultural festival honoring the area’s Eastern European roots.
Founded in the 1970s, the Polka Fest continues a joyful tradition passed down by the Polish families who settled Cedar and surrounding areas.
Learn more: Cedar Polka Fest
- Maritime History Festival & Classic Boat Show
Celebrate Leelanau’s maritime legacy with classic wooden boats, live music, and free museum admission at this annual riverside festival in Leland. The event highlights the county’s deep ties to Great Lakes shipping and boating, with exhibits, boat displays, and visiting community nonprofits who work to preserve the great lakes history and way of life.
Learn more: Maritime History Festival & Classic Boat Show
6. Visit Museums to Learn New Stories
- Leelanau Historical Society Museum – Leland
Explore maritime, Indigenous, and pioneer history through engaging exhibits. Since 1957, the museum has preserved the Leelanau Penisula’s stories for future generations.
Learn more: Leelanau Historical Society Museum
- Fishtown Welcome Shanty – New Summer of 2025!
Explore history displays inside an authentic fishing shanty by Fishtown Preservation Society.
The new exhibit highlights Fishtown’s origins as an early 1900s to present commercial fishing hub and highlights the fishermen, and details how the Society preserves this legacy today.
Plan your visit: Fishtown Preservation Society
7. Learn About the Anishinaabek, the Region’s First People
- Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Pow Wow
Experience Anishinaabek heritage with traditional dancing, drumming, and food. This vibrant event honors the enduring culture of the Grand Traverse Band.
Learn more: Grand Traverse Band Pow Wow
- Kchi Wiikwedong Historic Marker Project
Find 9 signs across Leelanau and Grand Traverse County honoring Kchi Wiikwedong—“The Place at the Head of the Bay.” Each marker shares different aspects of Anishinaabek history, values, and a deeper connection to the land. Marker Locations:- Clinch Park (Traverse City)
- Hannah Park (Traverse City)
- West End Park (Traverse City)
- Brown Bridge Quiet Area (Grand Traverse County)
- Suttons Bay Marina Park (Suttons Bay)
- Omena Beach Park (Omena)
- Northport Marina (Northport)
- Peterson Park (Northport)
- Leelanau Historical Society Museum (Leland)
Learn more: Project Details
Connect with more of Leelanau’s Historical Organizations, visit ExploreHistoricLeelanau.org.