Fun Facts When Visiting Charlevoix
Sightseeing
1.) It has its very own castle.
Constructed in 1918, Castle Farms is a French Renaissance castle built by Albert Loeb, then vice-president of Sears, Roebuck & Company. Located just outside of Charlevoix, it showcased farm equipment and his prize cattle. In 1969, it was sold to rock promoter Arthur Reibel, who used the venue for concerts — drawing huge acts like Bob Dylan, Metallica, The Police, and the Beach Boys.
Today, it’s been fully restored to its original grandeur, reminiscent of the stone barns and castles found in Normandy. Visitors can tour the grounds and marvel at the beautiful gardens, castle towers, and the intricate outdoor model railroad.
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Castle Farms
5052 M-661.) It has its very own castle.
Constructed in 1918, Castle Farms is a French Renaissance castle built by Albert Loeb, then vice-president of Sears, Roebuck & Company. Located just outside of Charlevoix, it showcased farm equipment and his prize cattle. In 1969, it was sold to rock promoter Arthur Reibel, who used the venue for concerts — drawing huge acts like Bob Dylan, Metallica, The Police, and the Beach Boys.
Today, it’s been fully restored to its original grandeur, reminiscent of the stone barns and castles found in Normandy. Visitors can tour the grounds and marvel at the beautiful gardens, castle towers, and the intricate outdoor model railroad.
2. Hemingway spent lots of time here.
Wherever we travel, it always seems that Ernest Hemingway stopped to have an adventure or two right where we’re standing. But it’s in Michigan where he didn’t just stop — he spent much of his formative years here. In total, 21 of his summers unfolded in the Petoskey area, and it was at Walloon Lake where he honeymooned with his first wife, Hadley Richardson.
Their marriage license is on display in Charlevoix at the Harsha House Museum, and, if you visit Petoskey, you can tour the many old haunts of Hemingway that later became the setting for many of The Nick Adams Stories. Everything from where Hemingway played billiards to where he wrote stories to where he went for a shave and a haircut is on the list.
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Charlevoix
2. Hemingway spent lots of time here.
Wherever we travel, it always seems that Ernest Hemingway stopped to have an adventure or two right where we’re standing. But it’s in Michigan where he didn’t just stop — he spent much of his formative years here. In total, 21 of his summers unfolded in the Petoskey area, and it was at Walloon Lake where he honeymooned with his first wife, Hadley Richardson.
Their marriage license is on display in Charlevoix at the Harsha House Museum, and, if you visit Petoskey, you can tour the many old haunts of Hemingway that later became the setting for many of The Nick Adams Stories. Everything from where Hemingway played billiards to where he wrote stories to where he went for a shave and a haircut is on the list.
3. Hobbit homes do exist, and they’re a quick drive away.
You don’t have to fly all the way to New Zealand to see Hobbit homes — leave the passport at home and head to Charlevoix. It’s famous for its “Mushroom Houses” designed by Earl A. Young. Captivated by the stones and boulders he discovered along Lake Michigan, Young created some 30 unique structures over five decades, all resembling hobbit houses in their own way. Many are still standing today and can be toured on your own or with a local guide from the Charlevoix Historical Society and the Round Lake Gallery of Art. Just know that some are private residences, so be respectful.
Charlevoix Hospital
14700 Lake Shore Dr3. Hobbit homes do exist, and they’re a quick drive away.
You don’t have to fly all the way to New Zealand to see Hobbit homes — leave the passport at home and head to Charlevoix. It’s famous for its “Mushroom Houses” designed by Earl A. Young. Captivated by the stones and boulders he discovered along Lake Michigan, Young created some 30 unique structures over five decades, all resembling hobbit houses in their own way. Many are still standing today and can be toured on your own or with a local guide from the Charlevoix Historical Society and the Round Lake Gallery of Art. Just know that some are private residences, so be respectful.
4. There’s a dark sky preserve for epic stargazing.
We were lucky to see the Northern Lights from one of the best vantage points in the country. The Headlands International Dark Sky Park is also where we watched millions of stars twinkle in the Milky Way, looking right over Lake Michigan from a dock jutting out from the shore. For the record, the sky park is right in the top tip of the “mitten.”
The later you arrive, the fewer people will be there and you can have the preserve all to yourself.
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Headlands International Dark Sky Park
15675 Headlands Rd4. There’s a dark sky preserve for epic stargazing.
We were lucky to see the Northern Lights from one of the best vantage points in the country. The Headlands International Dark Sky Park is also where we watched millions of stars twinkle in the Milky Way, looking right over Lake Michigan from a dock jutting out from the shore. For the record, the sky park is right in the top tip of the “mitten.”
The later you arrive, the fewer people will be there and you can have the preserve all to yourself.
5. You can see the only freshwater underwater shrine in the world…
Located just 800 feet offshore in Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey, you’ll find “the only freshwater shrine in the world.” An 11-foot crucifix sits in over 20 feet of water, serving as a memorial to divers. It was placed here in 1962 to honor a local diver who drowned but was later expanded to memorialize all who have died in the water — fitting, since there have been hundreds of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
And once a year in late winter / early spring, locals and visitors are given the opportunity to walk out to see the shrine in the dead of winter. A portal is cut through the four-foot-thick layer of ice to showcase the giant Italian statue, and over a thousand people gather for the otherworldly experience. If you can handle the chilly air, this is definitely a lake experience like no other.
Little Traverse Bay
5. You can see the only freshwater underwater shrine in the world…
Located just 800 feet offshore in Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey, you’ll find “the only freshwater shrine in the world.” An 11-foot crucifix sits in over 20 feet of water, serving as a memorial to divers. It was placed here in 1962 to honor a local diver who drowned but was later expanded to memorialize all who have died in the water — fitting, since there have been hundreds of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.
And once a year in late winter / early spring, locals and visitors are given the opportunity to walk out to see the shrine in the dead of winter. A portal is cut through the four-foot-thick layer of ice to showcase the giant Italian statue, and over a thousand people gather for the otherworldly experience. If you can handle the chilly air, this is definitely a lake experience like no other.
Food scene
6. This is beer country. Good beer.
Michigan has some of the best microbreweries in the nation and is quickly climbing the ranking ladder. It sits at #5 in America for sheer number of breweries — the current count lost track somewhere over 200.
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Beards Brewery
215 E Lake St6. This is beer country. Good beer.
Michigan has some of the best microbreweries in the nation and is quickly climbing the ranking ladder. It sits at #5 in America for sheer number of breweries — the current count lost track somewhere over 200.