Go See It
Fayette Historic State Park: Go See It
A preserved 1867-1891 charcoal iron company town on the Garden Peninsula, with more than 20 original buildings standing along the harbor at Big Bay de Noc.
The facts
- Drive
- 1 hr 37 min from Marquette
- Cost
- Townsite and museum admission is free
- Season
- Mid-May through mid-October for the townsite buildings…
- Hours
- Park grounds, trails and campground: open year-round…
More detail
- From Marquette
- , 91.4 miles via US-41 S (Google Maps route, usual traffic, read Sept. 27, 2026)
- Cost
- A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry, as at every Michigan state park: $15 for Michigan plates (added at registration renewal), $12 a day or $42 a year for out-of-state plates.
- Season
- Mid-May through mid-October for the townsite buildings and visitor center. The grounds and trails stay open year-round, including for winter cross-country skiing, but the historic buildings are locked outside the mid-May-mid-October season.
- Hours
- Park grounds, trails and campground: open year-round, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Historic Townsite and Visitor Center are seasonal, mid-May through mid-October, with hours shifting through the season (as early as 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in mid-May, out to 9 a.m.-dusk in summer). Call ahead to confirm current hours.
- From the Bridge
- 2 hr 7 min, 124 miles via US-2 W, with the Mackinac Bridge toll (Google Maps route, usual traffic, read Sept. 27, 2026)
Fayette Historic State Park preserves the company town that grew up around the Jackson Iron Company’s charcoal iron furnace on the Garden Peninsula, on Big Bay de Noc. The furnace ran from 1867 to 1891; more than 20 original buildings still stand along the harbor, from the machine shop to the company hotel.
Start at the visitor center for the exhibits, then walk the townsite on your own. Plan on about two hours to see it properly.
Before you go
- Call ahead. 906-644-2603 to confirm hours or closures before you drive.
- Recreation Passport is not a separate museum ticket — it covers vehicle entry to the park and is bought when you renew your plates or at the gate.
- Start at the Visitor Center for the exhibits, then walk the townsite; plan roughly two hours for the full self-guided visit.
- Accessible. Visitor Center and vault toilets are wheelchair accessible; wheelchairs and a track chair can be borrowed on-site, subject to availability.
- Free WiFi at the townsite, visitor center and campground.
- Camping. Fayette Modern Campground (61 sites) and the Furnace Hill Lodge are on-site — reserve at 800-447-2757 or midnrreservations.com.
- Winter visits see the grounds and building exteriors only — the historic buildings are locked outside the mid-May–mid-October season.
Sources
- Michigan History Center, Fayette Historic Townsite Read September 27, 2026
- Michigan DNR RecSearch, Fayette Historic State Park Read September 27, 2026
- Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association, Fayette Historic State Park & Townsite Read September 27, 2026
- Wikipedia, Fayette Historic State Park Read September 27, 2026
- Google Maps, Marquette to Fayette Historic State Park (drive time) Read September 27, 2026
- Google Maps, Mackinac Bridge to Fayette Historic State Park (drive time) Read September 27, 2026
Verified September 27, 2026