Traverse City, MI Attractions
Traverse City, MI Attractions
 | Cherry Bowl Drive-In 9812 Honor Highway Honor, MI • 231-325-3413 If you want to dish up 1950's history for the kids, this is it! Cherry Bowl Drive-In is an old fashioned drive-in showing family-friendly double features all summer long. There's also a mini-golf course, hula-hoop contests, homemade caramel corn and the chance to cuddle up for a good movie under the stars. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Clinch Park 400 Boardman Avenue Traverse City, MI • 231-922-4903 This beach is directly north of downtown Traverse City and is especially popular with younger kids who love to watch the boats at the marina, play at the playground and ride the steam-powered Spirit of Traverse City train on a half-mile track that circles the park Memorial Day through Labor Day. Lifeguards patrol the 1500-foot beach mid-June through August. Bikes and kayaks can be rented for exploring the shore or TART Trail. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Gallagher's Farm Market and Bakery 7237 M-72 West Traverse City, MI • 231-947-1689 In the high season of summer, farmers markets are everywhere, especially on the East Side of Traverse City. Gallagher's Farm Market stands out though for its location between Traverse City and Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and its family-friendly grounds. At Gallagher's you'll enjoy the picnic tables for eating ice cream cones or pie and the bunnies, goats and pigs for the kids to pet and visit. Look for shelves of fresh fruit and produce outside the market, plenty of pies and desserts in the bakery and a broad selection of local wines, honey, syrup, cheeses, jams, jellies, juices and cherries inside the store. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Great Lakes Children’s Museum 13240 S. West Bay Shore Drive Traverse City, MI • 231-932-4526 For tots and preschoolers, the Great Lakes Children's Museum is a great way to introduce the wonders of ships and the Great Lakes through fun activities such as climbing into a lighthouse, playing dress up, getting wet with a "lock and dam" system and marveling at carpet that fish actually swim across. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9) |
 | Hickory Hills 2000 Randolph Street Traverse City, MI • 213-947-8655 Beautifully wooded with 240-foot drops, city-run Hickory Hills winter ski area can be enjoyed throughout the year for disc golf. Courses are almost always free, making it one of the most affordable family sports. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Kilcherman's Christmas Cove Farm 11573 N Kilcherman Road Northport, MI • 231-386-5637 Take a scenic drive to this farm, which grows an amazing 240 varieties of heirloom apples with some dating back to the 1600's. The owners also display more than 10,000 antique pop bottles along the walls of their barn and serve up tangy, fresh apple cider September through November. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Pirate's Cove Adventure Park 1710 N. US Highway 31 N Traverse City, MI • 231-938-9599 Already popular for its swashbuckling mini-golf courses with waterfalls, shipwrecks and caves, in 2009, Pirate's Cove added a zip line thrill ride and a high ropes course that's 33 feet off the ground. The attraction also includes Billy Bones Go-Cart Raceway, bumper boats with squirt guns and two water coasters. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore 9922 Front St. Empire , MI • 231-326-5134 If there's a badge of honor here, it's bragging rights to the Dune Climb. The 110-foot hike upward on shifting sand isnât as easy as it might look, but if accomplished, you'll have a beautiful view of the surrounding forest and lakes and a flat-out ecstatic run back downhill! Another must do is the 7.4-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. With a boardwalk overlooking the 450-foot drop down the sand cliff to the water's edge, No. 9 is the most stunning of the 12 overlooks. There are two campgrounds within the park plus canoe rentals near the Platte River. Stop at the Visitor Center in Empire for information on the Junior Ranger program and daily activities. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | The Iris Farm 5385 E Traverse Highway Traverse City, MI • 231-947-9040 Photo and garden enthusiasts in particular will appreciate this picturesque farm that's awash in color late May through early June. More than 1,000 varieties of large German Iris fill the fields with shades of purple, yellow, cream, peach, burgundy and their subtle variations. They also grow about 200 kinds of daylilies. Visitors can browse the fields and buy fresh bouquets. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12) |
 | Traverse City State Park 1132 US 31 N Traverse City, MI • 231-922-5270 With 343 year-round campsites and a quarter-mile sugar-sand beach, this is one of the most popular stretches of the Grand Traverse Bay. You'll need a day pass to use the beach or a camping pass to spend the night at this 47-acre state park. The park features a playground, boat rentals and access to the 10.5-mile TART trail, which is open for both biking and skiing. There is also one cottage for rent. Best For: Tots (0-2)•Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
 | Traverse Tall Ship Co. 13390 S.W. Bay Shore Dr. Traverse City, MI • 231-941-2000 This replica Tall Ship glides across the aquamarine bay of Traverse City several times a day -- sails billowing to catch the wind. While most of these short cruises are family-friendly, the favorite is the Monday Moomers Ice Cream Sail. In between sessions of helping to haul the sails up and then back down, the playful crew passes out five rich samples of locally made Moomers Ice Cream featuring flavors such as sweet cherry, peanut butter cup and coconut nut crunch. Kids especially enjoy getting a chance to stand by Captain Dave and steer the ship. Best For: Kids (3-6)•Kids (7-9)•Tweens (10-12)•Teens (13+) |
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