I used to go up to Mackinac Island every summer, without fail. Years ago, we could walk through the Grand Hotel grounds, up onto the porch, and even inside.

I'd walk all through the hotel...down the halls, into any open room, down into the dining areas, library, out to the swimming pool...and that doesn't happen anymore. It's been restricted now for many years, not allowing island visitors to walk willy-nilly through the hotel.

NOW FOR SOME FAST FACTS:
1) The Grand Hotel opened for business in 1887.
2) Of all 397 guest rooms, no two are alike.
3) The porch has 100 rocking chairs for guests to sit and enjoy the view.
4) Only five U.S. Presidents have stayed here: George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, and Harry Truman.
5) The same family has owned and run the hotel since 1933.
6) It has the world's longest front porch, spanning 660 feet.
7) There are over 125,000 flowers on the ground, thanks to over one ton of bulbs being planted each year.
8) There was another movie shot here, other than “Somewhere In Time”...it was an Esther Williams film called “This Time For Keeps,” in 1947.
9) Their famous dessert, the ice cream pecan ball, is made with more than three tons of pecans each year, making over 60,000 of 'em annually.
10) It's rumored to be haunted. This rumor has been around for decades. Why? Because the legend says the hotel was built over a cemetery, with some of the graves possibly left buried. You can read all about the “haunting” HERE.

Now take a look at the photo gallery below, featuring many old pictures of the Grand Hotel!

GALLERY OF THE GRAND

BEFORE YOU GO.....
See some great vintage Mackinac Island photos HERE.
Plus, see what the island looks like during wintertime HERE.

THANKS TO:
The Grand Hotel

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