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Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
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This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
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Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
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All the United States Michigan

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Michigan

270 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Michigan

Updated May 13, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
Detroit
The primary tunnel.
Traverse City
Ann Arbor
Steelcase Pyramid
Grand Rapids
Mechanical Camel, invented by J. H. Kellogg
Battle Creek
Fishtown.
Leland
All Cities
  1. Ann Arbor
  2. Baldwin
  3. Battle Creek
  4. Bay City
  5. Cadillac
  6. Carp Lake
  7. Cedar
  8. Charlevoix
  9. Crystal Falls
  10. Dearborn
  11. Detroit
  12. Durand
  13. East Lansing
  14. Grand Rapids
  15. Grayling
  16. Hickory Corners
  17. Holland
  18. Ishpeming
  19. Kalkaska
  20. Lansing
  21. Leland
  22. Mackinac Island
  23. Mackinaw City
  24. Marquette
  25. Midland
  26. Mount Pleasant
  27. Paradise
  28. Petoskey
  29. Port Austin
  30. Port Huron
  31. Saugatuck
  32. Sault Ste. Marie
  33. South Lyon
  34. Traverse City
  35. White Pigeon
  36. Williamsburg
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Michigan

Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park.

Onsted, Michigan

Prehistoric Forest Amusement Park

The remains of an abandoned dinosaur theme park litter the woods just off the highway.
The stacks of John K. King Used & Rare Books.

Detroit, Michigan

John K. King Used & Rare Books

This sprawling bookstore spans four floors and has more than a million books in stock.
Kitch-iti-kipi

Manistique, Michigan

Kitch-iti-kipi

This freshwater spring fills with 10,000 gallons of water per minute.
Grande Ballroom

Detroit, Michigan

Grande Ballroom

Abandoned concert venue legendary for its rock counterculture.
Inside St. Agnes Church

Detroit, Michigan

St. Agnes Church and School

Once a bastion of its community, this gothic cathedral now stands as a haunting ruin.
Hell, Michgan

Hell, Michigan

Hell, Michigan

Hell on Earth is actually a small town in Michigan where anyone can be mayor for a day.
An aerial view of the lavender labyrinth

Shelby, Michigan

Cherry Point Farm and Market Lavender Labyrinth

A lavender labyrinth so large it’s visible on Google Earth.
A postcard from the inside of the aquarium, dating to 1907 or 1908.

Detroit, Michigan

Belle Isle Aquarium

The Beaux-Arts aquarium boasts a vast collection of saltwater and freshwater fish on an island in the Detroit River.
See All 270 Things To Do in Michigan

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Michigan

The Raven Cafe

Port Huron, Michigan

The Raven Café

Located in a Civil War era building, this café is engrained with the spirit of Edgar Allen Poe.

Detroit, Michigan

The Raven Lounge

One of Detroit’s oldest blues clubs stands in defiance of the passage of time and the city’s shifting fortunes.
This Odawa-built building has some stories to tell.

Cross Village, Michigan

Legs Inn

Legs Inn provides Polish food, a cornucopia of Odawa artwork, wood carvings, and mounted deer heads.
The entrance decked out for the holidays.

Detroit, Michigan

Grand Trunk Pub

The grandiose interior of this bar speaks to its past as home to famous jewelers and railway offices.
See all 25 Places to Eat in Michigan
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

7 Mechanical Marvels in Michigan

Michigan is famous for its steep, sweeping sand dunes, freckling of lakes, and unique fossils—but across the state, you'll find slews of automated wonders, past and present. From old animatronic toys to the ruins of early assembly lines, here are seven places to be dazzled by industry.

View Itinerary
Diego Rivera’s mural sprawls across a light-flooded room in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Explore Michigan

270
Museums 31
Architecture 23
Architectural Oddities 18
History 17
Water 15
Transportation 13
Roadside Attractions 13
Abandoned 13
Parks 13
History & Culture 13
Animals 12
Art 12
Unique Restaurants & Bars 4
Places To Stay 3

Michigan Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. rickbbiking
    39
  2. nbj914
    20
  3. Johnmeszaros
    12
  4. Stacey Brugeman
    9
  5. Rebecca Byrne
    8

Places Edited

  1. nbj914
    40
  2. Rachel
    22
  3. Collector of Experiences
    15
  4. Martin
    15
  5. wythe
    11

Places Visited

  1. kevbot
    171
  2. Ian Sanwald
    168
  3. apbreuhan
    138
  4. marionchristiansen
    125
  5. rickbbiking
    109

Recent Michigan Activity

  • Mortuarism

    wants to go to Curwood Castle

    about 19 hours ago
  • Mortuarism

    wants to go to Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park Fairy Trail

    about 19 hours ago
  • Mortuarism

    wants to go to Old Mission General Store

    about 18 hours ago
  • Mortuarism

    wants to go to Giant Boxing Arm of Joe Louis

    about 18 hours ago
  • Mortuarism

    wants to go to Mount Arvon

    about 18 hours ago

Stories About Michigan

A potential source of the mysterious Windsor Hum.

Podcast: Atlas Obscura Presents 'Windsor Hum' From Twenty Thousand Hertz

In 2011, residents on the U.S.-Canadian border started hearing a strange rumbling noise.
by The Podcast Team
April 29, 2024

How the Great Lakes Formed—And the Mystery of Who Watched It Happen

Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.
by Gemma Tarlach
January 11, 2024

Podcast: It’s Getting Hot in Here

A history of Michigan's own personal Hell.
by The Podcast Team
August 29, 2023

The Rise and Fall of the Mormon King of Beaver Island

Rumors of piracy, polygamy, and betrayal shape the tumultuous history of King James Jesse Strang.
by Roxanne Hoorn
August 28, 2023

Podcast: Moose Boulder

How far would you go to find the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake on the largest island in the largest lake in the United States?
by The Podcast Team
April 27, 2023

These Intrepid Surfers Chill Out Riding the Great Lakes' Wintry Waves

Stressing the need for proper gear and training, members of this close-knit community say their sport gets them through the long, cold season.
by Eden Arielle Gordon
February 23, 2023
Adam Johnson (center) dresses up as Heikki Lunta as part of the Upper Peninsula’s Heikinpäivä festival in Hancock, Michigan.

The Dancing Snow God That Brings Blizzards to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Heikki Lunta even has his own song.
by Daniel Bromfield
January 5, 2023
The Milky Way and curtain-like auroras fill a clear southern sky off Nugget Point, at the edge of New Zealand’s remote Catlins. While the island nation is too far north to see the aurora australis regularly, aurora-hunters flock to the Nugget Point lighthouse area for its dark skies and unobstructed view off the South Island’s southeastern coast.

Aurora Hunters Capture the Wonder of the Northern (and Southern) Lights

A curated collection of images shows why this natural phenomenon has fascinated and inspired humans for millennia.
by Gemma Tarlach
December 21, 2022

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