Glen Haven

Glen Haven was first a refuge for schooner and steamboats traversing Lake Michigan from Chicago to the Straits of Mackinaw. When these boats would dock at Glen Haven they would be restocked with fuel (wood), fresh food, and additional supplies. As Glen Haven grew, farmers and lumbermen shipped their products out of the dock at Glen Haven. Glen Haven has recently been restored to resemble what it would have looked like in the 1920s. There are now three buildings that visitors can enter and get a glimpse of the past. These are the General Store, the Cannery Boathouse, and the Blacksmith Shop.

The cannery was first built as a warehouse and converted to a state-of-the-art cannery for cherries in the early 1920s. In recent years, the Cannery has housed a museum of historic boats used around Glen Haven and the Manitou Islands

When you are in Glen Haven, stop and walk around the little logging village, which has been restored to it’s appearance in the 1920’s. Walk into the General Store and browse some of the merchandise related to the history of the Glen Haven area, including kitchenware, food, toys, and maritime-related items and books.

The blacksmith shop is operational most days in the summer, staffed by volunteers. You can watch the blacksmith take a piece of iron, heat it in the forge and pound out useful shapes and parts. The exhibit is very interactive, so feel free to ask questions. You can see some of the parts they have made in the shop and ask the blacksmith questions about his trade or the history of the local area.

Cool things to do: check out the: General Store, Blacksmith Shop, and Cannery Boathouse, go for a swim in Lake Michigan, take a nice walk along the beach down to the dunes.