Grand Hotel On Mackinac Island Turns 125 In July

MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ/AP) - The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island turns 125 this year. And it's ready to party.

The 385-room hotel opens its season on Friday. It opened for the first time on July 10, 1887, and is planning a series of events and activities to celebrate the anniversary.

During the afternoon of July 10, a 125-foot birthday cake will be served to guests on the Grand Hotel's famous Front Porch.

And the July 13-15, weekend will include fireworks, presentations and a concert, and three former Michigan governors will join Grand Hotel guests for a Grand Cocktail Reception and special dinner in the hotel's Main Dining Room.

Ex-Govs. William Milliken, James Blanchard and John Engler have confirmed their attendance for the July 14 event.

The Grand Hotel has 385 rooms, and no two are decorated the same. More than 130,000 overnight guests stay at the Grand Hotel each season. At 660 feet, the Grand Hotel's Front Porch is the world's largest, and is visible as you approach the island from the Straits of Mackinac.

You may recognize the Grand Hotel in the 1980 film "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

Get more Grand Hotel facts and info on its official website.

MORE: Guide To Mackinac Island

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