Michigan is full of beautiful lakes, plenty of parks and truly unique towns. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to spend 8 days exploring the state. It was my time visiting Michigan and I was extremely impressed. I will definitely be back!
During my road trip, 5 towns really stuck out to me and I think they should be on everyone’s itinerary. Here’s a guide to the best small town’s in Michigan that are perfect for your next visit.
Ann Arbor
First on the list in Ann Arbor, located in the lower peninsula, only 45 minutes west from downtown Detroit.
Strolling around this cute and artsy town is sure to lighten up anyone’s mood. The town is dripping with colorful murals, making it a perfect spot to stretch your legs and keep costs down!
If your are feeling spendy, the downtown also features a ton of fun shops and even an eye catching arcade called Pinball Pete’s.
The hidden gem of the town is definitely Graffiti Alley. It is exactly what it sounds like: an alley filled with graffiti. It is located in the main downtown area and is filled with street art. The beauty of this spot is that it is forever changing and you’re always guaranteed to see something new.
Hell
Only a quick 30 minute drive west of Ann Arbor will take you straight to Hell. Hell, Michigan of course!
How the Hell did they come up with that name?! (see what I did there?)
Well no one knows exactly how this town got it’s name but there are a number of theories to try and explain the origins.
According to the town’s website, this is the most likely:
The town was first settled in 1838 by George Reeves. It was a small town consisting of a mill and a general store. Good Ol’ George had a habit of paying the local grain farmers not in cash but instead in home distilled whiskey. This became so common that whenever someone questioned the whereabouts of the farmers, the go to answer became “He’s gone to Hell again”, in reference to George’s settlement. The name stuck and Hell became an official town in 1841.
Today, the town is still pretty tiny. The main downtown, consists of a gift shop and a bar. But don’t you worry, the shop has all the hell themed souvenirs you could ever desire. They even sell ice cream, as it does get hot in hell after all!
Behind the gift shop you’ll find the gates of hell, a mini-golf course, sculptures, and even a chapel! A real chapel, one you can even get married in! Because according to their website:
“After all, a marriage that starts in Hell has no place to go but up!”
Oh! And I highly recommend you get a postcard or two.. They burn and singe every piece of mail right in front of you, which made the whole experience incredibly memorable!
Holland
Holland, Michigan is everything you would expect from Holland in the Netherlands but situated right here in western Michigan! I should preface this by saying, I have never been to Holland, Netherlands. So when I say this, I might be thinking of all the generalizations that come to mind when I think about the Netherlands. Things like windmills, wooden clogs, cuckoo clocks and tulips galore!
How did Holland come to be?
Well Holland, Michigan was founded by Dutch settlers and because of that, the town still has a large percentage of citizens with Dutch Heritage. The town also hosts an annual Tulip Festival. The festival happens in early may and brings in over 600,000 visitors, over a 10 day period.
This festival originated after a high school teacher proposed in 1927 that tulips be used as a civic beautification project and as a recognition of the city’s dutch heritage. The city purchased 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands in 1928 and the first festival took place in 1929.
During your visit, make sure to check out the main downtown for plentiful shops but also check out the local theme parks. There are two dutch parks you can visit including Windmill Island Gardens and Neil’s Dutch Village. During my visit, I went to Windmill Island Gardens. This where you can see the dutch windmill, De Zwaan. De Zwann was relocated from the Netherlands in 1964 and is pretty spectacular. I was short on time but I will definitely be returning to check Neil’s Dutch Village in the future.
Traverse City
Traverse City is the largest city in Northern Michigan. I visited the day before fourth of July so the town was popping! I only managed to take one photo of downtown as I was just vibing with the crowd. The photo I did manage to take was of a pretty theater showing the movie of the year, Sheep Detective. A cinematic masterpiece that comes highly rated. Besides for sleuthing sheep, the downtown is filled with wonderful shops that are fun to pop in and out of.
Traverse is known as the “Cherry Capital of the World”, as the area surrounding Grand Traverse Bay is a hot spot for cherry production. The city also hosts the National Cherry Festival which attracts 500,000 visitors annually.
The go-to cherry shop most definitely is Cherry Republic. They have 10 locations throughout the state (including ones in Ann Arbor, Holland, Traverse City and Mackinaw City).
It is a fun shop to poke around and see all their cherry goods. And most importantly, they have samples throughout the store to try all their cherry goods! I ended up picking up some simple dried cherries and added them to my go-to breakfast for the entire trip!
And while you’re in the cherry capital of the world, you gotta get a slice of cherry pie. I went to Grand Traverse Pie Company for my slice. And for your viewing pleasure, I highly recommend getting it to go and eating it in the world’s largest cherry pie tin, which is conveniently located on the outskirts of town.
Mackinaw City
Honestly, Mackinaw City was not even on my radar. I was actually in town to visit Wienerlicious – the World’s Largest Stationary Hot Dog Statue. After taking some photos and of course munching on lunch, I noticed that there were a ton of car parking around the corner so I decided to walk main street.
I took some time meandering around. I went into a touristy looking shop and noticed that they also had an exit in the back. I popped out and to my surprise there was a whole other shopping plaza, filled with people and large statues!
This section of town, considered the mall area, was filled with art pieces including large sculptures that were made from various welded parts. The art is created by Kalifano, a Las Vegas based family business, specializing in metal art. All their larger than life sculpture throughout the town are insanely impressive.
The town also houses several unique shops. My top shop was definitely the Wacky Taxidermy and Miniatures Museum. But I am extremely sad to report, that this shop is no longer in Mackinaw City as of September 2026. The rent for the building nearly doubled and it was no longer feasible to run the shop, a true loss to the town. I hope that they reopen somewhere else in Michigan. And if they do, that town just might end up on this list in the future.
