Mackinac Island in Michigan does not have a lot of residents but tourists love visiting this county. It has a lot of beautiful sights that people can check out. The island also offers many activities that visitors can enjoy.

An aerial shot of Mackinac Island. (Link: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/06/17/mackinac-island-looks-reopen-right-way-season-truly-begin/3202531001/)

One of the most notable activities here is ghost haunting. Many believe that the island is haunted. There are even reports claiming that there are more ghosts than people in this island.

Downtown Mackinac Island. (Link: https://www.mackinacisland.org/blog/downtown-mackinac-something-everyone/)

The History of Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island was the home to an Odawa settlement before the Europeans started to explore the area during the 17^th century. Later, it became an essential area where the Great Lakes fur trade took place. As time passed by, more and more establishments were put up at the Mackinac Island such as the For Mackinac and the Grand Hotel. Two battles also took place at the Mackinac Island during the War of 1812.

During the middle of the 1800s, the island became a home to fishermen who made a living out of commercial fishing. The fishing industry became the next source of income after the fur industry.

Another notable thing at the Mackinac Island is that motorized vehicles are not allowed in the area. The ban started during the 19^th century and continues to this day.

People using bikes in Mackinac Island becasue no motorized vehicles are allowed. (Link: https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2013/mackinac-island-where-cars-are-banned-and-bikes-rule-road/48911)

The Mackinac Island is reachable through boats or planes. Aside from it being allegedly haunted, many visit this island because it looks like it was frozen in time.

The Haunted Places in Mackinac Island

There are so many haunted buildings in Mackinac Island. Many claim that every square inch of the island is actually haunted. It may be an exaggeration to some but it somewhat is true because most buildings here have a haunted story they hold.

First is the Mission House. It was built in 1825 and served as a boarding school for more than 500 Natiev American and Métis children. Reports claim that 16 of these students died due to illnesses. The ghosts of these students are said to be the ones haunting Mission House to this day.

Mission House in Mackinac Island. (Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_House_(Mackinac_Island))

One employee, who works for the Mackinac Island State Park, noted that Mission House is where they are staying. The employee revealed that the ghosts usually wander through the first two floors of the house as well as the basement. The children are heard playing at night like tossing the ball in the hallway and knocking over alarm clocks. For many employees who stayed at the Mission House, it was no longer new if they woke up because a ghost was bumping into their bed.

A sign talking about the Mission House. (Link: https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm768H_Mission_House_Mackinac_Island_Michigan)

The next haunted building is the Mission Point Theatre. Accordingly, a ghost named Harvey is the one haunting the theatre. The same employee mentioned above that she believes she already met Harvey when she was just a newbie in the ghost tour guide business. She said that they were at the theatre with a group and she heard someone dragging a chair backstage. She believed it was one of the other tour guides who liked to pull pranks to the newbies. When she turned on the light, she realized her co-tour guide was just behind her and the chair at the theatre did not move at all.

Inside Mission Point Theatre in Mackinac Island. (Link: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/27021)

Harvey was reportedly a man who was broken hearted so he shot himself. Allegedly, his body was found only six months later. Others believe the story that he committed suicide while some claim he was killed. None of these were clarified to this day. Harvey reportedly loves pinching or poking visitors.

Another haunted building at the Mackinac Island is the Fort Mackinac. The employee claims that two children haunt the area. Their father was reportedly stationed at the Fort in the past. The kids haunt this area for unknown reasons. Some also claim that they heard the phantom piper playing his instrument particularly on misty mornings.

A photo of Fort Mackinac. (Link: https://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g42423-d103906-i149795860-Fort_Mackinac-Mackinac_Island_Mackinac_County_Upper_Peninsula_Michigan.html)

The Post Hospital is also one of those haunted. It is understandable that strange things happen here because it is actually the oldest hospital in the whole of Michigan. Medical tools used during the nineteenth century are placed on the walls making it all the more eerie. Many visitors also claim that they felt sad after entering the hospital. People have also seen phantom limbs in the hospital. One man was able to take a photo of what he believed was a limb.

An old photo of Post Hospital. (Link: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/376543218825143004/)

You should also check out the Biddle House. It was owned by a fur trader named Edward Biddle in the early 1800s. He had four children and the youngest, Mary, passed away. It is believed that she died of pneumonia but the cause of her death was never confirmed. Accordingly, she was spotted in an upstairs window of the home. The grave of Mary is the oldest known in St. Anne’s Cemetery at Mackinac Island.

Biddle House as seen from the outside. (Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biddle_House_(Mackinac_Island)

Another hot spot for paranormal activities is the Grand Hotel. Construction workers claim that they uncovered human remains while they dug the area for the hotel’s foundation. Also, this is the area where an evil entity reportedly lurks. The entity is described as a black mass with glowing red eyes. One man, who was at the theatre stage of the Grand Hotel, said that he was knocked off by the evil entity. The man did not wake up for two days and when he finally regained consciousness, he could not be convinced to return to Grand Hotel anymore. Visitors and employees also claim that they sometimes see a man wearing a top hat playing the piano at the bar and a woman in Victorian clothing roaming the halls and sometimes even getting into the beds of the guests.

The facade of Grand Hotel. (Link: https://www.kayak.com/Mackinac-Island-Hotels-Grand-Hotel.68980.ksp)

Mackinac Island also has what they call the Drowning Pool. Seven women were alleged to be witches during the 1700s and 1800s. During that time, the method of determining whether one was a witch or not was through tying rocks to their feet and throwing them into the water. If they sank, they were not witches. All of these seven women sank and they drowned. It was unclear why they were not pulled out of the water since the test was if they sank, they were innocent of the allegations of being witches. Accordingly, these women haunt the waters up to this day. Some see shadows and dark figures floating above the Drowning Pool. Others claim they saw mysterious splashing even if no one was at the Drowning Pool.

The drowning pool at Mackinac Island. (Link: https://99wfmk.com/drowning-pool-mackinac-island/)

Another ghost that is said to haunt many places in Mackinac Island belongs to a girl named Lucy. She has curly hair and wears a light-colored sun dress. There are no facts in relation to Lucy and why she is at the Mackinac Island.

Most of the ghosts at the Mackinac Island are reportedly not harmful. They just appear from time to time and have not harmed anyone.

Mackinac Island at night. (Link: https://www.behance.net/gallery/55479919/Mackinac-Island-at-Night-from-Off-Shore)