Mason County Barn Quilt Trail: Visit These 10 Works of Rural Art in the Ludington Area

December 5, 2021 · by Jonathan Katje · in Arts and Entertainment

Barn quilt trails have become increasingly popular in the Midwest over the last few decades, as a combination of farming history, love of quilting, and passion for culture has resulted in some outstanding rural art. The Mason County Barn Quilt Trail offers 10 great barns for visitors to check out. While other Mason County heritage trails focus on sculpture art or the impact of lumbering on the area’s history, this trail focuses on agriculture and “pioneering immigrant families who settled this land and carved out homesteads and farms.” We had a chance to visit a handful of these barn quilts back in the spring (as well as a few that aren’t on the “official” trail anymore) and will share some of our photos with you as well as ways to get more information on making your own trip. Like the other Mason County trails, the Barn Quilt Trail has a phone-based interactive guide for visitors. Dialing 231-490-3084 and entering the stop number or scanning the QR code at each stop will lead to a recording with more information. The stops on the trail include:

Mariner’s Compass (Mason County Fairgrounds, 5302 W. US-10, Ludington)
The Pine (Historic White Pine Village, Ludington)**
The Windmill (4027 S. Stiles Road, Scottville)
The Carpenter’s Wheel (4509 S. Schwass Road, Scottville)
Michigan Beauty (The Jam Farm, 5075 W. Meisenheimer Rd., Ludington)
The Carpenter’s Wheel (Springdale Morgan Farm 7170 W. Dewey Road, Fountain)
Lithuanian Quilt (3338 N. Campbell Road, Fountain)
Lone Star (2774 W. Victory Drive, Ludington)
The Farmer’s Daughter (3966 Victory Drive, Ludington)
Shagway Arts Barn (5949 Shagway Road, Ludington)

Below you will find a look at some of our photos from our trip to the Mason County Barn Quilt Trail. As most of these barns are located on private property and at private residences, please visit and photograph them respectfully and without trespassing.