Michigan Roadside Attractions: Charlevoix Depot
Michigan Roadside Attractions on Travel the Mitten highlights our attempts to explore the many interesting things that can be found on the highways, byways and back roads of Michigan, ranging from the interesting to the unusual.
Charlevoix is a beautiful city in northern Michigan that is located on both Lake Michigan and the inland Lake Charlevoix. It is a popular summer vacation spot but is beautiful in all seasons, and it has a rich history dating back to the mid-1800s. The Charlevoix Depot is part of that history and it dates back to 1892. It has been many years since it served its last passenger, but the Charlevoix Historical Society has done a wonderful job restoring and preserving this landmark, which is even available to donors for events and weddings. The Charlevoix Area Garden Club has also done a fantastic job planting and maintaining some amazing gardens on the depot property.
The depot is on the National Register of Historic Places and also has a small Michigan historical marker plaque near the door indicating its significance in state history.
A Charlevoix Historical Society sign tells more about the depot’s history, and its service with the Chicago and West Michigan Railway. There was once a large inn here almost the size of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, and many of its visitors came via the railroad. Shortly after the depot opened the Pere Marquette Railroad absorbed C & WM, which eventually merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Passenger service continued through the 1960s and freight traffic lasted a bit longer, with the last train leaving in 1982.
The depot was painted white for many years, and that is how it looked when we first visited here back in the 2010s. It now pops with yellow paint and green trim after years of restoration by CHS. You can read more about the projects that have been done and the work that still needs to be done on the Charlevoix Historical Society website (and also donate if you wish).
The Charlevoix Depot is located at 305 Chicago Ave., next to Depot Beach. The park here has a playground, picnic areas, restrooms, and a sandy beach on Lake Charlevoix.
