Even though the battles of the Civil War were fought several states away, Michigan has many sites with stories to tell. Some are old forts where soldiers trained and lived during the war. Others are homes lived in during the war. Some were businesses at that time. Then there are the museums that hold artifacts of that era that tell the story in their own way.
In addition to these historic sites, if you are looking for a good visit, be sure to also see our Museums page.
Michigan's Historic Sites
Historic Fort Wayne |
Built in the 1830s, Fort Wayne was in Springwells Township, now part of Detroit. The first troops to garrison the Fort came in 1861 and the Fort served as a point of muster and training throughout the Civil War. Now are part of the Detroit Recreation Department, a vibrant non-profit organization works to restore and provide excellent educational events on the site. | www.historicfortwaynecoalition.com |
| Fort Mackinaw | The Fort on Mackinaw Island was garrisoned during the Civil War as well as before. Several officers of note in the war served on the Island and several political prisoners were kept there during the Civil War. The Fort is part of the Mackinaw Island state park. | www.mackinacparks.com |
| Fort Wilkins | This is Michigan's northern most Civil War site. It was garrisoned throughout the Civil War and now is a State park. | www.michigan.gov/ftwilkins |
| Gordon Hall | Home of the founder of Dexter, Michigan, this pre-war home has a Civil War event every year and a Civil War display is part of their musuem. Company K, 4th Michigan Infantry was raised in this area. | http://www.dextermuseum.org/Gordon.html |
| Loren Andrus Octogan House | Completed in 1860, this very unique structure saw the Civil War. Located in the very northern part of the Detroit suburbs, the house has been restored and is open for tours | http://www.octagonhouse.org/ |
| Ulysses Grant Home | Currently closed to the public as it's on the former State Fairgounds land, this home was where Ulysses Grant lived when he was stationed in Detroit before the Civil War | http://detroit1701.org/U.%20S.%20Grant%20Home.html |
| Dearborn Historical Museum | The cornerstone of this musuem is the Commandant's Quarters from the Dearborn Arsenal, which was in use during the Civil War. Visit it and learn more about how garrison, regular army troops lived during the war. In addition, they have one of the battle flags from the 1st Michigan Cavalry in their collection and on display. | http://thedhm.com/ |
| Holland Museum and Van Raalte Farm | The farm which is part of this musuem is the working farm of several Civil War soldiers. Their families lived here while they were away and kept the home front working. | http://www.hollandmuseum.org/ |
| Waterloo Farm | Located between Ann Arbor and Jackson, this historic farm displays life in Michigan in the mid-19th Century. | http://www.waterloofarmmuseum.org/ |