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The snowboard was born in Muskegon. In 1965 a local engineer, Sherman Poppen, bound two skis together for his daughters and called it the Snurfer, and that tinkering spirit still runs through the largest city on Michigan's Lake Michigan shore. Muskegon made its first fortune in the lumber era, when sawmills lined Muskegon Lake and barons such as Charles Hackley poured their wealth into parks, a library and an art museum.
The Hackley and Hume houses preserve that gilded age, while the Muskegon Museum of Art shows Edward Hopper's New York Restaurant and a Snurfer exhibit. On the lake, the WWII submarine USS Silversides and the streamlined SS Milwaukee Clipper are open for tours, and the Lakeshore Trail links downtown with the shore.
Pere Marquette Park has a broad public sand beach watched over by the red South Breakwater Light. Muskegon State Park adds dunes and a rare public luge track, and Michigan's Adventure, the state's largest amusement park, sits just north of town.
Climb aboard USS Silversides, one of the most successful American submarines of World War II, moored at the channel between Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan. The museum also includes the Coast Guard cutter McLane and indoor exhibits, and groups can book overnight stays aboard the sub.
Founded in 1912 with lumber money, this downtown museum holds American and European paintings including Edward Hopper's New York Restaurant, plus glass, prints and a lively program of touring shows. Do not miss the exhibit on the Snurfer, the local invention that led to snowboarding.
A downtown museum about what Muskegon made, from lumber and pianos to engines, bowling balls and auto parts, with a working steam engine and recreated shops. It is a hands-on, nostalgic stop that takes about an hour; open seasonally, so check days before visiting.
Launched in 1904 as the Juniata and rebuilt in 1941 with sleek Art Moderne lines, this passenger and car ferry carried travelers across Lake Michigan for decades. Volunteers lead tours of its cabins, ballroom and decks in summer; check the schedule, since open days are limited.
Two side-by-side Queen Anne houses built in the late 1880s for lumber partners Charles Hackley and Thomas Hume show off carved woodwork, stenciled walls and stained glass. Guided tours run from spring to fall through the Lakeshore Museum Center; the holiday tours in December are especially festive.
Muskegon's main beach stretches along Lake Michigan beside the harbor channel, with soft sand, volleyball courts, a beach walkway for wheelchairs and strollers, and a concession stand. Stay for sunset, and watch the swim flags, since rip currents form near the pier on windy days.
This bright red cast-iron lighthouse marks the end of the south breakwater at the entrance to Muskegon Lake. Walk out from Pere Marquette Park on calm days for close views of the light and passing ships, but stay off the concrete when waves wash over it in storms.
Wooded dunes between Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake hold beaches, campgrounds, hiking trails and a replica blockhouse lookout. In winter the Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park lets visitors try a real luge run, plus skating and snowshoeing. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for parking.
A shady downtown square anchored by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, with statues of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and David Farragut at its corners. Charles Hackley gave the park to the city; it hosts summer concerts and is a pleasant pause between museums.
Michigan's largest amusement park sits just north of Muskegon, with the Shivering Timbers wooden roller coaster, family rides and the WildWater Adventure water park included in admission. It opens late May through Labor Day; weekdays in June are quieter, and a cooler helps on hot days.
Held in a covered downtown market area near Muskegon Lake, this busy market sells local produce, baked goods, flowers and crafts, with a year-round indoor section in colder months. Saturday mornings in summer are the liveliest; nearby, the small Western Market chalets host local shops.
This paved path follows the south shore of Muskegon Lake from downtown through parks and marinas to Pere Marquette Park and the Lake Michigan beach. It is flat and easy for walking, running or biking; rent a bike downtown and end with ice cream and sunset at the beach.
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