Porch Notes
The Front Porch So Long It (Supposedly) Set a World Record
History and culture
We’re “Porch Notes,” so of course we had to tell you about the most famous porch in Michigan — maybe in the world.
On Mackinac Island, where cars have been banned since 1898 and you get around by horse, bike, or boot, sits the Grand Hotel. It opened on July 10, 1887, built as a getaway for Gilded Age travelers arriving by lake steamer. And its front porch is the showstopper: the hotel says it stretches 660 feet — long enough to spot from your ferry as you approach the island. The hotel proudly calls it the world’s largest porch, a claim popularly traced to a 1930s measurement by Robert Ripley of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” (We’ll be honest with you, neighbor: it’s a wonderful claim, but it’s more legend than certified record — and over the years even the “official” length has bounced around. The hotel’s own figure is 660 feet.)
A few more porch-worthy facts. The hotel is a National Historic Landmark, designated on June 29, 1989. The State of Michigan and the hotel both describe it as the “world’s largest summer hotel.” And that underside of the porch ceiling? It’s painted a soft aquamarine called “Dewkiss” — partly because the color helps discourage birds from nesting up there. The porch is lined with rocking chairs, decked with thousands of geraniums in summer, and was a star of the 1980 film Somewhere in Time.
Where to see it
Grand Hotel sits on Mackinac Island, reachable by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. Daytime visitors can tour the hotel and stroll the porch for an admission fee. The island itself is a Michigan treasure — no cars, just hooves and bicycle bells.