Negaunee, Michigan – Explore the rich history of the iron industry in the best of both worlds: outdoors and inside the museum. On 18th, and 25th, the Michigan Iron Industry Museum will host bike tours that travel along the backbone of the Marquette Iron Range. This unique experience offers something for everyone, with beautiful sightseeing, historic landmarks, and a fun way to exercise.
The tours will begin at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum at 10 a.m. and then travel along the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, a multi-use, year-round trail that features historic sites and human stories from along the iron range.
Before setting off, bikers will become acquainted with the Carp River Forge site at the museum, where iron mined on the Marquette Range was first forged in the 1840s. From the museum, the tour will pedal toward the Jackson Mine in Negaunee, which provided the iron ore for the forge operation. The tour will then travel from Negaunee to Ishpeming, making several interpretive stops along the way, including Old Towne Negaunee and the site of the pioneer furnace.
The tour group will take a break to enjoy a picnic lunch provided by Negaunee’s Midtown Bakery and Café and then cruise downhill back to the Iron Industry Museum.
“Iron mining on the Marquette Range is a big story to tell,” said tour guide and DNR historian, Troy Henderson. “There are museums such as the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, which exhibit the iron industry in Michigan from its inception. There are also many physical sites that you can actually stand in front of and see. We are offering bike tours that give visitors the best of both worlds.”
Henderson said this trip truly is the full package when it comes to exploring the region’s cultural and natural resources. It will cover 15 miles and take approximately four hours. Pre-registration is required and costs $20 per person; this fee will include the tour, lunch, viewing of the documentary “Iron Spirits”, and a Michigan Iron Industry Museum souvenir. Space is limited; early registration is encouraged. Registration forms can be found on the museum website events page; choose July from the link “Click to view past and future events.” Registration forms may also be picked up at the museum.
For more information about the tours or the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, contact the museum office at: 906-475-7857 or e-mail Troy Henderson at: hendersont7@michigan.gov.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. It overlooks the site of the Carp River Forge, a pioneer industrial site listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 906-475-7857 or visit online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go towww.michigan.gov/dnr.
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