"No cars are allowed on Mackinac Island. Only 400 people live here. But it's been a major tourist destination for years, ever since the Grand Hotel was built In 1887," the Roadside America reports.



"The hotel has the longest porch, longer than any other porch in the entire world. It stretches 668 feet from end to end, with spectacular views of the Mackinac Bridge and Lake Huron. Robert Ripley, of Ripley's Believe it or Not, measured the porch in the 1930s, declared it to be the World's Longest, and this has been the claim ever since."

"Mackinac Island’s premier lodging destination has a porch that is referred to as the world’s largest, at 660 feet long. Five presidents and many foreign dignitaries have stayed here, and the hotel served as a setting for the film Somewhere in Time starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour," the  Travel the Mitten reports.

"The hotel is easily the most recognizable landmark that comes into view on the ferry ride over, and it remains accessible to all during daytime hours (for a $10 entrance fee)."

"One of the most impressive hotels which I’ve ever stayed. Arriving at the hotel by horse-drawn carriages was the most. The long porch, the garden, the pool, the activities, there’s nothing more to say than: amazing, wonderful, excellent, perfect, awesome…"

"If I may say that the Grand Hotel is an experience of a lifetime. We have stayed to a lot of different types of hotels, resorts, villas nationwide and this by far tops it all. The service, ambience, nostalgia of the hotel being it the world's largest summer resort and holds the longest porch (2 football fields to be exact). The staff were all wonderful and the best part is no tipping. We stayed 4 wonderful nights at the Mackinac Suite which has the biggest porch. It was delightful. Will be back next summer."



"FYI, You can pay $10, and go into the grand Hotel and tour it yourself, which my husband and I did on our vacation there. After we went outside on that very long deck with those wonderful white rocking chairs on that porch and order a drink and just sate there relax and took in the vast scenery. We had a very nice afternoon just doing that and felt very satisfied with an experience, even if we didn’t spend the night in their experience hotel."

"Sitting on the front porch was lovely with the view. Just don’t look too closely at the building as it needs some updating. The main dining room was lovely, too."

"We still love everything about the Grand Hotel. The grounds, the people, the food and of course, those amazing views. The pool renovation is above and beyond awesome. With the addition of the adult only infinity pool. This makes it a go to place for years to come."

Grand Hotel and Mackinac Fun Facts

• Grand Hotel opened on July 10, 1887.
• The Musser family owned Grand Hotel for over 85 years.
• At 660 feet, Grand Hotel’s Front Porch is the world’s largest, and is visible as you approach the Island from Lake Huron.
• Grand Hotel is 332,500 square feet.
• No motorized vehicles are allowed on Michigan’s Mackinac Island. All transportation is provided by horse and carriage or bicycle.
• Mackinac Island is accessible only by ferry boat or plane.
• More than 150,000 overnight guests stay at Grand Hotel each season.
• The 5,000,000th guest in Grand Hotel history checked in on June 26, 2006.
• While nearly 1 million people visit Mackinac Island each year, the Island has less than 600 year-round residents.
• It takes 500,000 gallons of water to fill Grand Hotel’s swimming pool, which was named for actress Esther Williams when she starred in the 1947 movie, This Time for Keeps, shot at Grand Hotel.
• The 1980 film Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer, was filmed on location at Grand Hotel. The movie now has a huge following and fan club that meets yearly at Grand Hotel in late October.

(from the official website)

"Grand Hotel's history of star-studded visitors wows, among them: Mark Twain, John Jacob Astor III, Arnold Palmer, Robert De Niro, James Earl Jones, Madonna and Barbara Walters. U.S. Presidents—Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy and Harry Truman—as well as Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Sandra Day O’Connor have strolled Grand Hotel's swanky halls and lovely landscaped grounds," the Forbes magazine reports.

Related world record:

World's Largest Covered Porch Swing: Hebron, Nebraska sets world record