Beyond the Expected 

Downtown Traverse City is the culture, education and business capital of Northwest Michigan. Visitors will find more than t-shirt and fudge shops here. Downtown Traverse City is home to Northern Michigan’s most diverse cuisine, best shopping and great culture.

A Cultured Experience

For a break from local shopping, visitors can take in the Traverse Symphony Orchestra or a live musical performance at the City Opera House. The Traverse City Film Festival is one of the Midwest’s largest, bringing critically acclaimed films and documentaries to the region. The rest of the year, great films and MET opera simulcasts are shown at the Bijou and State theatres, two of the most fabulous movie houses in the North.

Festivals, Live Theatre & More

Boasted as the Cherry Capital of the World, visit the National Cherry Festival in July. For live theatre, the Old Town Playhouse offers locally produced plays and musicals most of the year.

Rivers, Lakes and a Bay…Oh my!

If you don’t want to be inside, Downtown TC’s setting on Grand Traverse Bay and the Boardman River affords visitors many outdoor options. In fact, you can go from fly fishing to kite boarding to mountain biking all in one day. And, sailing, charter fishing and rollerblading the next. Oh, yes, and don’t forget the beach!