Participants in Iron Industry Museum bike tour The Michigan Iron Industry Museum will host guided bike tours along the backbone of the Marquette Iron Range July 15, 22 and 29. The tours begin at the museum at 9 a.m. and travel along the Iron Ore Heritage Trail, a multiuse, year-round trail that features historic sites and human stories from the iron range.Before setting off, bikers will become acquainted with the Carp River Forge site, 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 continues through Negaunee into Ishpeming, making several interpretive stops along the way, including Old Towne Negaunee and the site of the Pioneer Furnace.In addition to the stops at historic sites, the tour group will have lunch en route, provided by Negaunee’s Midtown Bakery and Café, and return for a showing of the museum’s documentary “Iron Spirits: Life of on the Michigan Iron Ranges.”
“Iron mining on the Marquette Range is a big story to tell,” said tour guide and DNR historian Troy Henderson. “These tours include both traditional museum interpretation and visits to sites where the history actually happened. They give participants the best of both worlds.”
The tour is approximately 16 miles round-trip and takes about five hours. Pre-registration is required and costs $25 per person. This fee includes the tour, lunch, viewing of the museum’s documentary “Iron Spirits” and a Michigan Iron Industry Museum souvenir. Registration forms can be found online at www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum or at the museum. Space is limited for the bike tours.
The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan History Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources. For more information, call 906-475-7857 or visit www.michigan.gov/ironindustrymuseum.
The Michigan History Center is part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its museum and archival programs help people discover, enjoy and find inspiration in their heritage. It includes the Michigan History Museum, 10 regional museums, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and the Archives of Michigan. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/michiganhistory.
