Central Munising

What to see: downtown Munising

Munising has a traditional downtown, contrary to first impressions. At the moment resale shops are especially plentiful. From M-28 (which skirts the downtown) look for the four-corners at Munising/M-28 and Elm, where there are four historic two-story buildings, one a handsome stone bank. The block of Elm Street between M-28 and Superior is the traditional downtown's chief business block.

Today three well-organized thrift stores are downtown attractions. These stores draw on donations from a wide range of households, including well-to-do summer people. St. Vincent de Paul's re-sale store (906-387-3496) at 107 Elm on the street's east side is open Mon-Fri 11-4, Sat 10-2. Friday is bag day. Across from it are The Closet consignment shop and the Salvation Army at 120 Elm (906-387-1100), open Tues-Sat 10-4, possibly longer hours or more days in summer. An old sign around its corner, painted on brick, proclaims, "Sam Mark's Leader in Dry Goods, Shoes, Hats, and Caps."

Munising stores and service businesses extend around the corners onto Superior.
Munising Bay is one of Michigan's most beautiful landscapes, and Bayshore Park is a fine place from which to view it. There's a gazebo, picnic area with grills, and a memorial to Vietnam veterans. It's at the foot of North Elm Street, across from the docks of the Pictured Rocks Boat Cruises.

Other noteworthy spots for visitors, arranged from north (M-28) to south, include:
♦ THE GIFT STATION occupies a picturesque brick building, a former Mobil service station from the 1930s. It's a multifaceted general gift store with an extensive stock of collectible lines, crystal, and theme gifts: fishing and hunting, north woods, lighthouse decor and books, nautical and lighthouse items, and the unusual Magic Motion clocks that play many melodies on the hour. The T-shirts and sweatshirts are unusually attractive. 101 Cedar at M-28, east of downtown. (906) 387-3013. Open 7 days, year-round. Winter hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at least, Sun noon-5. In summer open to 9 or 9.
♦ FALLING ROCK CAFÉ and BOOKSTORE. Jeff and Nancy Dwyer knew very few people here when, in 2003, they moved to Munising with an unusual vision. They had quit their academic positions in gerontology and nursing at the University of Florida. Jeff, a sociologist by training, had read and reread Ray Oldenburg's widely influential study of "third places," not home, not work: The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. The Dwyers set out to create such a place in downtown Munising, a town that then had only bars and smoky coffee shops as gathering places.
   Jeff knew about the area from many wonderful family vacations. (His great-grandfather had been a Marquette County sheriff.) Munising seemed to have a lot of potential for a creative kind of third place. The Dwyers bought a beat-up tavern downtown on East Munising Ave./M-28, cleared out 55 tons of trash, and designed a multifaceted community gathering space that has evolved over time.
   Falling Rock's heart has always been a sandwich, coffee, and ice cream counter with Jilbert's cones and fresh-roasted coffee; sofas and tables for hanging out; and the performing space for Saturday night concerts. It has the friendly, improvised feel of coffeehouses from the 1970s. Being smoke-free was a huge attraction for families before Michigan law banned smoking.
   Some things have come and gone—the radio station broadcasting booth and Jeff's real estate and log home office, for instance. Jeff himself now commutes to Lansing for his job as a medical research administator. But there are now some 30,000 new and used books with a strong regional section. There are a varied food menu, and a charming children's area with books and blocks. There's free wireless internet and tables to sit at. Sofas and easy chairs in back allow for lounging, reading, and playing chess or many board games on hand. Many local clubs meet here. Falling Rock is a fine rainy-day destination; kids could get coloring books from Putvin's Drug Store and bring them in. The gallery sells locally produced jewelry, pottery, watercolors, notecards, and Munising woodenware. There are frequent book-signings and regular Saturday concerts at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. in summer). Then there have been occasional town hall meetings; art and crafts classes; and more. Check the web site to find out: fallingrockcafe.com Ask for a menu to read the legend of Falling Rock behind all those "Watch for falling rock" signs!
104 East Munising/M-28 downtown, just east of Elm. (906) 387-3008. Open year-round. Summer hours 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Labor Day thru color season: 9-8, Sat to 10. Off-season: closed Sunday. Mon & Fri 9-5, Tues-Thurs to 8, Sat 9-10. Fall through spring hours: Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-10. Wheelchair accessible.
♦ PUTVIN HEALTH MART. This large, exceptionally helpful downtown drug store offers gifts, fun summer accessories, and coloring books and games for rainy days. There are a Radio Shack outlet, wraps and supports for aching feet, and many special services, including 24-hour emergency prescriptions. 119 Elm at Superior. (906) 387-2248. Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-4.
♦ PEOPLE'S STATE BANK. A handsome fountain centers on the propeller blades and anchor from the wreck Kiowa, sunk off Point Au Sable in a fierce storm in late November of 1926. At night, amber lights illuminate the water plume—gorgeous! The water highlights the pink in the fountain's stones. The rock, with interestingly variegated patterns, is 2-billion-year-old kona dolomite from near Gwinn. (You can pick up small quantities for your garden. Call Lindberg & Sons at 906-249-1815 and be sure to get good directions.) Colored pink by iron, Marquette County dolomite is thought to be the world's only place where pink dolomite was formed.
   The story of the sinking of the big freighter Kiowa lived on here because of three deer hunters' valor in taking 18 survivors off the stranded ship. In 1968 two young scuba divers, Charles Nebel of Munising and his friend Brian Schulze organized a team to raise the anchor and propeller blades. Nebel, whose law office is in the bank building, had the blades and anchor incorporated into this fountain. Southeast corner of Elm and Superior.
♦ KIDS' KINGDOM PLAYGROUND. Volunteers built this impressive castle-like linkage of play equipment at a central Munising school. Varnum at Court, one block west of Elm. Open daily 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
♦ MUNISING RANGE LIGHTS. One form of navigational aid for vessels coming into a harbor was having two range lights. Lining them up kept the vessel on course. Here the front range light is a white conical tower set back a little on M-28/Munising Avenue at the foot of Hemlock Street, five blocks west of Elm. Looking up Hemlock, you can see the rear range light perched on a wooded hill. Because the rear light was elevated here, it could be much smaller. It looks like a backyard ornament of some sort.

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