The State of Michigan celebrates its 180th anniversary in 2017 with a number of new openings and attractions guaranteed to help continue its popularity with the international traveller.

New Accommodation

Detroit:

The Foundation Hotel in downtown Detroit is due to open in 2017. The $28 million project draws on the Motor-City's unparalleled past while proactively moving the city to its next incarnation as a national cultural, business, and artistic touch-point.

Grand Rapids:

Hilton Garden Inn at Grand Rapids Airport will open in May 2017. The hotel features 144 rooms and a detached sports bar. The highlight is the Michigan shaped swimming pool for guests to take a dip in during their stay.

New Streetcar in Detroit

The new QLine streetcar will be completed in spring 2017. This is the first streetcar in Detroit and will link the Detroit People Mover, the railway station and the famous Woodward corridor.

Attractions

Detroit

The Henry Ford Museum has opened a new glass gallery to display Henry Ford's world-class collection of glass and show case key artists' creativity and ingenuity. Visitors can experience the creation of glass through video technology.

Hickory Corners, West Michigan

The Gilmore Car Museum is hosting the limited-time exhibit 'The Golden Age of Sports Cars, 1949 – 1967' until the end of April 2017. It showcases nearly two dozen of the rarest and most sought after sports cars in the world including Nicolas Cage's 1967 Ferrari 275/GTB 4, the race inspired 1955 Mercedes Benz Gull Wing, and an authentic Shelby Cobra 427.

Traverse City

The Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City has received a $1 million gift to expand its signature Inuit art gallery.

Grand Rapids

A special exhibit of works from Ai Weiwei, titled Natural State, will be on display at Frederick Meijer Gardens January 27-August 20, 2017.

New in Skiing

Mount Bohemia is now offering the Midwest's first ski resort hostel, featuring 24 co-ed bunkbeds, a log cabin bar, sauna and outdoor hot tub. Voodoo Mountain has added a second peak for skiing this season with 200 acres of terrain for snowcat skiing.

New Golf Course

Augusta

Tee off at Michigan's newest golf course. Stoatin Brae is slated to be a par 71 playing over 6800 yards from the tips in Augusta, Michigan and is due to open in 2017. The course will be part of Gull Lake View Golf Club & Resort in Augusta.

New Bike trails

Kalamazoo

Two new bike trails are set to open in Kalamazoo in 2017. Maple Hill Trail is a new 5.5 mile mountain bike trail which will open in spring 2017 at Markin Glen Park in Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail downtown connector is scheduled to open in summer 2017.

Ludington

A new four mile single track mountain bike trail is now open in Cartier Park in Ludington. In addition five miles of bike trails in the Ludington School Forest will be prepared for fat biking for the first time this winter.

New In Kayaking

Marquette is home to Superior Kayaking Company, a new full-fledged sea kayak operation offering guided expeditions in Lake Superior.

Food and Drink

Detroit

Eastern Market Brewing Co., is scheduled to open in spring 2017 in Detroit. The brewers plans to use local produce such as cherries and watermelons in its beers alongside more traditional, German-style varieties to get a true taste of Michigan.

Ann Arbor

The recently opened The Session in Ann Arbor serves craft beer & quality food using local products. The Session is located in a brand new conversion of a 6000+ sq ft brick machine shop, with 70 taps, a beer garden, and live music this will be one of the hottest spots in Ann Arbor in 2017.

-Ends-

Note to Editors:                   

The State of Michigan is a state blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the longest freshwater coastline in the United States, lakes that feel like oceans, shimmering beaches, miles and miles of cherry orchards, glorious sunrises and sunsets, daytime skies of the deepest blue, nighttime skies scattered with stars.

Home to more than 100 public beaches, some of the highest freshwater sand dunes in the world, stunning multi-colored sandstone cliffs, two National Lakeshores and the only national marine sanctuary in the Great Lakes, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron. More than 129 lighthouses, numerous maritime museums, ten shipwreck-diving preserves and historic military fortifications rim Michigan's Great Lakes shoreline.

Lakes, campgrounds, wildlife refuges and 103 Michigan state parks and recreation areas create a wide variety of recreational pursuits. Rivers for water sports, and thousands of miles of hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails thread their way among some 100 species of trees.

Long days, relaxing weather and more than 650 pristine Michigan courses make for the perfect tee time. Because being able to play all day is Pure Michigan.

For all PR enquiries please contact Fiona Pettitt- fiona@cellet.co.uk, 01295 722 816.

The State of Michigan celebrates its 180th anniversary in 2017 with a number of new openings and attractions guaranteed to help continue its popularity with the international traveller.