Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore covers more than 73,000 acres of beautiful land in the Upper Peninsula, with 42 miles of Lake Superior shoreline. The park is also home to a handful of waterfalls, breathtaking cliffs and natural formations, a few lighthouses, and more than 50 miles of trails. The Pictured Rocks Interpretive Center is a good spot to check out before you head out to explore, as the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service have teamed up here to provide a small museum full of displays. You can learn all about the area’s history, natural features, and more, then and check out the attached gift shop for some souvenirs.

Located in the old Munising City Hall building, the interpretive center opened in 2017 as an expansion of the offerings of Pictured Rocks Cruises. As Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has seen a huge spike in visitor numbers during the pandemic and no sign of that dying down even after entrance fees were added 2022, a center like this certainly a welcome addition.

A self-guided tour teaches about the area’s Native American history, the plants and wildlife found in the lakeshore, the types of rocks found on the Lake Superior shoreline, and more.

Visitors can watch a 13 minute video that tells about the fishing industry’s history in the area, while other displays tell of the early days of Munising, the logging industry, and the local paper mill.

If you’re headed to Pictured Rocks this is a great place to start your adventure, and you’ll have a better appreciation for the history of Munising and the national lakeshore before hiking to waterfalls and scenic sites. The attached gift shop offers plenty of souvenirs. You’ll find the Pictured Rocks Interpretive Center at the corner of M-28 and Elm Ave., two blocks away from the Pictured Rocks Cruises docks. Hours during the summer are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.