Historic White Pine Village
Historic White Pine Village
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Historic White Pine Village offers a living-history, family-friendly, fun-filled tour of a late 19th – early 20th century pioneer village. The Village boasts 30 historic exhibit buildings, including the original 1849 Mason County Courthouse (on the National Register of Historic Places ) and an authentic turn-of-the-century steam locomotive, tender car, and flat car loaded with logs and headed toward the Village’s working sawmill. Visitors come face-to-face with early settlers: first-person interpreters with scripts carefully prepared by staff and historians, they interact and improvise with visitors in the persona of historical characters and recreate actual personages from Mason County. The buildings contain thousands of authentic artifacts and archives depicting the rich lumbering and agricultural history of its area. Thousands of area school children, families, individual visitors and residents tour the Village annually.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
97 reviews
Excellent
54
Very good
32
Average
6
Poor
1
Terrible
4
mscott1211
Manistee, MI203 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
My wife wanted to go see White Pine Village in Ludington and that we did . I read reviews about this and most were favorable but I also saw disappointed. We were hoping to meet characters (volunteers) in their period dress but when we checked in we found out that there was only one in a building today! We decided to pay the $20 for both of us (senior) rate and go threw the buildings, It was nice and the history showing all the old equipment farm and school the best for me was the military building! That’s where we found a civil war character that told us things like how the solders would line up for battle during the civil war This is why it’s nice to have characters telling you about the period! I also understand that is done by volunteering and people have lives. But we will come back another time when there are more !
Written 25 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave C
Illinois1,709 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
My wife and I spent 2.5 hours here, yet we stopped to read many signs and stopped for ice cream. There's over 40 different attractions such as an old house, trapper's cabin, print shop, lumber camp, hardware store, music museum, school, etc. Each has furnishings, pictures, and usually documents/signs on information from over 100 years ago. There are volunteers who will act out parts as if they lived in Ludington in 1880 or just tell you things. I bought a combo ticket for here and Ludington's Maritime Museum for $22.
Written 14 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LauraROshtemo
Oshtemo, Michigan20 contributions
Jul 2021
This was a wonderful village with lots of history. I love that they have it connected so you can do audio and not just read the signs (my husband is blind and this was great). My sisters and I had a lovely time walking and exploring and learning. Would love to take others to this village soon.
Written 26 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ultimatespeedracer
Lansing, MI55 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
It would have been nice if there were people in the buildings to answer questions and explain more about the period. Cost was $11 per person which I felt was a bit much to charge to ask people to walk around and read the signs on their own with no type of tour.
Written 29 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Trish W
McMurray, PA1,060 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
This is a nicely laid out former colonial town that shows different periods in the settlement. It costs $12 for adults and takes 2-3 hours to see it all. There is much to see and lots to read. The many different buildings display tools people used back then. There is a one room schoolhouse, courthouse, jail, amphitheater, artesian crafts, blacksmith, music building featuring the clown band, doctors office, miners cabin, logging bunkhouse, mercantile, ice cream parlor, barns and sheds with farm equipment etc. it is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon but children would probably be bored.
Written 17 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
xXscullyXx
57 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
We had a nice time here. Lots of walking so wear the right shoes (I didn't). Lots of history and artifacts to explore. Very educational. Great place to stop if you enjoy history. I personally enjoyed the beautiful chapel the most. Just a beautiful place to sit quietly, and the architecture inside is gorgeous. I was told there are certain times where blacksmiths and other actors are present and do demonstrations. So maybe call ahead to plan your visit so you don't miss them. There was no one there when we visited, and it would have made the visit much more interesting, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. We spent about 2 hours here, and really took our time reading everything posted. If you have little ones you're going to want to watch them closely as exhibits are only roped off and there are a lot of fragile things, farming equipment, etc. So be mindful of your surroundings if you have little ones.
Written 6 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike L
Sarasota, Florida, United States31 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
White Pine Village brings the history of the Ludington area to life. I am not always a huge fan of historic museums, but this was fun. The pretty one mile foot-path through the village was filled with flowers and ponds, frogs, and wonderful smells of nature. The buildings were carefully furnished and authentic. There is only one building on the site (of 30 structures) that was built right where it stands in the 1800's, and that's the old Courthouse. All the others were built from old, reclaimed materials, or moved here from other locations. This didn't detract from the realistic feeling of walking through an old, quaint town, but it was an interesting fact about the place. It was carefully planned and designed to give you a good picture of what life was like 150 years ago.
Written 21 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grandpatooyoung
West Michigan86 contributions
Jun 2013
For years White Pine Village and the Historical society have been adding and caring for this historically correct and beautiful little town. From the blacksmith shop and doctors office to the family home and courthouse complete with the jail in the floor, this will make the older one in the group think of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House while the younger one's ponder how horrible life without electronics might have been. Don't miss any of the buildings or you'll miss fun. One in the back by the sawmill(west, toward the lake) has a "build it back up" mini log cabin for the kids to build. The car museum will leave all in the group how you'd fit 6 people in that old car. Friendly and knowledgeable, the staff is amazing. Great place for all ages.
Written 18 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BayGuy08
Bay City, MI263 contributions
We had plans for a lot of outdoor activities for the weekend, but woke up Saturday to a steady drizzle left over from the previous night. So we headed to the White Pine Village - I figured that at least within the buildings we would have shelter from the rain, and something to do on a rainy Saturday morning. We got there shortly after 10 a.m., and pretty much had the place to ourselves. There was a wedding in the chapel that day, so we were asked to avoid it until after 1:00, and there were many guests coming & going, but due to the rain there were only a few other families wandering within the village. We were able to wander through the village pretty freely and enjoyed the various exhibits. By the time we got back to the Town Hall for the Ice Cream (payment on your honor), the weather had begun to clear and it turned into a nice, sunny day. There's a nice variety of buildings and exhibits, and as we were finishing up we even were able to go into the chapel.
I've been to other villages like this, but this village is somewhat smaller (and much less crowded) and priced just right. It saved our Saturday.
I've been to other villages like this, but this village is somewhat smaller (and much less crowded) and priced just right. It saved our Saturday.
Written 12 August 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Departure812725
Greenville, NC15 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
The village is a nice collection of historic buildings, such a school, post office. Several items of farm and logging equipment
Written 13 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What campgrounds are in your vicinity
Written 12 May 2017
Rebecca B
Ludington, Michigan
Buttersville Campround is nearby, but is a first come first serve location. Mason County Campground is also nearby. You can make reservations at that location. Here is there phone number 231-845-7609. There is also Poncho's Pond in Ludington, which is about 5-7 minutes from our location. There number is 888-308-6602. Thank you for contacting us and I hope you find this information helpful. Have a wonderful weekend!
Written 13 May 2017
I am accompanying an elementary class. How much walking is involved? Is it handicap accessible?
Written 1 June 2016
Curious to how much walking is involved? Is it handicap accessible? Are there tour guides?
Written 1 June 2016
Hi, to much and no guides. Like a big antique store that you pay way to much to get into.
Written 18 June 2016
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