Calumet

How to Get There

From Houghton, MI (12 mi): Follow US-41 north for approximately 12 miles into Calumet, the historic center of Michigan's Copper Country and home to Keweenaw National Historical Park attractions, the Calumet Theatre, museums, galleries, and historic downtown districts.

Overview

Calumet is a village in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Calumet is at an elevation of 1,209 feet (369 m) above sea level. The village of Calumet sits on 2,000 miles (3,200 km) of underground mine shafts, drifts and stopes, empty for many decades. Large portions of the Keweenaw National Historical Park are located inside the village limits, mostly covering the intricate complex of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company's main operations.

Things to Do

Discover Michigan's Historic Copper Country

Calumet is a historic village in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and was once one of the richest mining communities in the world during the Copper Boom of the late nineteenth century. Today, visitors can explore beautifully preserved historic buildings, learn about the region's mining heritage, enjoy cultural attractions, and experience the natural beauty of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula.

Explore Keweenaw National Historical Park

Much of downtown Calumet is part of Keweenaw National Historical Park, which preserves the story of the copper mining industry that transformed the region. Visitors can tour museums, historic sites, and exhibits that explain how copper mining shaped the economy, culture, and communities of the Upper Peninsula.

Visit the Calumet Theatre

Built in 1900, the Calumet Theatre is one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States. Visitors can attend performances, take guided tours, and admire the beautifully restored architecture of this historic landmark.

Learn About Mining History

Nearby attractions such as the Quincy Mine and Coppertown Mining Museum allow visitors to explore underground mining history, view historic equipment, and gain insight into the lives of the miners and families who lived in Copper Country.

Enjoy Outdoor Recreation in the Keweenaw Peninsula

Calumet serves as an excellent base for exploring the Keweenaw Peninsula's forests, lakeshores, waterfalls, and scenic drives. Visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, wildlife viewing, and photography throughout the year.

Top Trails

Swedetown Trails

Length: More than 25 miles of trails
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy to Strenuous

Located just outside Calumet, the Swedetown Trail System is popular for hiking, trail running, mountain biking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The trails wind through forests and rolling terrain while offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscape.

Keweenaw Heritage Trail

Length: Variable distances available
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

This regional trail network connects historic mining sites, scenic overlooks, and cultural attractions throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, providing visitors with opportunities to combine history and outdoor exploration.

Hungarian Falls Trails

Length: Approximately 1 to 2 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate

A short drive from Calumet, these trails lead to a series of beautiful waterfalls cascading through a forested gorge. The area is popular for photography, hiking, and nature observation.

McLain State Park Shoreline Trails

Length: Variable distances available
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy

Located along Lake Superior, nearby McLain State Park offers scenic walking opportunities with views of the lake, rocky shoreline, and occasional freighters passing through the Great Lakes.

Sources: Keweenaw National Historical Park and Visit Keweenaw information regarding Calumet's mining heritage, cultural attractions, historic district, and outdoor recreation opportunities. https://www.nps.gov/kewe and https://www.visitkeweenaw.com
Additional information verified through Michigan tourism and recreation resources covering the Calumet Theatre, Swedetown Trails, Hungarian Falls, McLain State Park, and Keweenaw Peninsula attractions.

Food

One of the biggest parts of the food culture of not only Calumet, but the entire Copper Country, is the pasty. This was a main part of copper miners' diets. A pasty is a mixture of meat, potatoes, rutabaga, carrots and onions wrapped in a crust made of flour and lard.

Attractions

Some of the notable attractions in the village include:

• The Calumet Theatre, which opened in 1900, is the first municipality built opera house in the United States.
• The Copper Country Associated Artists (CCAA), founded in the 1960s, is a regional art organization that operates a gallery and workshop in Calumet.
• The old 1898 Red Jacket Fire Hall on 6th Street is a Keweenaw Heritage Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built using Jacobsville Sandstone from the Keweenaw Bay. Today it houses the Copper Country Firefighters Museum.
• The Calumet and Hecla Library at 101 Red Jacket Avenue was said to contain more volumes in its collection than the entire Michigan State Library.
• The Keweenaw National Historical Park Visitor Center offers three story exhibits relating to the village's copper mining history. The museum is operated by the Keweenaw National Historical Park and is free to the public.
• The Calumet Historic District is listed as both a National Historic Landmark District of the United States, and is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The Calumet Colosseum is the town's main ice arena as well as North America's Oldest Indoor Ice Rink.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Calumet, Michigan", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0