Muskegon, the largest city on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, grew alongside a booming lumber industry in the mid-1800s. Christened the “Lumber Queen of the World,” clear-cutting of Michigan’s northern forests led the city to transition into a large manufacturing center. Today, Muskegon has a population of about 38,000 and has seen extraordinary change and investment in recent years.
The city of Muskegon has always been linked to the fresh waters that inspired its growth and maintain its quality of life. Muskegon Lake, the largest natural deepwater port in West Michigan, handles over 1 million tons of freight, aggregate, and salt every year. The Lake Express high speed auto passenger ferry runs three times daily between Muskegon and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to shipping and transportation, the lake offers a beautiful natural setting few other cities have; recreational opportunities on the water, from kitesurfing to kayaking, keep residents and visitors coming back. Maritime museums including the USS Silversides submarine, S.S. Milwaukee Clipper, and USS LST 393 offer an unmatched experience. On the big lake – Lake Michigan – a string of public parks blanket the shoreline, providing miles of sugar sand beaches and soaring dunes.
Now known as the “Shoreline City”, Muskegon has diversified its economy to include healthcare, service, and modern manufacturing jobs. Tourism has also taken a prominent role as the city plays host to a variety of art, food, culture, and music festivals and events. Cultural attractions such as the Muskegon Museum of Art, the Lakeshore Museum Center, and the Frauenthal Center are treasured assets in the community. The Muskegon Farmers Market – the second largest in the state – frequently draws over 10,000 daily visitors to Downtown Muskegon on Saturdays from May into November. More recently, visitors to the city have arrived via cruise ship, with Muskegon serving as a port of call for the growing fleet touring the Great Lakes.
The heart of the city, Downtown Muskegon, is revitalizing. Following the demolition of an urban shopping mall in the early 2000’s, a restored street grid laid the framework for building restorations and renovations, infill construction, public art, and new businesses and residences. Downtown is now home to local breweries, restaurants, and retailers as well as a growing list of mixed-use and residential development projects. In addition to their main campuses, the city’s institutions of higher education have also gotten in on the action as Muskegon Community College expanded with a downtown center located directly across the street from Baker College of Muskegon’s Culinary Institute of Michigan.
As downtown continues to grow, the city’s urban waterfront is also experiencing change. Building on the extensive and ongoing environmental clean-up and restoration work completed over the past decades, the once industrialized Muskegon Lake shoreline is poised for a major transformation. The Lakeshore Trail – a 12-mile hiking and biking path – serves as the backbone of the changing lakefront as hundreds of acres of property transition to a mixed-use future.
Pride in the community is growing among new and long-time residents. What originated as a county-wide image campaign has taken on an even larger role as Muskegon, as well as its surrounding municipal partners, let everyone know to Watch Muskegon.
Find the City of Muskegon online at www.shorelinecity.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.