Lake Michigan Park
| now Pere Marquette Park |
| Muskegon, MI |
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| Lake Michigan Park was a destination point located on the far western edge of the city, on the shore of Lake Michigan. Owned and operated by the Muskegon Traction and Lighting, the operators of the city's trolley service, it opened in 1890. The first building on the site was a pavilion. Due to its popularity, it was expanded in 1892. |
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Over time, a number of additional structures were
built. A comfort pavilion, offering a lunch counter and picnic area greeted
passengers at the entrance to the park, was located a short distance
from today's Bluffton School. A second pavilion located on the beach
offered a bath house and decking to allow visitors to relax and enjoy
the sights and sounds of the lake. As the area's popularity grew over the years, a number of other features were added to the park. |
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In 1898, a theater,
seating over 600 patrons, was added onto the beach pavilion to
compliment "the finest bathing beach on the Great
Lakes." It was a huge success, attracting top flight
performers and large crowds to the area.
In 1903, a larger theater pavilion, designed to accommodate
an audience of 1,200 on the upper level was built. A crowd
of over 4,000 celebrated the opening in July. The
building featured a restaurant and bowling alley on the lower level.
In 1907, a figure-eight roller coaster and other amusements and rides
were added to the park. In 1913, a 100-foot Ferris wheel was
added. Lying in the shadow of a huge sand dune known at Pigeon Hill, the insulated area, featuring cool summer breezes was advertised as both "the Coney Island of the West" and "the Riviera of the Midwest." Summer cottages sprouted up in the surrounding Bluffton, Edgewater and Port Sherman areas. |
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| A figure-eight roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, the Roll-Away Rink skating rink, and a miniature passenger train were among the treats available to visitors at Muskegon's first amusement park. |
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| From a 1908 publication of the Muskegon Chamber of Commerce, highlighting "the advantages of spending the summer season of your vacation in and around Muskegon." |
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The city street cars run every ten minutes to Lake Michigan Park, fare 5 cents. On the way they pass along the edge of the bluff that overlooks Muskegon Lake, running for a distance of four miles in constant view of the water. Near the end of the journey the car leaves Muskegon Lake and plunges into the deep shade of the primeval woods, breaking cover again as the sparkling blue waters of Lake Michigan flash into view. Lake Michigan Park is a natural forest skirting a broad, sandy beach. The majesty of the grand old oaks, murmuring together in the breeze, overshadows the dancing waves laughing in the sunlight and singing as they break upon the sand. As far as the eye can reach, the billows are rolling in and breaking in long lines of foam upon the beach. Out on the blue, the sails of ships and the smoke of steamers mark the path of commerce on Lake Michigan. Lining the beach, and connected by the board walk, are a roller coaster, restaurants, dancing hall, ice cream parlors, candy and fruit stores, oriental bazaar, band stand, theatre, bath pavilion, bowling alleys, curio stores, and other amusement features. At night time, thousands of electric lights transform the Park into a fairyland. |
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In 1914, the theater pavilion
was badly damaged by lake erosion, and the building was razed after
World War I. The changing tastes of Americans, would alter the look of the beach area in the coming years. |
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| The growing
popularity of the automobile, and the resulting decline in interest in
the streetcar as a form of transportation, would lead to the decline in
attendance at the park. In 1919, Muskegon witnessed a street car riot,
brought on by a fare increase. Jitney
buses, which charged a lower fare for a more comfortable ride,
ultimately brought an end to streetcar service in Muskegon. Ultimately, ownership of the area transferred from Muskegon Lighting and Traction to the Pere Marquette Railroad. In 1926, the first of two "Sunset Ovals" replaced the amusements at the beach. A second was added the following year. On August 3, 1927, the railroad granted ownership of the property to the City of Muskegon and construction began on a new breakwater. In 1929, streetcar service to Lake Michigan Park ceased and in 1930, the old wooden pavilions were removed. A brick pavilion and bath house was added on the beach. In 1937, a camping near the channel that connects Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan was added to the park, and became a popular past time. In 1938, railroad tracks that had led to the beach were removed, and construction of a lakeshore cut-off was constructed, changing the route used by to access Pere Marquette Park. Playground equipment was added to the beach in the 1940s. Camping at the beach ended in 1951, replaced by public picnic grounds. The Ovals played host to various music events and teen dances in the 1950s and 60s In 1969, additional beachfront was purchased by the city. Today, Pere Marquette is renown for its acres of open beachfront and stunning sunsets. The northern most end of 2.5 miles of city-owned waterfront, it remains an natural gem, open year-round for use by the public. |
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A trailer park was added to Pere Marquette Park in 1937, and remained a popular attraction until 1951, when it was replaced with picnic ground today known as Margaret Drake Elliott Park. |
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 Construction on the Breakwater at Pere Marquette was started in 1927 and completed in 1933. |
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| Today, the beach remains a popular destination. The acres of sugar sand and the open expanses entice visitors to one of the cleanest beaches in the United States. |
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 The new Life Saving Station, later known as the Coast Guard Station, opened in 1915. |
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Muskegon's lighthouses,
yesterday and today.  |
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Special thanks to Mary Anderson and Sherry Coffman for their
assistance in assembling the information and images that appears on this page. |
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