While visiting Jackson County, you’ll find so many fun things to do in Jackson, Michigan; deciding where to start sightseeing might be challenging. So here are ten top things to do while you’re there, listed in no particular order.

Thank you to Experience Jackson for hosting my stay.

Explore the Bright Walls Murals

Jackson

Bright Walls Mural Festival took place over five years, from 2018 to 2022, resulting in 75 murals completed by international artists. While murals typically become damaged over time and are painted over, Bright Walls invested in a clear coating that better preserves them. As a result, the downtown Jackson area has run out of blank walls. Now, the murals are expanding from downtown. During my visit, Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum had just received a new mural.

One of my favorite murals is the Keepers of the Light mural on the Blake Building above Bucky Harris Park. It was a collaborative effort between Justin Suarez and Sarah C. Rutherford from Rochester, New York.

Downtown Jackson’s own falcons, a pair of Peregrine Falcons living on top of the Jackson County Tower Building, inspired the mural. Also, Justin does work with injured birds of prey, so that was an additional factor with the bird in the mural. You can see it at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and South Jackson Street.

Visit the Bright Walls Instagram page to learn more about the stories behind the murals in downtown Jackson.

Piper’s Pro Planning: To plan your mural walk, download this map before visiting.

Follow Jackson, Michigan’s Underground Railroad

Jackson

Jackson began as a transportation hub. Constructed in 1841, the Michigan Central Railroad Depot is the oldest active train station in the nation. This strategic position made Jackson a crucial link in the Underground Railroad, helping numerous individuals flee slavery.

I found so much history in this area. The Underground Railroad History Tour features five stops. At a high level, here are the stops and their history.

Bucky Harris Park

In the 1850s, Bucky Harris Park was Jacksonburg Square, a busy downtown business district. The Central Michigan Line was the main Underground Railroad line that ran through Jackson to Detroit. The first newspaper building, the Jacksonburg Sentinel, was where abolitionists like the newspaper owners, the Delands, spoke openly through newspaper editorials. It’s also where locals sympathetic to the troubles of runaway enslaved people worked secretly to help them escape.

First Congregational Church

Abolitionists founded and led the First Congregational Church. This is one of the stops on the Underground Railroad.

Under the Oaks Park

The Republican Party was born at Under the Oaks, now called Under the Oaks Park. Slavery was one of the main issues that led to the party’s formation.

Evergreen Cemetery

Evergreen Cemetery is the final resting place of the Deland family and several other conductors from the Underground Railroad.

Jackson Train Station

Fugitives were often smuggled onboard trains to Detroit at the Jackson Train Station. From there they found freedom in Canada.

Piper’s Pro Planning: You can download the app and take a self-guided tour explaining the five stops and their role in the Underground Railroad. To schedule a guided tour with Jackson’s local historian, Linda Haas, contact Experience Jackson.

Tour Ella Sharp Museum

Jackson

In 1912, Ella Merriman-Sharp willed her 19th-century home and 530-acre property to the City of Jackson. Ella’s wishes were that the city create a park and museum. Sharp Park opened in 1919, and with the help of the Jackson Junior Welfare League, Ella Sharp Museum opened in 1965.

Located in Ella Sharp Park, the Ella Sharp Museum showcases 11 buildings across six acres. The Historic Farmlane includes original structures from the early 19th century. Several buildings were moved to the grounds in the late 1960s. These buildings are not open daily to the public during museum hours. Check out the Upcoming Events Calendar for Public House Tours.

The main building at the Ella Sharp Museum features seven semi-permanent exhibits on Jackson’s history and science and an exhibit on wildlife art. When I visited, they featured a traveling exhibit on Julia Child, which has been featured at some of the country’s top museums. To check out the museum’s current exhibits, see the Upcoming Events Calendar.

They also have a planetarium.

Piper’s Pro Planning: The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Learn about Michigan Service Members at the Michigan Military Heritage Museum

Jackson

Michigan’s Military Heritage Museum tells the stories of Michigan service members. Michigan has three military-style museums, two dedicated to aviation and one to the Medal of Honour Recipients and Astronauts. This museum tells the stories of the average service member through artifacts, pictures, oral histories, and written histories.

The museum starts with the stories of Michigan’s first settlers and continues through the Gulf Wars. It focuses on Michigan’s involvement in the U.S. military, but it also has artifacts from all over the world and from many different wars. 

Piper’s Pro Planning: The museum is open Wednesdays and Fridays through Sundays. If you can’t visit during these times, you can also call to make an appointment. You can explore on your own or request a tour.

Enjoy the Cascades

Jackson

Located in Sparks Foundation County Park, the Cascades is one of Jackson’s most famous landmarks. On summer nights, the man-made waterfall, illuminated with colored lights and amplified by fireworks, stands out.

The Falls were built in the early 1930s. The Cascades Falls are 500 feet long, have a vertical height of 64 feet, and a total width of 90 feet. There are six fountains, 16 Falls—11 of which are illuminated—thousands of LED lights, and a 2,000-gallon-per-minute water pump. There are 126 steps along each side of the Falls. This walkway passes 11 water pools that are 30 feet by 90 feet.

One of the best times to visit is Family Fun Night every Wednesday in the summer. Then, they have live music, costumed characters, and the Falls. Summer Saturdays are another fun time to go, as they have live concerts in the Rotary Bandshell at Sparks Park. It is the perfect setting for a summer evening. If you are researching, Sparks Park is also referred to as Cascades Park.
 
Piper’s Pro Planning: Plan to visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They’re open Wednesday through Sunday, 8:00 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Ride the Rail Cars at the Lost Railway Museum

Grass Lake

I have to admit, I was surprised by the Lost Railway Museum. Before I visited the museum, I thought of trains, but it is a lot more than that, as it also includes the electric Inter-Urban railway—a trolley, a horse and buggy, and a Model T.

In the early 1900s, more than six railways intersected in Jackson County, bringing visitors to and from Lansing, Ann Arbor, Jackson, and Battle Creek. The electric Inter-Urban railway system was the primary mode of public transportation in this period. The Lost Railway Museum explores what the junction was like.

The Railway Museum offers a virtual train ride called The Boland Express. This experience on restored Car #29 provides a visual history of rail transportation. Digitally enhanced historical footage brings the past to life on window TV displays as I took the bumpy ride inside The Borland Express. I went from downtown Jackson to the Wolf Lake Casino Spur and into Grass Lake. I returned home from shopping downtown to prepare for Wolf Lake Casino’s weekend Vaudeville show and music. This train ride was the highlight of my visit.

Piper’s Pro Planning: The best way to experience the Lost Railway Museum is through a tour explaining the Inter-Urban railway’s historical significance. Contact the museum about a tour here.

Discover Ye Ole Carriage Shop

Spring Arbor

Detroit and Lansing often take the spotlight regarding Michigan’s automotive manufacturing hubs. However, in the early 1900s, Jackson was a thriving car culture center home to over 23 automotive manufacturing companies. The town, known as the Automotive Capital of the Midwest between 1903 and 1924, played a significant role in the industry’s history.

Ye Ole Carriage Shop is a treasure trove for automobile enthusiasts. It features the first automobile built in Jackson, the 1902 Jaxon Steam Car, and the last one manufactured there, a 1954 Kaiser Darrin Convertible. With 18 of the 24 Jackson-made cars, it houses the largest collection in the world, including five cars known to be the “one and only” in existence.

In addition to Jackson-made cars, the museum has a variety of other vehicles, such as the ’86 DeLorean, a Pierce Arrow, and a ’57 Chevy Belair Convertible in Matador Red.

Piper’s Pro Planning: The museum is open by appointment only, where they will give you a tour.

Get a Sweet Treat at Jackson Candy and Fudge Factory

Jackson

After a Coney dog lunch at one of Jackson’s famous Coney Islands, a sweet treat from Jackson Candy & Fudge Factory is what you need to top off the meal.

When you visit this authentic candy shop, styled from the 1890s, you’ll take a step back in time. The shop features decorative copper ceilings, clay brick walls, wooden floors, elegant mirrors, and vintage lighting from the turn of the last century. You’ll also find old Toledo scales for weighing candy and a brass National cash register that is still in use. The historic building is over 100 years old.

They offer over 300 fudge recipes but typically have around 30 varieties available at any time. All their fudge is made in-house. In addition to fudge, they also prepare frosted almonds and pecans, a selection of house-made chocolates, and chocolate-covered snacks such as Oreos and Nutter Butters. Furthermore, they produce popcorn and caramel corn.

Piper’s Pro Planning: If you need a gift basket for any occasion, save time by calling and ordering it the old-fashioned way. They’ll deliver anywhere in Jackson County and ship worldwide.

Looking for a place to get a great burger during your visit to Jackson? Check out this article on “7 Places to Eat Burgers in Jackson, Michigan.”

Take a Jackson Historic Prison Tour

Jackson

Historic Prison Tours guides you on a tour of Michigan’s first state prison. Built in 1842, it housed 2,000 inmates, making it the largest walled prison in the world at the time. Today, the 19-acre Armory Arts Village is the only former prison globally repurposed into a residential community featuring workspaces, galleries, and apartments dedicated to the arts. Transitioning from criminal minds to creative minds, the building now offers 62 combination work-and-living spaces for artists of all types. You can still see parts of the original 25-foot wall and the castle-like turrets on the grounds.

Visit the art gallery adjacent to the apartments, once the wagon wheel factory, to see some of the local artists’ work.

A guided tour costs $89 for up to three people. Exploring the exterior grounds is free.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Armory Arts Village is a residential community, so the best way for visitors to explore the grounds is via a tour.

Sample Jackson’s Wine

Jackson

Two of my favorite Jackson area wineries are Chateau Aeronautique and Sandhill Crane Vineyards.

Chateau Aeronautique Winery

Chateau Aeronautique Winery is uniquely situated on a 3,000-foot grass runway designed to accommodate single-engine aircraft rather than in a traditional vineyard setting. Located outside of Jackson, this airpark community is the original site of the winery and has expanded to include two additional locations: Irish Hills and Auburn Hills.

The winery embraces an aeronautical theme that reflects the ownership of Lorenzo Lizarralde, an international airline pilot. Chateau Aeronautique Winery offers a fun and engaging atmosphere, complete with vintage airplane decor. The labels on the wines feature a sky-blue background and a bi-plane logo representing its 1940 Boeing Stearman. Visitors can also view Lizarralde’s 1956 Cessna 172 in the dual-purpose hangar, which serves as a storage space for the aircraft and a wine cellar.

While the aeronautical items in the upscale tasting room are certainly a highlight, the wines deserve equal attention. The winery boasts several award-winning wines, including a 2011 Syrah and a 2012 dry Riesling.

If you enjoy live music, visit the Irish Hills location when it hosts a tribute band event.

Piper’s Pro Planning: If you prefer craft beer over wine, check out its second location in the Irish Hills, featuring Blue Skies Brewery.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards

Located off Interstate 94 in Jackson, Sandhill Crane Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery. The eight-acre vineyard supplies 10 percent of its grapes and sources the rest from other local vineyards, producing wines made from 100 percent Michigan grapes.

One of my favorite dessert wines is Annie’s Maple Shine, made from locally sourced maple syrup. The company revived an old recipe that combines unfiltered maple sap wine sweetened with maple syrup and ages it for a year in bourbon barrels. Annie’s Maple Shine won a Bronze Medal at the 2017 Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. I brought this wine home because it is rich and smooth.

I plan my stop at Sandhill Crane Vineyards around mealtime. Behind the bar, a chalkboard showcases local suppliers. The restaurant uses local ingredients to create fresh seasonal soups, salads, and sandwiches. When it’s on the board, try the sandwich “Not Just for Thanksgiving.” It has turkey, brie, and cranberry sauce—everything for Thanksgiving rolled into a sandwich.

At the right time of year, you may even see some of their namesake sandhill cranes.

Piper’s Pro Planning: For $12 per person, you can enjoy a tasting of a standard flight or a premium flight that includes dessert wines and ports for $16 per person.

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