Keweenaw National Historic Park

25970 Red Jacket Road
PO Box 471
Calumet, Michigan 49913

Phone
Park Headquarters
(906) 337-3168
Staff Extensions
(906) 337-1104

WELCOME to Keweenaw National Historic Park

Keweenaw's Copper Story

From 7,000 years ago to the 1900s people mined Keweenaw copper. Native peoples made copper into tools and trade items. Investors and immigrants arrived in the 1800s in a great mineral rush, developing thriving industries and cosmopolitan communities. Though the mines have since closed, their mark is still visible on the land and people.

Exploring the Park

The national historical park consists of two separate units - Quincy and Calumet - 12 miles apart. The two units are located at the sites of former large-scale mines. The Quincy Mining Company property illustrates the processes and technologies of copper mining. The social, ethnic, commercial, and company planned aspects of a mining community are revealed in the village of Calumet and the Calumet & Hecla properties.

Most of the property within the two units is privately owned. Please respect private property. As the park continues to develop, more services and facilities will become available. Contact the park for updated information.

Keweenaw Heritage Sites

Dozens of other cultural sites along the length of the Keweenaw Peninsula, inside and outside official park boundaries, also contribute to the park story, including historic districts and nineteen official Keweenaw Heritage Site partners. Together the National Park Service and partner sites preserve and interpret the stories associated with the mining history. Many of these sites provide tours or exhibits to help you learn more about our heritage.

Ranger Programs

Want to learn more about Keweenaw National Historical Park? Come join a ranger for a guided-tour. Regularly-schedule programs are offered beginning in late June and run through late August.

Union Building Interior Rehabilitation Project

In 2008, the park received funding to begin planning for the rehabilitation of the interior of Calumet's Union Building and the design of exhibits to interpret the social story of the community. Find out more about this project including updates on its status.

History & Culture

Copper has shaped the people and places on the Keweenaw Peninsula for thousands of years. Early native peoples began mining and using copper here over 7,000 years ago. After Europeans arrived in the area, they learned of the copper resources from the Ojibwa people. 

English attempts at mining began in the 1700s but at first were unsuccessful. By the 1840s however, the setting was finally ripe for "copper fever" to take hold, creating one of the first mineral mining rushes in the United States.

Though many mining ventures quickly played out, some were successful at creating an enduring industry in the remote Keweenaw Peninsula. For over 100 years, the copper mining industry played a role in shaping the lives and landscapes of people and communities. Here you can explore their stories.

Did You Know?
Many copper mining companies in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula followed a management practice known as corporate paternalism. The companies provided housing, schools, hospitals, libraries, bath houses and other amenities in order to attract and retain a loyal and productive workforce.

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