Preserve historic sleeping bear was founded in 1998 in response to a public outcry to save the historic structures in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that were being neglected due to lack of maintenance and preservation funds in the Park. Since that time, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear has been raising awareness and financial support for the preservation of the Lakeshore's nearly 400 historic structures and landscapes as well as conducting stabilization projects with their own volunteers. If you are interested in the cultural history of this area, check out their website , or stop by their interpretive center at the Lakeshore's historic Olsen Farm on M-22 north of Glen Arbor.
Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is a nonprofit organization established in 1994 to assist in the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of the natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Access to North and South Manitou Islands is by private boat or by passenger ferry service operated by Manitou Island Transit. The ferry service operates from the Fishtown Dock located in Leland, MI. The ferry operators have been servicing the islands for many generations and the company is still run as a family business.
The Glen Arbor Art Association has been working with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to restore Thoreson Farm, one of the historic farms in the Park. The objective is the development of a site which can expand GLAA programs such as Artist-in-Residence, summer workshops and Manitou Music Festival events to be enjoyed in beautiful surroundings where the previously decaying buildings will be restored and preserved for the nation and future generations .
The Fishtown Preservation Society seeks to preserve the historical integrity of Leland, Michigan’s Fishtown property and insure that it continues as a publicly accessible and authentic connection to local and regional history, Great Lakes commercial fishing, and maritime traditions and experiences.
Our institutional partners are helping us meet our mission, including Michigan Sea Grant, the Inland Seas Education Association, the Leelanau Historical Society , Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Natural Resources Department, and the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
2022