Traverse City: Exactly Where You Should Meet
Plan your next meeting in a place where inspiration abounds and creativity flows. Named 2024 Smart Meetings Platinum Choice Award winner, Traverse City can accommodate events of all sizes, from small corporate retreats to large conventions. With 140,850 sq. ft. of versatile meeting space, seven full-service meeting properties, and 5,000+ rooms to stay in, we offer an eclectic mix of lodging and meeting venues. And with its convenient location from the Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), offering flights from Avelo Airlines, Delta, United, Sun Country, Allegiant, JetBlue, and American Airlines, getting here is a breeze.
Venue Details
Hotels87
Convention center-
Guest Rooms5,000
Guest rooms at 1 hotel550
Special event venues92
Average room rate$150
Occupancy rate-
Restaurants416
Daily food cost$125
Tax rate6%
Venue typeCVB
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Getting Here
Traverse City's TVC - Cherry Capital Airport is a full-service commercial airport offering major airline service to over 300 domestic and international destinations. Find non-stop flights from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Sun Country, Allegiant, JetBlue, and Avelo. Global service is also offered through hub airport connections in Detroit and Chicago year-round.
Distance from airport
3 mi from Cherry Capital Airport
Distance from Cherry Capital Airport airport 3 mi
Location
Local Attractions
Traverse City Pit Spitters
Recreation
The Traverse City Pit Spitters is a minor league baseball team that plays at Turtle Creek Stadium just south of Traverse City. The league comprises of 22 teams across the Midwest and Canada. It’s a proven leader in developing elite college baseball players in their quest to make the Major Leagues. It’s more than a baseball game, it’s family fun entertainment where kids get to run the bases, join in mid-inning contests and help with a rousing rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”
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Interlochen Centre for the Arts
Theater
The globally respected Interlochen Center for the Arts has been a driver of the arts culture in the region for generations. Located just southwest of Traverse City, and located on a beautiful 1,200-acre campus, Interlochen hosts thousands of young artists who in just a few short years will be performing on some of the most prestigious stages in the world. Its summer arts festival hosts top-tier performers in the 4,000-seat Kresge Auditorium on the shores of scenic Green Lake.
There is nothing that compares to listening to a live concert, watching a theatrical performance, or viewing a variety of artistic talent on different medium while visiting the Interlochen Center for the Arts.
4000 J. Maddy Pkwy
Interlochen, MI
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Michigan Legacy Art Park
Park
Contemporary art comes to life in the permanent collection of 50 works. The outdoor art is framed by 30 acres of a forest preserve. It was voted by USA Today readers as one of the top art parks in the country. The Art Park hosts thousands of visitors and students each year. It features miles of trails, world-class outdoor concerts, art, and nature workshops, plus it includes an extensive education program.
The Michigan Legacy Art Park is a non-profit arts organization founded by acclaimed artist David Barr in 1995. His intent was to enrich lives through experiences that connect art with nature and Michigan history.
The Park is open every day of the year from dawn until dusk
12500 Crystal Mountain Dr
Thompsonville, MI
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Traverse City Ground Transportation
Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) covers 900 square miles of northwest Michigan and assists with over a half-million annual rides. It serves residents and visitors in Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. BATA has both loop services with dedicated routes and fixed stopped around Traverse City and the surrounding region. They have introduced programs like Bike-n-Ride, Ski-n-Ride, and easy access to special events like the National Cherry Festival and Traverse City Film Festival. Rates are from free for the Bayline Route, to $1.50 for the City Look, $3 for the Village Loop, and $6 for On-Demand service. Reduced rates are available for students, seniors, active military, veterans, and people with disabilities. Children five and under ride free with a paying adult.
Benzie Bus has 22 Traverse City connecting routes that cover areas that include Frankfort and Beulah.
Commercial bus service is offered by Indian Trails with a Traverse City hub that connects nationwide.
A variety of bus companies offer tour buses that include trips to wineries, breweries, fall colors, or special events like weddings and family reunions. TraverseCity.com connects to bus tour services.
Uber and Lyft rideshare services are available in Traverse City as are taxi services. Find them at TraverseCity.com.
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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Park
Voted by ABC Good Morning America viewers as the “Most Beautiful Place in America,” the Park encompasses more than 70,000 acres of dunes, forests, lakes, bluffs, and wetlands. With 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, inland lakes, and more than a hundred miles of trails to explore, this is always one of the most popular attractions around Traverse City. The most popular activity is the Dune Climb, a steep dune of nearly 300 feet that once you reach the top you get an amazing view of Lake Michigan and Glen Lake. Take the seven-and-a-half-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive with a tree-covered twisting road and multiple scenic lookouts. The Park includes a U.S. Coast Guard Museum and the South Manitou Island Lighthouse. Ferries to North and South Manitou run through Manitou Island Transit. National Park fees apply.
9922 Front Street
Empire, MI, US 49630
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Downtown Traverse City
Shopping
If ever there was a perfect place for a shopping adventure, it would have to be downtown Traverse City. Front Street’s evocative brick sidewalks and 19th-century Victorian storefronts are a wonderful setting, especially throughout the year when the trees overhead show off their natural displays. Spring brings white blossoms, autumn brings rich fall colors and winter shows off fresh snow-covered branches adorned with twinkling lights.
Downtown’s 150 shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants are filled with new discoveries just waiting to be found, and there are also fun events on tap to make things even more interesting, from the Downtown Street Sale in the summer, to Men’s and Ladies’ Nights in December.
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Traverse Wine Coast
Recreation
Along the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas are two wine-growing regions that make up the Traverse Wine Coast. Here over 40 wineries produce award-winning wines that are nurtured by a micro-climate of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. Cool-climate grapes enjoy a temperate growing season and protective layers of snow cover the wintering vines. Wineries here are known for Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay, as well as sparkling and fruit wines. Many of the wineries provide tasting rooms that allow for a relaxed and beautiful atmosphere to sample carefully crafted wines.
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The Village at Grand Traverse Commons
Historical landmark
A splendid example of adaptive reuse, Grand Traverse Commons is one of the largest historical reconstruction sites in America. Stately buildings, that were once part of the Traverse City State Hospital, have been given new life as residential and retail spaces. With contemporary shops, boutiques, restaurants, beer, and wine tasting, shoppers can find things like artisan-made jewelry, clothing made from natural fibers, handmade soaps, local paintings, and artwork. The Village is set on 480 acres of parkland with features that include hiking and biking trails, a historic barn and community gardens.
1200 W. 11th Street
Traverse City, MI, US 49684
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Leelanau Sands/Turtle Creek Casino
Recreation
Visitors to Traverse City can choose from two casinos: Turtle Creek, 10 miles east of Traverse City in Williamsburg, and Leelanau Sands, 20 miles north of Traverse City in Peshawbetown. Both are owned and operated by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. Turtle Creek is a 56,000-square-foot casino with gaming that includes video poker, craps, blackjack, and all the games you’d expect. With a six-story hotel, a nightclub, and a 4,000-square-foot ballroom Turtle Creek is fully equipped. The smaller, more intimate Leelanau Sands has a bingo hall, sports betting, casino games, a performance hall, and more.
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Winter Recreation
Recreation
Snow makes everything better in northern Michigan. In fact, winter wouldn’t be right without a proper helping of nature’s powder. As soon as those fluffy curtains of snow start drifting down, we step into our Nordic skis or snowshoes and head out on a trail. And once it really starts to accumulate, downhill skiing and snowboarding become popular.
Downhill enthusiasts love the gentle glacier-carved terrain of northwestern Michigan. Traverse City’s skiing is some of the best you’ll find in this part of the country. Our premiere full-service winter destination, Crystal Mountain Ski Resort & Spa, was rated by Conde' Nast Traveler as The Best Family Ski Resorts in the U.S. and Canada. Other skiers enjoy Traverse City’s two-day ski areas, Mt. Holiday and Hickory Hills.
If skiing isn’t for you, there’s always snow tubing. Snow tubing has all the thrilling speed of a toboggan run or a sledding hill -- except that you get to sit on a soft inner tube and ride down a groomed hill, with a towline at the bottom to take you back to the top. TimberLee Hills, just north of Traverse City, is Michigan’s largest tubing hill.
Hearty bike enthusiasts will also find winter sporting options on a fat bike. These specially-adapted mountain bikes with large tires are capable of cycling on snow and sand. Just get on the bike, ride, and have fun -- even if you are new to the sport.
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Traverse City Microbrewies
Recreation
Traverse City has also been recognized as one of the best small-town beer scenes in the country by readers of USA Today. Micro-brewers are eager to put their creative talents to work and develop flavors you won’t find anywhere else. Where else would you go, other than to the Cherry Capital of the World, to taste a beer that is made with whole cherry pies?
Open year-round, the microbreweries, brewpubs, and taprooms host special events and plenty of options for sampling their craft beverages. In the summer and early fall, you can even explore the breweries on a Kayak, Bike, and Brew Tour or jump on the TC Cycle Pub for street-side fun (and maybe a few shenanigans). In November, Traverse City Beer Week returns and it's time to get #HoppyinTC!
A brewery tour may look a little different this year, but sipping safely is the key to getting #HoppyinTC! Please plan ahead and check with individual breweries for details.
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Michigan’s Golf Coast
Recreation
The Traverse City region has become a hotspot destination for golf. Especially for those wanting to escape the oppressive summer heat in other parts of the country. Golf Digest ranked it No. 12 on the list of the World’s Top 50 Golf destinations. Golf Pass writer Jason Deegan calls it “Heaven, especially for golfers like me.” Many of the courses are designed by the biggest names in the game including Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. With nearly 20 courses anchored by Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Crystal Mountain, and A-Ga-Ming in Antrim County there is a variety of golf activities to appeal to all skill levels.
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Beaches
Recreation
A day on the beach. The sound of waves rolling in off Lake Michigan, the smell of freshwater, the caress of the warm sun and the cool water against your skin. At night, there are sunsets over the glittering horizon and bonfires along the shore. Is this Michigan or is it Malibu?
It's Michigan, of course. There's no salt -- and no sharks -- in that water! But everything else about dipping your toes in the sand makes you want to linger for hours to soak it all in. Time for building sandcastles, for making a splash and for watching the dreamy sunsets. It’s a time where you will find yourself in a pretty great place. Take a look at beach locations around the area.
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The State Theatre
Theater
Renovated and reopened in 2007, The State Theatre is a non-profit, volunteer-run, historic art house theater in Traverse City, owned and operated by the Traverse City Film Festival.
233 E Front St.
Traverse City, MI 49684
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Cruise the Lakes
Recreation
You don’t need to own a boat to experience Traverse City from the water. Choose from one of several tour companies in the area, and you can spend a leisurely and memorable day cruising the sapphire blue waters of Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan.
Your options are many. Take your kids aboard the school ship operated by the Inland Seas Educational Association where they learn about the delicate environmental balance of the Great Lakes. Embark on the popular Nauti-Cat with a capacity of up to 49 people. Take a three-hour adventure aboard a schooner aboard the tall ship Wind Dancer. Or for a boat that is perfect for cruising the bay with a business cruise, wedding or other event check out Discovery Cruises.
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Skiing at Crystal Mountain
Recreation
Skiing is part of the winter Traverse City lifestyle, so you’ll find ski areas to meet every taste and skill level.
For an immersive winter recreation experience heat to Crystal Mountain located about 45 minutes southwest of Traverse City. With 58 downhill trails, find adventures for advanced and beginner skiers. There are classes for beginners and even retirees that are looking to get back into the sport. There are also 25km of groomed cross-country ski trails and trails that welcome fat tire bikers.
12500 Crystal Mountain Dr,
Thompsonville, MI 49683
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Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark
Recreation
280 all-suite, northwoods-themed rooms. A full-service, log cabin-style family destination, close to the Grand Traverse Mall and downtown. Features a 52,000 square foot indoor entertainment area featuring its own gigantic water park, outdoor pool, themed restaurants, Dunkin Donuts, a confectionery, large gift shop, and a 100' game arcade. 10,000 square foot conference center for groups and social events up to 300 people. MagiQuest, our three-dimensional interactive game, mixes high adventure with mystery and intrigue. Ten Paw Bowling Alley. Howlin-one themed 18-hole miniature golf. All suites include TV, microwave, mini-refrigerator, coffee maker, iron/ironing board, and hair dryer. Rates vary based on date. Check our website for rate specials.
3575 N US 31 S
Traverse City, MI 49684
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Spa Grand Traverse
Recreation
Spa Grand Traverse is a full-service resort spa with professionally trained staff to care for you, committed to making every visit relaxing, renewing, and rejuvenating.
100 Grand Traverse Village Blvd.
Acme, MI 49610
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Lighthouses
Historical landmark
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state in the U.S., and the Traverse City area has several of them. Thanks to the maritime history of the area being a “superhighway” during the shipping boom, this became a critical region for lifesaving efforts when rugged seas would claim another victim. Lighthouses played a critical role in those lifesaving efforts. Traverse City is a convenient base to explore five historic lighthouses: Mission Point, Grand Traverse, South Manitou, North Manitou, and Point Betsie. The lighthouses are open for outdoor exploration, and some are open for tours or museums. One lighthouse even has a residency program in the summer where “keepers” live in the lighthouse and help run the gift shop.
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Crystal Spa
Recreation
At the heart of the Crystal Mountain community is Crystal Spa, a place of well-being in all seasons. Take a look at all the ways to experience Crystal Mountain and to connect to a healthier and more grounded you.
This 18,500-square-foot, LEED-certified oasis at the heart of Crystal Mountain honors the art and natural beauty of northern Michigan in a setting that awakens and inspires. From the first moment you enter the doors of Crystal Spa, you'll appreciate the comforts of this elegant retreat - a welcoming, attentive staff, private transition rooms with heated floors, steam rooms and infrared saunas, and an outdoor Mosaic Garden with hot tub.
12500 Crystal Mountain Dr
Thompsonville, MI 49683
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Dennos Museum Center
Museum
Opened in 1991, the Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College is a premier cultural facility in northern Michigan offering a dynamic array of exhibitions and programs in the visual arts, sciences, and performing arts. The permanent collection features regional, national, and international art from the 19th - 21st centuries. The Museum's signature collection is Inuit art of the Canadian Arctic, one of the largest and most historically complete collections of these distinctive sculptures and prints in the United States. A significant collection of outdoor sculptures by noted international and Michigan artists surrounds the Museum on the beautiful campus of Northwestern Michigan College.
Northwestern Michigan College
1410 College Dr
Traverse City, MI, US 49686
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Traverse City Tourism Frequently Asked Questions
Explore frequently asked questions from the Traverse City Tourism regarding Health and Safety, Sustainability, and Diversity and Inclusion.
Sustainable Practices
Please provide comments or a link to any publicly communicated Traverse City Tourism's sustainability or social impact goals/strategy.
No response.
Does Traverse City Tourism have a strategy that focuses on the elimination and diversion of waste (i.e. plastics, papers, cardboard, etc.)? If yes, please elaborate on your strategy of elimination and diversion of waste.
No response.
Diversity and Inclusion
For US hotels only, is Traverse City Tourism and/or parent company certified as a 51% diverse owned business enterprise (BE)? If yes, please indicate which one of the following you are certified as:
No response.
If applicable, could you please provide a link to Traverse City Tourism's public report on their commitments and initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion?
No response.
Health and Safety
Were practices at Traverse City Tourism developed based on health service recommendations from public governmental entities or private organizations? If Yes, please list which organizations were used to develop these practices.
No response.
Does Traverse City Tourism clean and sanitize public areas and publicly accessible facilities (i.e. meeting rooms, restaurants, elevator banks, etc.)? If yes, describe any new measures that are taken.
No response.
Please explain, if applicable, the carbon offsetting options you offer to corporations.
Please provide, if applicable, an e-mail address for a contact who can address any follow up questions relating to sustainability and social impact goals and initiatives.
Has your hotel taken steps to reduce single-use plastics, such as removing plastic straws (except upon request for guests with disabilities), stirrers and cotton buds? If yes, please provide detail as to the steps you have taken to reduce single use plastics?
Does your hotel generate (onsite) or purchase (offsite) renewable energy (beyond your utility's standard offerings)? If yes, please describe your practices for generating or purchasing renewable energy.
Does your hotel engage in activities to protect & restore the natural environment in which it is located (i.e. trees planted, coral reef restored, etc.)?
What measures are in place to allow for social distancing in fitness centers (e.g. equipment configuration, staggered usage times)? If no fitness center, please put N/A.
Has the fitness room cleaning routine been adjusted/increased? If yes, what new measures are included? If no fitness center, please put N/A.
Will your hotel be imposing any additional fees for cleaning services? If yes, please specify those fees.
Are specific cleaning/disinfection routines in place for pillows, duvets and their covers, headboard, bathrobe etc.? If yes, please describe.
Does the property limit number of guests in restaurant, bar, or dining areas due to COVID19 or other pandemics? If yes, please provide details of how restaurant, bar, or dining areas limits capacity? If no restaurant or bar, please put N/A.
Has the public bathroom cleaning routine been adjusted/increased? If yes, what new measures are included?
Please include a link to your public report on community impact if applicable.
Please provide any other comments you wish to make regarding your efforts/initiatives to obtain certification in these programs.
Please provide, if applicable, an e-mail address for a contact who can address any follow up questions relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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