The Schoolcraft County Historical Park is located in Manistique’s central district. Among the park’s attractions is Manistique’s Water Tower, a Roman period architectural landmark with a 200,000 gallon capacity. The tower was built in 1922, at a cost of $62,450. The 200-foot octagonal brick tower commemorates the birth of the city’s water works. Also in the park is a home and log cabin of early residents of Schoolcraft County.

Today, the water tower is home to exhibits about Schoolcraft County’s history, culture, and heritage. Permanent and rotating exhibits showcase hundreds of objects, photographs, and documents including, The Siphon Bridge: 100 Years in the Making, the Haywire Rails to Trails, outdoor recreation from the past, and much more. When you walk through the original glass pane doors, you’ll be greeted by one of the volunteers who help keep the Water Tower open. The space is quaint but filled with unique stories and artifacts that have been collected over the years.

Also located at Pioneer Park is a permanent exhibit of a 1910 house that takes you back in time. All the furnishings in the bedroom, kitchen, and bedrooms are set up to replicate what life was like in 1910 in Schoolcraft County. Along with the historic house, you’ll find the Kepler Cabin from the Hiawatha Village Association dating back to the 1800s. It displays a complete cobbler shop with farming and logging tools, and is open to walk through during regular hours.

In May, 2024 a historic building built in the 1890s was moved from its original location on River Street in Manistique to its new home in Pioneer Park. The move was only about 300 yards in total distance, but the effort to preserve this piece of history was substantial. The building was originally purposed as a laundry facility. Years later it became a location for coal sales. The Manistique Lumber Company then used it as a warehouse. Now that the building has been relocated, work can begin to give it new life will be as a museum.