Somewhere in Time and Mackinac Island: An Insider’s Guide to the Film’s Sites

Michigan’s Mackinac Island is like no other place in the country. This small island in northern Lake Huron – barely over eight miles in circumference, with only horses and bicycles for transport – is so pretty that it often draws as many as 5,000 visitors a day in the summer months.

The island’s beautifully preserved Victorian architecture and old-time feel convinced Universal Studios to select it as the location for Somewhere in Time, a film about a person who goes back in time. Some of the scenes were shot downtown on Main Street without needing any reconstruction at all, even in scenes depicting the year 1912.

This 60-minute walking tour points out prominent filming locations and draws on the experience of Dan Dewey, a production assistant, Island resident, and the connection between the studio and the Island. As you walk, you’ll hear several of Dan’s behind-the-scenes stories, along with my own experience of working on the Island when Somewhere in Time was being filmed.

The tour starts at ‘Somewhere in Time Tree’, which is dedicated to the critical scene in the movie when Elise asks Richard: “Is it you?” You’ll make your way toward downtown, with stops along the way that show actual sites where scenes were filmed, along with the back story as to why and how the director picked these spots. The tour ends at the Mission Point Resort, where the final scene of the movie was filmed.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Hear how the director, Jeannot Szwarc, envisioned the movie’s scenes and why specific spots were chosen
• Get a behind-the-scenes look at special effects, and find out how the crew put those together
• Find out how the island residents – and their relationship with the studio – had an impact on particular scenes
• Gain insights into how sets were constructed and the techniques the film crew used to make things look very different to reality
• Stop at filming locations like Windermere Point, Marquette Park, and lesser-known spots that have their own story to tell
• Get the inside scoop on the relationship between Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve and how it influenced the movie as a whole

By the end of this tour, you’ll have an insider’s view of the way the film was made, and understand the unique challenges of working on a horse and buggy island. This is a delightful way to really get to know the movie, making it much more fun to watch next time!