Overview
Laurium and Calumet are villages in Keweenaw Peninsula. The centres of both towns are National Historic Sites.
4 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Laurium and Calumet
Calumet Downtown Historic District
62 historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Calumet Theatre
A theater and opera house which opened in 1900. With the closing of the mines, the theater became a movie theater and fell into general disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a large project to repair and rest…
Laurium Historic District
The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is roughly bounded by Calumet Street on the west and south, Stable Street on the north, and North Florida and Isle Royale Streets on the east. This a…
Calumet Visitor Center in the Union Building
Three floors of interactive exhibits in an 1889 building on what life was like for people in this mining community from its establishment, through boom times, to the closure of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company in 1…
Pasty Fest
A a one-day event that takes place every summer in downtown Calumet. The event celebrates the pasty, which was brought over by Cornish miners in the mid 1800s. The meat and vegetable "pie" became a staple for miners thro…
Plan your trip
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- CMX Houghton County Memorial Airport, Hancock — 5 mi away. Directions
- MQT Marquette Sawyer Regional Airport, Gwinn — 79 mi away. Directions
- MSP Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis — 281 mi away (major hub). Directions
Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX), in nearby Oneco, has limited scheduled service.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $16 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Laurium Historic District, Calumet Visitor Center in the Union Building, Calumet Downtown Historic District
- Lunch Carmelitas
- Afternoon Calumet Theatre, Pasty Fest
- Dinner The Hut Inn
- Evening Gay Bar & Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Laurium was home to 1,900 people in 2019, and Calumet was home to 700 people.
Laurium and Calumet are in the center of the Copper Country, the first major copper mining region in the United States. Laurium was founded as a company town serving the Laurium copper mine, which later became part of the Calumet & Hecla mine. The town was generally home to the wealthier members of Keweenaw society, such as mine owners and captains. Although the mines have long since closed, the town still sports many large houses and mansions built by the wealthy mine owners. Today, many of the houses are participating locations in the Keweenaw National Historical Park.
Calumet also grew due to the copper mines in the area. It was incorporated as a town in 1867.
Get in
By plane
Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX), in nearby Oneco, has limited scheduled service.
See
See Laurium Historic District
The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is roughly bounded by Calumet Street on the west and south, Stable Street on the north, and North Florida and Isle Royale Streets on the east. This area contains the entire village of Laurium save two areas added in the 1970s. The vast majority of the structures in Laurium were constructed between 1880 and 1915, and the common architectural styles in the village reflect what was popular at the time. Probably the grandest of these is the Thomas H. Hoatson House (now known as the Laurium Manor Inn), a large Classical Revival style house. The most common houses are more modest in scale and ornamentation, with two-story front-gabled houses of predominantly frame construction being the most common. Most commercial structures are near the intersection of Hecla and Third Streets, including the J. Vivian, Jr. and Company Building. These buildings are often constructed of brick and/or sandstone.
See Calumet Downtown Historic District
62 historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
See Calumet Theatre
A theater and opera house which opened in 1900. With the closing of the mines, the theater became a movie theater and fell into general disrepair for many years. In 1975, the town began a large project to repair and restore the theater, which is now used for many local and touring productions. The theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Do
Do Pasty Fest
A a one-day event that takes place every summer in downtown Calumet. The event celebrates the pasty, which was brought over by Cornish miners in the mid 1800s. The meat and vegetable "pie" became a staple for miners throughout the Upper Peninsula. The event includes a parade, street fair, live music, a pasty eating contest and a competition among restaurants for the best pasty.
Eat
Eat Carmelitas
Tex-Mex and southwestern grill.
Eat The Hut Inn
This long-time local favorite features pasties, famous burgers, large portions of pasta, and a variety of salads and sandwiches.
Drink
Drink Gay Bar & Grill
Yes, the local tavern in the village of Gay is called the Gay Bar, but no, it's not a gay bar. The Gay Bar is a hole-in-the-wall snowmobiler type of place. They sell t-shirts and shot glasses with logos. Pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and fish on the menu. Introduce the kids to the wonders of Italian cuisine with fine pasta dishes from Chef Boyardee heated up in the microwave oven.
Nearby
Houghton-Hancock
City / town · 33 listings · 10 mi away
Copper Harbor
City / town · 16 listings · 30 mi away
L'Anse
City / town · 33 mi away
Michigamme
City / town · 1 listings · 51 mi away
Isle Royale National Park
Park · 61 listings · 58 mi away
Ishpeming
City / town · 11 listings · 63 mi away
Marquette
City / town · 49 listings · 68 mi away
Porcupine Mountains
Park · 70 mi away
My experience
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