August 31, 2004

Mackinaw City, Mich. - Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) and Mark Howell Productions will present   "Building the Mighty Mac," a film about the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, outdoors on the grounds of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City on Sunday, Sept. 5, at 9 p.m.  Admission is free, with donations toward the renovation and restoration of the lighthouse welcome. The lighthouse will be open for tours until 5 p.m.

Filmmaker Mark Howell will host the event and will be on hand to discuss the history of the Mackinac Bridge. Howell and MSHP will present the one-hour program in an area of the park that will provide most attendees with a tremendous view of the bridge.

"Building the Mighty Mac" is an award-winning documentary about the Mackinac Bridge. The program was produced in Hollywood by Michigan filmmaker Mark Howell and includes extremely rare 16mm, color footage showing all stages of the bridge's construction.

These digitally restored archival finds are blended with interviews with those who helped build the structure, presenting a fast-moving, informative and fun program for all ages to enjoy. Recently, more rare color footage of the bridge's construction was located, restored, and added to the program. "Building the Mighty Mac" has aired throughout Michigan on PBS stations.

More than 50,000 people, led by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, will walk across the bridge during the 46^th annual Labor Day bridge walk on Monday, Sept. 6.

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, built in 1892, is currently the focus of restoration and fund-raising efforts by MSHP, and opened to public tours in June. The lighthouse is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until Sept. 5 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Oct. 10.  Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youths 6-17, and free for children 5 and under.

It was the completion of the bridge, with navigation lights on top of its 552-foot-high towers, which rendered the historic lighthouse obsolete in 1957.

Mackinac State Historic Parks is a family of living history museums and parks in Northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac region, and is an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries. The sites include Fort Mackinac, Historic Downtown and Mackinac Island State Park on Mackinac Island, and Colonial Michilimackinac, Historic Mill Creek and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. The sites are accredited by the American Association of Museums. Visitor information is available on the Web at www.mackinacparks.com and by phone at (906) 847-3328 or 231-436-4100.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.