Mushroom House Tours

"Sucher House" - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — Situated along the shore of Lake Michigan, this home was built in the late 1940s for William Sucher, head of the Speedway 79 Gasoline Company.

"Mushroom House" - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — The official “Mushroom House” at the corner of Grant Street and Clinton Street is considered to be Earl Young’s residential masterpiece. (Photo courtesy of Mike Barton)

Weathervane Inn - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — Earl Young’s masterwork is the Weathervane Inn restaurant begun on the site of the Argo Milling Company in August, 1953.

The Weathervane Terrace - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — The Weathervane Terrace built between 1961 to 1964, was one of two motels built by Young.

"Castle House" - Earl Young Mushroom Houses — The facade of the "Castle House" on 3 Thistle Down. Due to extensive renovations, the stone turret and the undulated ceder roof are all that is left of the original design (Photo courtesy of Mike Barton).

306 Park Avenue - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — South elevation (rear) of 306 Park Avenue. The wall is constructed of Onaway limestone, laid in the same manner as the house.

"White Mortar House" - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — The "White Mortar House" in Boulder Park. (Photo courtesy of Mike Barton).

"Owl House" - Earl Young Mushroom House Tours — Facade of the "Owl House" located in Boulder Park. (Photo courtesy of Mike Barton)

Step-On Guides for Coach Buses or Group Tours

Attention tour professionals, coach operators, and visitors to Charlevoix! Experienced and knowledgeable step-on guides from the Charlevoix Historical Society are available now to provide tours of world-famous “Charlevoix the Beautiful!” Your tour will take you into the heart of the bustling community and past the renowned Earl Young “Mushroom Houses,” as well as stunning Victorian summer resorts. The experience can last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours or can be timed to fit your needs.

For tour pricing or to book a tour please call 231-547-0373, or email us at info@chxhistory.com for more information.

Walking Tours

The Charlevoix Historical Society offers walking tours that focus on the Earl Young Park Avenue houses. Tours begin at the Charlevoix Historical Society museum at Harsha House. The guide will then take you to the Charlevoix Public Library (during open hours), which was once a former grade school, now one of the most beautiful public libraries in Northern Michigan. The tour continues to the Earl Young “mushroom houses” along Park Avenue and Clinton Street. Tours conclude at Hoffmann Park on downtown Park Avenue for a view of Charlevoix’s channel bridge and beyond the channel to Earl Young’s masterpiece, the Weathervane Inn restaurant.

The houses are private residences. Tours do not include the interiors. Each tour takes approximately 90 minutes. Total walking distance is less than 1.25 miles, with minimal elevation change. We ask that interested parties provide 48 -hour notice when booking a tour.

Earl Young
Charlevoix’s “Master Builder in Stone” Earl Young was born March 31, 1889, in Mancelona, Michigan and moved to Charlevoix with his family at age 11. An insurance and real estate agent by trade, this self-taught builder began his craft in 1919. His first project was his personal home located on Park Avenue. He would continue to build for the next fifty years, completing 26 residential and 4 commercial properties, most of which remain today.

Each of Young’s houses are unique and were designed to blend in with its surrounding landscape. They are constructed of indigenous materials, hand-selected by Young, like boulders found along the shores of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, or in farm fields. Each house was built to compliment it’s natural surroundings. Young’s style often consists of houses with unique placement of stone, wide, wavy eaves; exposed rafter tails; cedar-shake roofs; and a horizontal emphasis in design.