Michigan Ghost Town is One of the Best Places to Hold a Wedding

Books refer to this town as a 'ghost town' and I guess in a sense it is, as it's a shadow of its former self.

The Gladwin County town of Wagarville began life in 1872 under the name 'Ridgeville.' It was named after brothers Wellington and Will Wagar and was the first town in Gladwin Township. Wagarville had quite a few businesses: two blacksmiths, two boarding houses, cheese factory, two churches, creamery, general store, hotel, livery stable, saw mill, shingle mill, and a “lighthouse”-shaped building that was the tallest structure in town. Unfortunately, a fire in 1922 burned and destroyed most of those buildings and all that remains is the old store and Methodist Church.

This little out-of-the-way town just happens to be one of the best places to have a wedding.

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The Wagarville Barn is part of an 80+-year-old Dairy Farm that was established in 1943 by Victor Edick and his wife Vivian Wagar. The barn was used for the usual purposes including dairy cattle, of which the Edicks made their living. They hung in there for many years, living on that farm until 2012. The barn was not used for years after that, until the Edicks' granddaughter Tami and her husband bought the land in 2017.

The barn had always been impressive and soon Tami's friends and relatives began asking if they could hold events and parties there. Realizing this was a good source of income, the barn was renovated and given the legal business title “The Wagarville Barn.”

The gallery below takes you inside the barn so you can see for yourself; there are also images of what is left (but not much) of the town of Wagarville.