Idlewild – Michigan’s Forgotten Entertainment Hotspot

Michigan's almost-forgotten town, Idlewild, is nowadays considered a ghost town by some. But in it's day, it rivaled most big cities when it came to entertainment. Take a look at the video (no audio available) above.

According to the descriptive history of Idlewild, it was referred to as "the Black Eden from 1912 through the mid-1960s, Idlewild was an active year-round community and was visited by well-known entertainers and professionals from throughout the country. At its peak it was the most popular resort in the Midwest and as many as 25,000 would come to Idlewild in the height of the summer season to enjoy camping, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, roller skating, and night-time entertainment."

Big names came there to perform: Aretha Franjklin, Four Tops, B.B. King, Della Reese, Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn and many, many others.

Nowadays many of the neighborhood blocks are deserted & ghostly - a sad reminder of what Idlewild was up until 1964.

I urge you to visit the town's webpage by CLICKING HERE and read the incredible history and founding of this Michigan town.

I visited this town a couple of years ago and the remaining residents there are very friendly and eager to bring attention back to their area. Visit there sometime...you'll like it!