Mac’s Bar: Still Going After Eighty Years

How well I remember my first visit to Mac’s Bar!

Located at 2700 E. Michigan Avenue between Lansing and East Lansing, my first trip inside was in the late 1970s: wall-to-wall MSU students, packed in like sardines. That’s no exaggeration! We could hardly move our way through!

The bar itself has been around since the 1940s, and was named after the owner, Clare “Mac” Mackenzie, who originally envisioned it as a saloon. Over the years it became one of the main hangouts on weekend nights for many members of the university's student body. Mac’s reputation as a great party place soon grew, even to a proportion where some students were afraid to visit!

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A jukebox originally supplied the music, and now it features a good mix of live bands.

Unfortunately, the rowdy fun briefly came to an end thanks to the pandemic – but it gave the new owner a chance to remodel and add even more. He added a new bar, ceiling, floor, foosball table, pool table, TV sets.....and, thank goodness, updated bathrooms!

Just when we were wondering if it was going to ever come back to life, Mac’s re-opened in November 2022. Live music, comedians, and televised sports keep bringin’ ‘em in.

Mac’s is a place unlike other bars...it has a feel, history, reputation, and personality all its own. So when you’re looking for something different, head over some weekend to hear a band you probably never heard of (that’s the beauty of it), grab some snacks, a few brews, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind atmosphere that only Mac’s has.

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