As we enter 2017, it’s great to look forward to what’s in store for the future of our state. But there’s something to be said for a bit of reminiscing, and it’s certainly healthy to retain a sense of respect and admiration for the past. If you lived through the 1980s in the Great Lakes State, here are 23 photos from the decade that will temporarily transport you back to a different time.

  1. Waterfront lounge chairs line the stunning beach of Lake Michigan at Saugatuck’s Lake Shore Resort in July of 1987.

Flickr/Bart Benjamin

  1. This photograph from 1985 shows the interior of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Affleck House in Bloomfield Hills, one of many homes the iconic architect designed here in Michigan.

Flickr/Michgan State Historic Preservation Office

  1. Onlookers watch the 1986 demolition of the historic Stroh’s Brewery on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit. The brewery had been a fixture in the Motor City.

Flickr/Dawn Endico

  1. The beautiful Isle Royale Queen III docks at Snug Harbor, Isle Royale National Park in 1989. Have you experienced Isle Royale’s natural wonder?

Flickr/David Cornwell

  1. University of Michigan students hang out on the steps of their house at South Fifth Street in Ann Arbor in 1981. Are there any U of M alumni out there?

flickr/Ross

  1. A stunning sunset view of the Detroit-Windsor Ambassador Bridge, taken in July of 1988. Can you imagine just how many vehicles have crossed the bridge since this photo was captured?

Flickr/zeminstor

  1. Fishermen hold up their walleye haul from the Detroit River in June of 1987. What’s your all-time favorite fishing memory from your time in Michigan?

Flickr/pverdonk

  1. Here’s the small town of Constantine as it appeared in the fall of 1984. Have you had a chance to peruse this community in St. Joseph County?

Flickr/Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

  1. A vintage view of Detroit taken in January of 1984. How has the riverfront and city skyline changed in the decades since this photograph was captured?

Flickr/pioilo

  1. Have you ever visited Holland for the annual Tulip Time Festival? This stunning photograph was taken at the Dutch-themed celebration in 1988.

Flickr/Dawn Endico

  1. Michigan farmland stretches on for miles in this shot from 1980.

Flickr/Tanya Dawn

  1. One thing certainly hasn’t changed in Michigan over the years: we get more than our fair share of snow. This photo was taken in Ingham in January 1985.

Flickr/LadyDragonflyCC

  1. Detroit’s Parke-Davis and Company Pharmaceutical Plant, pictured here in March 1985, was once at the forefront of its field. In the 1970s, the building was converted into retail and residential space and is now known as the River Place Complex.

Flickr/Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

  1. Tourists explore a section of gorgeous wooded greenery near Saugatuck in 1987.

Flickr/Bart Benjamin

  1. A well-oiled steam locomotive pulls into the station at Huckleberry Railroad just outside Flint in June of 1985.

Flickr/iancvt55

  1. The shores of Lake Michigan are just as beautiful today as they were when this photo was snapped in fall of 1989.

Flickr/lidaskoteina

  1. This 1983 photograph shows Baraga’s Herman and Anna Hanka Farm, which can still be toured and stands as a reminder of Michigan’s agricultural history.

Flickr/Michigan State Historical Preservation Office

  1. Do any of these buildings, restaurants, or cars look familiar? This photo of downtown Detroit was snapped in 1984.

Flickr/pioilo

  1. Young artists perform at Michigan’s beloved Interlochen Arts Academy, 1986. To this day, the academy draws in hundreds of talented Michiganders each year.

Flickr/Danny Flam

  1. This quirky photography captures an everyday trip to the grocery store in Grand Rapids, 1986. What do you think: does this look like Meijer?

Flickr/Bart Everson

  1. There she is: our beloved Mighty Mac. No matter how many times you see the Mackinac Bridge, it never fails to delight. This picture was taken at the Straits of Mackinac in 1985.

Flickr/Jenni Konrad

  1. Moody black and white shot of the main elevator lobby within Detroit’s Fisher Building, taken in May of 1980.

Flickr/Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

  1. A quick photo break on a Michigan family camping trip in 1987. What are your best vacation memories from growing up in the Great Lakes State?

Photo Credit

While the 1980s are often remembered solely for interesting hair choices, unique fashion options, and iconic music, we Michiganders know that life in the Great Lakes State during the 80s was something truly special. Share your favorite bits of 80s nostalgia in the comments below.

Flickr/Bart Benjamin

Flickr/Michgan State Historic Preservation Office

Flickr/Dawn Endico

Flickr/David Cornwell

flickr/Ross

Flickr/zeminstor

Flickr/pverdonk

Flickr/Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

Flickr/pioilo

Flickr/Dawn Endico

Flickr/Tanya Dawn

Flickr/LadyDragonflyCC

Flickr/Michigan State Historic Preservation Office

Flickr/Bart Benjamin

Flickr/iancvt55

Flickr/lidaskoteina

Flickr/Michigan State Historical Preservation Office

Flickr/Danny Flam

Flickr/Bart Everson

Flickr/Jenni Konrad

Photo Credit

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