Opened on July 10, 1887, the Grand Hotel was built by the Grand Rapids & Indiana and the Michigan Central railroads and the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company through the efforts of Sen. Francis B. Stockbridge. Built of Michigan white pine, it has a magnificent colonial porch, the longest in the world, and is a classic example of gracious living seldom seen today. One of the outstanding landmarks on the Great Lakes, it is the world’s largest summer hotel.