Curling in Michigan: Who Knew It Was This Fun?
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One Try at Curling and You’re Hooked
Hey Michigan!
Maybe you can relate—when winter rolls in, simply finding something fun to do that isn’t just bundling up and braving the cold feels like a win.
Well, I’m a winner! Ha! never thought I’d be the person raving about curling, but here I am. Last weekend, I dragged my extended family to a Learn to Curl session Up North, mostly as an excuse to get out of the house on a cloudy, dark day. Turns out, it was a great choice.
If you’re picturing the Olympic sport with the sliding rocks and people frantically sweeping the ice – that’s exactly what curling is. But what surprised me is that curling is both easier and harder than it looks on TV. It’s surprisingly strategic, and honestly? Kind of addictive. So yep, curling is something you can actually try right here in Michigan. And there are quite a few curling clubs and even curling bars where you can chase your Olympic dreams or find a Saturday afternoon adventure.
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Where Our Curling Obsession Started
The Leelanau Curling Club, just outside Traverse City, is where we tried our luck. This place is a perfect mix of serious sport and casual fun. Our instructor broke everything down so simply that within twenty minutes, we were all sliding stones down the ice, laughing and yelling (some more gracefully than others – guilty as charged). I even learned why the sport is called curling (it’s because the stone doesn’t follow a straight line down the ice – it goes out and then curls back in.)
What made it even better? After working up an appetite on the ice, we moseyed on over to the attached Broomstack Kitchen and TapHouse. Nothing beats analyzing your newly acquired curling skills over hot pizza and local craft beer. (They even offer weekend getaway packages if you want to make a proper trip of it.)
Places You Can Try Curling in Michigan
While Leelanau stole my heart, it’s just one of several places across Michigan where you can try curling. From Metro Detroit all the way up to the UP, curling clubs—and even some curling bars—are welcoming newcomers with open arms. Learn to Curl sessions are the best way to get started.
West Michigan Curling Clubs
Curling in Grand Rapids goes back to 1897, and it’s having a big comeback.
The Grand Rapids club grew so fast it moved to a bigger rink in Cedar Springs, and Kalamazoo runs five dedicated sheets plus its annual Beerspiel.
For a laid-back night out, River Saint Joe in Buchanan has a curling-style ice game on lanes overlooking its hop yard. No lessons needed.
Up North Curling Clubs
Northern Michigan is the place to mix it up. You’ve got six spots, from serious clubs to a pub with ice out back.
Traverse City turned an old Kmart into a five-sheet curling center, and Leelanau lets you curl year-round, then grab a beer at the taphouse on site.
Want something different? Stormcloud Brewing in Frankfort keeps a curling sheet right next to the pub, so friends can cheer you on from the heated patio with a Belgian-style beer in hand.
Upper Peninsula Curling Clubs
Curling in the UP is legit. At Copper Country in Calumet they play on natural ice and have nearly 100 members get curling five nights a week. In Marquette, you can just show up for Sunday night drop-in curling, gear included.
Southeast MI Curling Clubs
Metro Detroit has a curling option for every crowd. The Detroit Curling Club in Ferndale is the area’s only dedicated club, with four sheets and a lounge to watch from.
Wanna curling hangout? The HUB Stadium in Novi has six public lanes, no membership needed, and The Barn in Fenton puts heated curling lanes next to its outdoor rink every winter.
Mid-Michigan Curling Clubs
Two clubs in Mid-Michigan. Formerly the Lansing Curling Club, now known as The Mid-Michigan Curling Club, curls in Jackson and offers 90-minute Learn to Curl sessions.
Up in Midland, the Greater Midland club has five sheets open year-round, so you’re not stuck waiting for winter.
Just Over the Border Curling Clubs
Cross the bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where the Soo Curlers have been at it since 1944. Their six-week Learn to Curl course is a solid way to see how Canada does it.
Curling Club Map – Michigan Locations
Give It a Shot?
Yeah, trying something new can feel intimidating. But if my family’s experience taught me anything, it’s that curling might be the winter activity we never knew we needed.
These curling clubs and curling bars make it really easy to get started. That first time you slide a perfect stone down the ice? Pure Michigan magic!
