To download a St. Joseph PDF brochure, click here.

St.Joseph has been welcoming travellers for over three centuries. Its location on the St. Joseph River, amid some of the most verdant lands in Michigan, were a magnet. First explorers, like the peripatetic missionary Father Jacques Marquette, then travellers between Detroit and Chicago, many of whom liked the region, stayed as settlers. In this century it was, and still is, vacationers. The first person to stay for any length of time was LaSalle, who built Fort Miami while he waited, in vain, for the ill fated Griffin in 1679. Another ship, over a century later, also played a part in settlement, when Captain Hinkley and his crew could not get back to Chicago late in the fall of 1827 and were forced to winter on the river. He noted the good harbour, the fertility of the upland areas, the wildlife and no doubt the obvious prosperity of the Burnett family who had settled some 50 years earlier. Hailing from New Jersey, they established a trading post in 1780 and successfully sold furs, maple sugar and produce from their farm and orchard.

They planted the first peach tree in Michigan, and the region became renowned for the quality of its soft fruits, including peaches, which are still grown today. Thousands of bushels were traded each year on the St. Joseph waterfront and shipped by schooner to Chicago.

Newberryville was platted about 1828, but the town grew so rapidly that in 1830 it was incorporated as St. Joseph. Today, as with those early settlers, one verse from the town's poet laureate, Ben King, still rings true:"Where the bumble bee sips and the clover's in bloom And the zephyrs come laden With peachblow perfume. Where the thistledown pauses In search of the rose And the myrtle and woodbine And the wild ivy grows. Oh, give me the spot that I once Used to know By the side of the placid old River St. Joe!"

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RECREATION
During the early part of this century, St. Joseph was known far and wide for its Silver Beach Amusement Park. Thousands flocked from throughout the Midwest by boat and train to the ever expanding attraction of big dippers, carousels, the Natatorium bathing pavilion, and big band music at the Shadowland Ballroom. These attractions faded I the 1950's with changes in vacation type and travel, and today they are but a memory. However, Silver Beach, with its whispering white powder sand, is still enjoyed by one and all.

The watershed of the St. Joseph river is a rich, rolling, sandy loam dotted with marshes, streams, rivers and lakes. You can visit one of the many wineries and perhaps enjoy tasting in a unique Amish-built Round Barn. A stroll through the Love Creek or Fernwood nature centers, with fragrant gardens, quiet woodland and wonderful tranquil vistas over the ponds and marshes of the St. Joseph river. For the more adventurous, there is biking on country trails, canoeing on a quiet stream, or dune walking on the Nipissing Dune Trails. Such a landscape lends itself to excellent and challenging golf courses, and there are five within minutes of the cruise dock.

SHOPPING
Beautifully restored, with brick streets and scores of small and unusual stores, the size and ambiance is just right for a relaxed amble. However, if you don't feel like walking, hitch a ride on the free horse drawn trolley. Art galleries, antiques and museum stores fit right in with toys, keepsakes and clothing. There are sidewalk cafés for sitting and sipping, with vistas of the lake down streets that have changed little in this century. For those with a serious shopping habit, major national and regional stores will be found in the Orchard Mall in Benton Harbor just across the river.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
With a number of specialty galleries in town, it is not surprising that St. Joseph supports an eclectic range of Arts and Entertainment opportunities. If you are travelling with children, make the Curious Kids' Museum, with engaging hands-on exhibits, your first stop. The Krasl Art Center offers the serious art lover insights into the usual fine arts, and particularly indoor and outdoor sculpture. Their three galleries showcase traditional fine arts, contemporary works, folk arts and crafts as well as the work of many local artists, who also work and exhibit at the Old Box Factory. Feeling artistic? Then the Chalk the Block on the Bluff festival in August may be just the opportunity you have been waiting for. There's even a special children's meadow for young dabblers. Festivals and parades during the cruise season make St. Joseph a special port of call. Early in the season there is the annual Easter egg hunt, followed by Blossomtime. Started in 1906, the signature week long party celebrates the orchards in the area. There are Memorial and Flag Parades, a Teddy Bear's Picnic or Venetian Festival in July with a parade of lights on the river, and the Tri-State Regatta Labour Day weekend. Interwoven with these many events is a constant thread of music. Jazz, bluegrass, pop, classical, big band - there's always something to listen to while you relax and watch the world go by. There are special art and sculpture shows, performances by the Twin City Players at the Playhouse, or perhaps a visiting dance company at the Mendel Center.

SPORT FISHING
St. Joseph is a fisherman's, and woman's, paradise. Take out a charter boat, or simply throw your line from the river's bank, the pier, or surf cast from the shores of Lake Michigan. Coho and Chinook salmon, as well as lake and steel head trout are the main catches and the charter captains know where to find the big ones. If fishing on your own, you will need a licence, and all good bait shops can assist.

Port Authority
St. Joseph River Harbor Authorisation
Dennis Schuh, Director
County Administration Center
701 Main Street
St. Joseph,  MI 49085
Tel: (616) 983-7111 Ext: 8269
Fax: (616) 982-8611
Email: dschuh&berriencounty.org
Web: www.berriencounty.org

Sailing Directions
Consult United States Coast Pilot Vol. 6
Chart 14930 and 14905

Accommodation
Channel dept at datum 22' (6.71m)
(regularly used by commercial vessels)
St. Joseph Pierhead Cruise Dock 500 feet

Services
Tugs available
Sewage discharge available
Water available
Garbage disposal available

Airport
Michiana Regional 25 miles
Hospital
Lakeland Medical Center 2 miles

Passenger Arrangements
Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council
Phyllis Dowsett, President
2300 Pipestone Road
Benton Harbor,  MI 49022
Tel: (616) 925-6301
Fax: (616) 925-7540
Email: swmichigan@parrett.net
Web: www.swmichigan.org
Web: www.sjtoday.org