Learn About Our Historic Michigan Hotel

Once known as the Northland Hotel, the Landmark Inn has a history as rich and fascinating as that of Marquette itself. The Northland Hotel was first conceived in June 1916. The foundation was laid in 1920, but the 100-room hotel itself did not open until January 2, 1930.

Notable Guests

From the 1930s through the 1960s, the hotel stood at the epicenter of the downtown Marquette social scene. Our guest history includes visits from luminaries such as Amelia Earhart (1932), who stayed in room 502 while speaking in town. Abbott & Costello (1942) stayed at the hotel during World War II when in town to perform at the American Legion. In recent years, novelist Jim Harrison would stay with us whenever he was visiting the area, and astronaut Jerry Linenger stayed while speaking at Northern Michigan University. Today, the many of our rooms bear the names of these famous guests.

A Fresh Look

As the late 1970s arrived, the hotel fell into disrepair before finally closing in 1982. The property underwent a comprehensive renovation in 1995 by Team Landmark, a company specializing in historic restorations, and re-emerged under a new name – the Landmark Inn – to once again reign as the grandest of Marquette’s downtown hotels.

Other notable facts about our historic hotel include: 

  • The cast and crew from the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder, including Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, and George C. Scott, stayed at the hotel while filming scenes at the Marquette Courthouse, Big Bay, and in nearby Michigamme. Most of the editing for the movie occurred at the hotel as well.
  • John Voelker, a local attorney and avid fisherman, wrote the book Anatomy of a Murder based on a true story that occurred in the Big Bay area. We have a John Voelker Room.
  • George Shiras, one of the original stockholders of the Hotel Northland, was also a famous wildlife photographer and United States Congressman. We display some of his work and have a George Shiras room.
  • Our Dandelion Cottage Room is named after the Dandelion Cottage, built in 1880, which is located at 440 East Arch Street.
    The cottage was the subject of a well-known regional children’s book, written by Carroll Watson in 1904.
  • The Rolling Stones gathered in the Northland Pub prior to the funeral of their close friend and road manager in 2002.