The Village at Grand Traverse Commons - Shopping mall in Traverse City - 1200 W Eleventh St, USA

We greatly enjoyed the 2 hour group tour with Catherine! She was very knowledgeable of the grounds, buildings, and had first-hand stories, as well, with growing up in the nearby area. Added humor to her tour, too. We enjoyed the shops & restaurants - glad to see there are NO chain businesses allowed! Highly suggest visiting this MI gem and going on the tour. After the tour, we drove to the barns & botanical garden areas, too.

With over eight million bricks to construct one building alone and 100-plus years of history, the Traverse City State Hospital evolved into what it is today, the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Today, the Village at Grand Traverse Commons offers an array of activities, events, and services such as a highly-recommended historical tour, yoga and pilates, an outdoor farmers market, craft and vendor shows, shopping and fine dining, and so much more. Walk the grounds or the shopping center and view the timeline and descriptive photos of the original State Hospital. It is a fascinating, must-see part of Traverse City.

More than a "tourist attraction," its home to unique shops and products - many featuring local goods. Season farmers markets feature fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, sauces, baked goods and more. Excellent restaurant choices include casual for lunch and upscale Italian for dinner. Note - parking at busy times can be tricky, but we've never failed to find a spot.

Great place to walk around the shops, galleries, restaurants and beautiful grounds. Awesome restaurants, winery and coffee house as well as the surrounding grounds and tours. We rode out bikes here from the airbnb we rented by the bay.

Love to see old buildings repurposed. Lots of shops and restaurants in the lower levels of the buildings. The grounds are well kept and beautiful too. Would love to return and do the tour to hear the history of the place.

We've been wanting to do one of the tours for several years and finally had chance to book one during the holiday break. Tour was outstanding, Joe was our tour guide and did a great job explaining the history of not only the campus, but the type therapy applied and what day to day life was like at the hospital, very informative! Highly recommend this tour. I attached a photo taken from Cottage 40, one of the unrenovated buildings that is part of the tour.

Saturday farmers market was great! Winter vegetables, cheeses, breads, cookies, sauces, and more. The full time shops offered a great mixture of shopping for the morning. I wish there were more levels of shops. Be sure to book a tour in advance if you plan to go.

Commencing this review, I would like to emphasize the immersive and somewhat intense experience offered by this area. The transformation of an abandoned metal hospital into shops and restaurants is undoubtedly intriguing, with a unique blend of cool aesthetics and a hint of spookiness, especially in the evening. Regrettably, we faced a notable challenge securing a table at the restaurant, as the wait extended to nearly two hours. For future visits to this Traverse City establishment, I recommend planning ahead by placing a Monday call for a weekend reservation. The charm of this locale lies in its utilization of every nook and cranny within the converted hospital for various shops. While our visit was limited, we wished we had more time to fully explore the grounds and partake in the offerings of the farmers market. Despite the dining reservation challenge, the overall experience was marked by the unique ambiance and the potential for a more comprehensive exploration if time permits.