For your sake, I hope you have at least a weekend to spend in Alpena to take in all of the wonderful attractions and natural amenities that it has to offer, but just in case you are traveling through and need a stretch break, I wanted to break down some options for you based on the amount of time you have to spend. You can easily put together an hour, half day, full day, or full weekend plan with these recommendations.
If you do have a weekend to spend, be sure to check out our full eventful weekend review at A Weekend in Alpena with Kids: The Whole Shocking Truth.
Some of these locations provided the compensation of our meals and activities for us in exchange for our review. As always I strive to provide an honest review for each member of our family.
1- If you only have one hour: Do I think you could spend more than an hour at any of these attractions, certainly you could, but if you have an hour, you would be able to get the main benefits from visiting.
Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan: 491 Johnson St, Alpena, MI
A participant in the ASTC reciprocal program, if you have a reciprocal science center pass, this stop is a must. This museum is a mix of Art, Science, and History. They have indoor and outdoor exhibits to explore. Because we were there the eve of a special community event, they had many extra indoor science exhibits based on the moon landing for kids to explore, and boy did they!
Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center: 500 W Fletcher St, Alpena, MI
I would gamble that if you did not have three small children, that you could probably spend more than an hour reading the many exhibits that have been carefully curated for this museum. The highlights if you do have children will be the giant ship in the middle of the museum, and the climbing gym located towards the back of the museum.
NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: 500 W Fletcher St, Alpena, MI
If you are visiting on a Saturday (at least in the summer) it would be worth checking to see if they are offering their Underwater Robotics 101: ROVs experience. It is a great free family activity. To learn more about our adventures at the Maritime Heritage Center and the NOAA garage be sure to check out From Shipwrecks to Underwater Technology with Kids and NOAA.
The Fresh Palate: 109 N 2nd Ave, Alpena, MI
Grab a bite to eat at this local eatery that specializes in fresh natural foods. Indoor and outdoor seating in the summer, and evening entertainment on select nights.
Downtown Scoops: 101 N 2nd Ave, Alpena, MI 
Located right on the main corner downtown, this local favorite serves up fresh Michigan made ice creams and sodas, along with a great selection of Michigan themed gifts for you to take along as a memory of your visit. Be sure to check out Kid Approved Places to Eat in Alpena for our other recommendations!
Cedar Panning Co.: 4820 French Road, Alpena, MI
If you are looking for a gem panning experience that comes at a very reasonable price, this is your place. After we participated in a panning experience here, wouldn’t you know that I found similar experiences almost everywhere we went for the rest of the summer. None of them came close to the size bucket and payload for the price. Plus the owner is sweet as pie!
Lee’s Miniature Golf Course: 1016 S State Ave, Alpena, MI
Lee’s is the oldest continuously running mini golf course in Michigan. Nothing flashy about this course, but serious good old fashion family miniature golf.
Nick’s Southside Diner: 2024 US-23, Alpena, MI
1955 Diner with cool nostalgic feel to it, along with wonderfully attentive staff, and great food. They serve breakfast all day, along with regular lunch and dinner items and pizza.
2 – If you have two hours: These activities can easily be stacked along with the several one hour ideas to custom create your itinerary.
Ocqueoc Falls: 11.5 miles west of Rogers City just off M-68 Hwy., Presque Isle, MI
This would make for a great stop if you were traveling from Mackinaw City to Alpena. From Alpena, it is about an hour drive north, and worth it even at this, but an absolute consideration if you are already traveling between Alpena and the Mackinac Bridge area. This waterfall is the only universally accessible waterfall in the United States, which makes it pretty special.
Dinosaur Garden: 11160 US-23, Ossineke, MI
Just south of Alpena, you will find this roadside gem that has been a work of heart and art since the late 1930’s. You know it has to be worth the visit to have made it almost 100 years in the making! Here you will find a dinosaur walking garden, miniature golf, and a few paleontologist opportunities. If you want to see all of the fun that we had at this prehistoric treasure, be sure to read our review of Dinosaur Gardens: Not another dead roadside attraction.
3 – If you have three hours: These activities should probably be enjoyed on different days in order to give each the time it deserves. Pair them with other shorter excursions and dining to complete your Alpena bucket list.
Rockport State Recreation Area: North of Alpena just off US-23
It will depend on what your main goal is at this park. There are many things that you could do. Hike, snowshoe, rockhound, stargaze. Best known for its plentiful fossils, you will want to check out our review of Rockport State Recreation Area on how to actually find fossils, and not be drawn into flashy rock piles.
Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary: 500 W Fletcher St, Alpena, MI
Also known as the glass bottom boat shipwreck tour, this tour leaves several times a day, but advanced reservations are recommended. We called about a week early, and the afternoon tours were already sold out. It is worth mentioning that the tours will not go out in inclement weather, and all of the tours after ours were canceled for the day. The museum and NOAA can be a backup plan if your tour does get canceled, just a warning not to make promises you can’t keep!
The Ramada: 1000 US-23, Alpena, MI
If you are looking for a kid friendly place to stay while you are in Alpena, that can also double as your entertainment, the Alpena Ramada is a great choice! Great pool area with mini golf, foosball, and arcade games, it is a recreation filled place to return to in the evenings after taking in the sights and sounds of Alpena.
If you are considering a vacation or a long weekend trip to Alpena, Michigan, I hope that you will take the time to dive into our other posts that go more in depth into specific topics of our stay:
A Weekend in Alpena with Kids: The Whole Shocking Truth
Kid Approved Places to Eat in Alpena
From Shipwrecks to Underwater Technology with Kids and NOAA
Rockport State Recreation Area: Where to Actually Find Fossils with Kids
Dinosaur Gardens: Not another dead roadside attraction
