Located in Naubinway, Michigan, near the Mackinac Bridge, the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum is dedicated to the preservation of historic snowmobiles.
Inside the museum, nearly 200 vintage sleds offer a glimpse into the sport’s heyday. For $5, visitors are treated to a quintessentially “Up North” history lesson in a showroom packed with sleds up to a century old. It’s one of the highlights of that little town at the top of Lake Michigan, Naubinway.
A Museum Born from Passion
The museum actually grew out of a vintage show and ride held annually in Naubinway. In 2003, a few show regulars got together after the show to discuss the possibility of creating a more permanent, indoor display for some of the machines, and the idea of the Top of the Lake Museum was born.
In 2006 the idea became more than a concept, as a business plan and mission statement were created, non-profit status was gained and fundraising became more intense. All of the hard work, endless meetings and money-raising efforts came together in 2007, when an old laundromat became available in town. The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum has been open since July 4, 2007, and now houses one of the most eclectic groups of vintage sleds on display anywhere.
Charlie Vallier, chairperson of the nonprofit museum, explained how sleds were once crucial to rural life, and the museum has one of the original snowmobiles on display. Vallier is chairperson of the nonprofit museum, which opened in 2007 and is operated by a 10-member volunteer board and a small staff.
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“We’ve been doing a show here in Naubinway, this’ll be our 33rd year of doing it, and in ’05 or ’06, the guys we’re saying that it’s cold and windy outside. ‘We should have a building, a museum to put these sleds in, it would be a lot warmer," said Charlie Vallier, Museum Chairman. The museum had humble beginnings in a rented laundromat, later upgrading to a building fit for a global audience. “Just last week, we had 5 people from the country of Norway come here, they were doing snocross racing in Ironwood," said Vallier.
Vallier is passionate about preserving the history of snowmobiling. In the decades since, Vallier’s love of vintage snowmobiles has taken him and his wife, Marilyn, all over the country in search of models to add to their collection. About 30 of the museum’s specimens belong to the Valliers. “You gotta have a hobby of some sort,” Charlie said. “Some people go on cruises. Some go on fishing trips.
It's a museum that runs on vivid memories, with testimonials on every sled. “We get a lot of the older people that come in who remember driving this old sled or that old sled. ‘Grandpa had this one, I remember driving it and I ran through a fence with it,’ or, ‘I flipped it on the ice.," explained Vallier. “Our motto is, come to the museum and see the snowmobile history come alive.”
The museum features a 1926 Ford Model T equipped with skis instead of wheels. "It’s a Ford Model T with a track conversion kit on it.” Capturing the history of snowmobiles means showing off how the idea began: as skis added to utility vehicles. A Model T shows that off.
By the mid 1920s, companies were adding motors to toboggans. Seeing the Eliason Motor Toboggan, a huge contraption driven by a two-cylinder Indian Motorcycle engine, has to be a very rare sight.
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The museum’s collectors have packed the place with treasures from that heyday. It has a 1967 Stanaback that’s the lone specimen of its kind. “We’ve got a Waywego that was made in Trenary, Michigan,” he says. “Timberwolves: Eight of them were made in Sault, Michigan.
Many companies jumped on the band wagon of snowmobile production in the late 50s and 60s. On display are snowmobiles from large farm equipment companies like American Machine & Foundry, John Deere, Wheel Horse, and International Harvester. Even Mercury, Johnson, and Evinrude - known for their outboard motors - got into it. Coleman Outdoor Products tried its hand at producing snowmobiles.
Unique Exhibits and Rare Finds
The collection of vintage machinery on display at the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum differs from most others in its incredible diversity. Some of the more noteworthy sleds displayed there include the metalflake bronze 1971 Phantom, which was built in West Virginia, of all places.
The 1972 Sno-Coupe was an innovative design in its day, featuring side-by-side seating and an enclosed cockpit and promised a “sports-car like ride.” The 1969 Sno Ghia was built in Turin, Italy, and featured what must have surely been the epitome of Italian-cool design in its day, but was arguably one of the worst snowmobiles ever built.
The one-of-a-kind, never-completed 1974 factory twin track prototype from the Mercury Racing department is worth the $5 cost of admission on its own. Other highlights in the collection include a 1957 Bosak Power Toboggan, 1958 Sno-Bi-Kin, 1959 Simko ice sled, 1965 Allis-Chalmers prototype, 1971 NGC and a very unique Arctic Cat Kitchen Cutter.
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The oldest home built “snowmobile” on display is the 1936 Westendorf. Fred Westendorf of Zilwaukee MI built this to go to go ice fishing on the Saginaw River. It’s not much more than an aluminum box powered by a 5 HP Briggs & Stratton motor, but Fred rode it out to his favorite fishing spot. Then there is the home-built 1950s SNO-BIRD.
In a 1961 issue of Science and Mechanics Magazine they wrote “the ‘Snow-Skimming Sno-Bird’ takes you there.” It was craft project No. 325, advertised as an engine powered sled that your could build for under $200. Grab some plywood, two-by-fours, screws, nuts & bolts, some angle iron, and your choice of motor. You’d be zipping across the snow in no time. My favorite part was the ’tiller steering’ made of old iron water pipe.
Only five of these were built, in Trenary. What I especially enjoyed about the museum was all of these early and home-built snowmobiles. It was these early pioneers that planted the seed that would become the modern snowmobile that we see today carrying people across the frozen lakes and “Great White North” of today.
Complementing the 70-plus vintage sleds on display are old snowmobile dealer signs, along with sales and promotional items from over the years. One company that is still very much in existence is the LeMans Corporation, parent company of snowmobile aftermarket powerhouse Parts Unlimited.
Your hosts at the Top of The Lake Snowmobile Museum, Charlie and Marilyn Vallier, have an encyclopedic knowledge of the machinery and accessories housed within the museum walls. Both serve on the 10-person board of directors for the facility, and Charlie also owns quite a few of the sleds on display. The Valliers are more than willing to spend time with visitors, explaining not only the history of the museum, but sharing personalized stories of the snowmobiles and related memorabilia on site.
Events and Activities
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum is open all year. Adult tickets are $5, kids 16 and under get in free. The 2025 Top of the Lake Show and Ride starts February 14.
The museum actually grew out of a vintage show and ride held annually in Naubinway.
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum in conjunction with The St. Ignace Visitors Bureau and the Mackinac Bridge Authority are offering a unique experience for antique and vintage snowmobile enthusiasts. On Saturday, Dec 13, 2025 antique and vintage snowmobiles will be driving over the Mackinac Bridge.
Snowmobiles, which must be a minimum of 25 years old and have front wheel kits that have a minimum 2" wide wheels and no studs or cleats, will be allowed to drive over the bridge under their own power. They also will need a current permit or a Michigan Historic Registration sticker and the driver must be at least 12, with a Youth Snowmobile Safety Class Certificate. Passengers are allowed. There is an extra fee for them.
There is a $40 fee to drive over the bridge, which includes the cost of lunch and all other fees involved. There is a $35 fee for passengers.
Participants will be lining up at the Colonial Michilimackinac parking lot in Mackinaw City. You must be there by 10 AM to unload your snowmobile and drive your trailer north to park at the Welcome Center. A school bus will drive everyone south again. The snowmobile drive over the bridge will begin at 11am. A trailer will be available for any sled that has a problem and can't make the crossing. Lunch will be served at the Little Bear East Arena, in downtown St. Ignace. There is a large parking lot there for the trailers.
Commemorative shirts will be available, but you will need to contact the Museum to order one ahead of time (906-477-6298) and pick it up at the Little Bear Arena.
34th Top of the Lake Snowmobile Show & RideFeb. 20 & 21, 2026 33rd Annual weekend of fun with the old sleds in Naubinway, MI, Sponsored by the Top of the Lake Communities Association. This event is 45 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge on US 2.
Friday, 11:00am - Ride leaving from the Museum area. Ride 13 miles to Cranberry Lodge, on the Hiawatha Sportsman's Club, for an eventful afternoon with lots of "sled talk" and brats & hotdogs & chicken-on-a-stick, just like the good-old-days. All snowmobiles & riders are welcome. Riders will leave in groups of 20. Friday, 3:00-8:00pm - Get-together at the museum and go on a short, 3-mile Night Ride beginning at 6:30pm. Saturday - 10am-3pm - Display of all sleds in downtown Naubinway. Free registration will be at the Snowmobile Museum, on the north side of US 2. Machines will be on display in front of the stores on the south side of US 2. Bring whatever machine you have. This is a fun event. We do award 3 plaques for Favorite Featured Sled on Sat. Banquet from 4:30-5:30 - Held at the Engadine/Garfield Town Hall, following with a presentation on the featured sled by (pending), raffle drawings and an auction, with the proceeds going to the Top of the Lake Museum Building Fund. Raffle drawing will be held at 7:00pm. Get your tickets ahead of time or at the Show! We would appreciate any donations for the auction.
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum Annual Swap Meet will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026. Located in the Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum Parking Lot on US 2 in Naubinway, Michigan. Hours will be 8:00am-3:00pm. All recreational/sporting type items will be allowed. Shop or sell. $5 Admission per person (Free with paid Museum Membership). Admission fee includes admission to the museum.. Vendors will be charged $10 for a 2-Place trailer, $20 for a 4-Place Trailer. Raffle drawing at 2:30pm for 5 great prizes. Get your raffle tickets at the Museum any time before 2:00pm that day.
Great Events We currently hold 4 major antique snowmobile events annually that is suitable for the entire family: The Annual Top of the Lake Snowmobile Show & Ride the 3rd weekend in February, the annual Swap Meet the 3rd Sat in September, a Youth Ride the first Saturday in Feb and the Snowmobile the Mighty Mac the second Saturday in December.
Take a tour of the snowmobile museum in Eagle River
Supporting the Museum
On Sept 20, 2019, The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum was awarded a grant of $12,500 for Operational Support from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA - ART WORKS). The grant was awarded through the MCACA peer review process and was one of 561 applications to compete for MCACA fiscal year 2019 funding.
The grant requires a 1:1 match and helped the museum leverage the $12,500 of support from its annual income and the many donations from supporters. In particular the museum has received grants from the Graymont Community Economic Development Fund and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The grant funds will be applied to museum operating costs. Applicable costs include internal operations, marketing, travel to shows within the State of Michigan and cost of employees.
The MCACA peer review process allows for each grant applicant to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.
To continue reaching our goals, we depend on the help of people like you. Whether it's a yearly membership, visiting the museum, taking part in a fun activity, buying raffle tickets, or making a donation.
The Museum Board is continuing to work on the maintenance and updating of the building which is located on the north side of US 2 in Naubinway, MI. We have many projects that we would like to do, such as making displays, and finish paving the parking lot. All donations are tax-exempt and appreciated very much.
With all of the donations we have received of memorabilia, money and snowmobiles, we realize this has become a project of love and memories made by so many people. It is definitely not "our" museum but "your" museum. As you can guess, it has taken a lot of hard work and help to build and establish a bigger and better museum.
Visitor Information
The Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum is located on US 2 in Naubinway, Michigan, 45 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.
The museum is rapidly outgrowing its current building, and a fundraising effort is now underway to help the nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation compile enough capital to build a new, larger, more high-profile facility with a much larger museum display area, a meeting room and an on-site snowmobile library.
Hours, Cost of Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum Inside the unique museum is nearly 200 snowmobiles on display.
When you visit us onsite here in Naubinway, you will be warmly greeted by our many caring workers and volunteers that help make this place possible. We have an even larger selection of inventory, here right onsite. In addition to the list above, we have clothing, which include: t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, sippin' mittens, and warm weather hats. We have gifts here for all ages. Visit us today to see just how much we have to offer the vintage snowmobile enthusiast!
Speaking of contrasts, the vintage snowmobile clothing on display is the antithesis of what the late model sledders are sporting on the trails today.
We invite you to visit our wonderful Top of the Lake Snowmobile Museum Online Store. Here we have a huge selection of great vintage snowmobile gifts for the sled lover. We are always adding new items to our inventory and also invite you to visit us in person for even a larger array of products. Visit our store by clicking the link below to view Banners, Books, Coat Hooks, Door Mats, Hats, Kids Rockers, mugs, jewelry, toys, videos, and more.
One of our most unique gifts in our store is our Kid's Handcrafted Snowmobile Rockers - handmade and loved by many. This incredible gift is handmade to order ($185) for children who love snowmobiling.
We also have the videos, Old Iron II, III, IV & V & VI by Memo-Vision Video Productions, for sale.
Highway 2 cuts an interesting, meandering path through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, wrapping up and around the northern reaches of Lake Michigan stretching from Escanaba to St. Ignace. This is widely regarded as one of the most scenic drives in the state, dotted with small villages and wide vistas overlooking the big lake.
“One of the coolest museums I've ever been to! The building is super clean and organized, everything is very nicely displayed, and the items they have for sale are unique and well-made. The gentleman running the place was super friendly and very happy to answer any questions we had and shared some interesting facts. We will definitely be stopping in again the next time we are over that way! - Jacy, D.
“Worth Stopping For. Visited here with my wife. I had always wanted to stop here and I wasn't disappointed! Lots of cool snowmobiles to look at and gives you an appreciation for how far the technology has come. The proprietor was very nice and made our visit that much more enjoyable. I'll be bringing my kids back! Thanks for a great stop on our trip! If you like snowmobiles, you must take some time to visit this unique museum!
As much as I loved seeing and learning about these vintage machines, my favorite part of our visit was listening in to a father and son visiting the museum. It was it was fun just to overhear them talk about how much they enjoyed their time riding on machines like these. Dad pointed out all the models that he had ridden, and his son noted the newer ones that he and his friends had taken for a spin.
If you enjoy well-built mechanical objects, antique cars, or vintage boats, you’ll certain find the Top-Of-The-Lake Snowmobile Museum in Naubinway worth a visit!
While it’s unlikely we’ll ever return in winter - that Florida blood, you know - they hold a flurry of winter events, including a Snowmobile/Tractor Show in St. Ignace, an annual Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show and Ride, as well as “Snowmobile the Mighty Mac,” a group crossing of the Mackinac Bridge in the dead of winter.