A Family-Friendly Day at Put-in-Bay

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If you have never visited Put-in-Bay/South Bass Island before, please take a quick look at our Put-in-Bay Primer first for the basics.

There’s nothing we love more than spending time by the lake—and when you happen to be on an island, you are extra-fortunate to have the lake all around you!

One of our favorite Great Lakes islands is South Bass, located in western Lake Erie and home to the village of Put-in-Bay. The Great Lakes Loving crew has enjoyed trips to Put-in-Bay for years, both with and without children, and we always have a fun, relaxing time. One of the things we appreciate most about this island is that it has so much to offer families. Whether your children are interested in nature, history, water sports, or just a casual golf cart ride around the island—Put-in-Bay offers it all.

If you are interested in enjoying a day at one of Lake Erie’s most popular tourist destinations, pack up your kids and follow our complete itinerary to hit up some of our favorite family-friendly island attractions! The following itinerary is a pretty full day, so feel free to go at your own pace and save some activities for next time. The itinerary can be geared toward family members of all ages and abilities, and we offer suggested swaps throughout the day to cater to different interests. Also, be sure to check out our related post, “Yes, You Can Take Your Kids to Put-in-Bay” to read our top tips for enjoying a family-friendly day on South Bass Island. We hope you enjoy your island time!

Quick disclaimer: On several occasions, including for this trip, we have been fortunate to be guests of the Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay, so we received our ferry ride, golf cart rental, and tickets to Perry’s Family Fun Center for free, but our partnerships will never affect our reviews or recommendations to our readers! Learn more about our partnership and affiliate policy here.

We scheduled this trip for a Monday in early August, knowing it would be less crowded than the weekend. We love weekday trips with the kids because weekdays at PIB are laid back and casual. We suggest planning to arrive on the island as early as is comfortable for your family, taking into consideration driving time, as well as time for unpacking the car, purchasing tickets, last-minute bathroom breaks, etc. You can also check out the gift shop at the ferry dock to gather maps, buy merchandise, etc. We generally try to time our trips so that we arrive on the island before 10am. This gives us a few hours of fun before lunch and lets us enjoy several attractions with minimal crowds.

This particular morning, we step off the Miller Ferry onto South Bass Island just before 10am. The first thing we do when we arrive is rent our golf cart. Golf carts are the transportation of choice on the island. Although cars are permitted, and you will find car parking throughout the island, golf carts make driving around so much more fun! Our children are excited to hop on for a ride. We install the infant car seat we brought along with us and we are on our way!

There will be different options for golf cart rental depending on which method of transportation you choose to get to the island (read more about that here). We prefer electric golf carts because they seem to be less noisy than the gas-powered options, but the gas-powered carts tend to offer more speed. Whichever rental option you prefer, be sure to check out the rental company ahead of time—along with prices and rental rules—so you know you will be getting the golf cart you prefer and aren’t stuck looking around when you arrive. If you will need a car seat, be sure to ask ahead of time if you are able to rent or reserve one from the golf cart rental. Some only offer toddler sizes, for example, and need to be reserved ahead of time.

Potential Swap: Alternatives to golf carts are bicycles, guided tours, or traveling by foot. Biking and walking will make it more difficult for you to visit attractions outside of the downtown area, but depending on your family, they could be great options. Both the Miller Ferry and Jet Express allow bicycles to be brought over for a fee, or you can rent them when you arrive.

Once the whole family is buckled into the golf cart, our first activity of the day is to take it for a spin! We love to cruise the island a bit, take a look at the village and surrounding areas, and take in the numerous sights. You get a perfect view of the lake, town, and the beautiful historic houses of the island from the golf cart, and family members of all ages enjoy the fresh morning breeze!

After taking in the views from the golf cart, we decide to spend the rest of the morning enjoying Perry’s Cave and Family Fun Center. This attraction offers numerous activities for all ages as well as a guided tour of Perry’s Cave, a natural limestone cave that sits 52 feet below the island and includes a rare underground lake.

We arrive around 10:30am and our first stop is the Butterfly House. The kids can’t wait to see all the butterflies! We arrive and check-in through the lovely gift shop and pick up an identification guide, then we head on into the butterfly area. It’s a pretty building filled with gardens, small water features, and of course tons of butterflies! The kids enjoy seeing how many different types of butterflies we can spot. Tip: An employee told us the best time to visit for the most butterflies is July and August.

We spend about 20-30 minutes enjoying the Butterfly House before heading over to the Perry’s Cave tour. Around 11am we descend under the island for the 15-minute guided tour into the cave. It’s a little wet and dark, so the younger children will want to stay close. The guide is well-informed and shares a lot of interesting information about the cave.

After taking the cave tour, we suggest choosing a few of the other activities to enjoy before lunch. Our children choose the gemstone mining and have a blast sifting for gems and stones. Also on property are the antique car museum (which is free), “War of 18 Holes” miniature golf, a rock-climbing wall, and a maze called “Fort aMaze’n.” We finish up at Perry’s Family Fun Center around 11:45, just in time for lunch. There is a snack shack with a wide variety fried foods and hamburgers on the menu, but we decide to head back downtown to get lunch today.

Potential Swap: An alternative to Perry’s Cave is Crystal Cave, located right across the street at Heineman’s Winery. Crystal Cave boasts one of the world’s largest geodes. If you have time, check out both caves!

After a full morning enjoying the diversions at Perry’s Family Fun Center, our group is definitely ready for lunch. We decide to head downtown to The Boardwalk. We love this place for family lunches. It offers a wide variety of different food options with access to indoor, outdoor, and covered outdoor seating. Located right on Lake Erie, The Boardwalk allows you to people/boat watch while you eat and has a great view of Perry’s monument. We also appreciate The Boardwalk for its diverse array of food choices as well as its bar offerings. The restaurants here offer kid-friendly hamburgers and fries as well as delicious seafood dishes, such as lobster bisque, lobster rolls, shrimp, and Lake Erie Perch. We enjoy lobster bisque and lobster rolls while the kids munch on chicken tenders and French fries. After taking this break to refresh ourselves, we head back to the golf cart by about 12:20pm.

Potential Swap: If you are looking for something different, the downtown area offers tons of options, such as the tasty Chicken Patio or Pasquale’s Cafe.

After lunch, we let our meal digest while we take a casual stroll through some of the island’s wildlife. We decide to check out Massie Cliffside Preserve, located on the East Point of South Bass Island, as it is a quick and easy walk from the parking lot and offers beautiful views. The kids enjoy “hiking” down the dirt trail and looking out over the water. After checking out the preserve, we head over to the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center. For a small fee, we all enjoy the realistic animal exhibits at the center. If you have time, you could also check out Jane Coates Wildflower Trail & Ladd Carr Woods or Dodge Woods Storywalk Trail.

Potential Swap: If you have older children or just want to enjoy the wildlife in a more hands-on way, you could try your hand at kayaking or paddle boarding. Check out the Lake Erie Islands Water Trails (LEIWT), five separate paddling trails around North Bass, Middle Bass, South Bass and Kelleys islands as well as along the near-shore mainland of Catawba and Marblehead.

By about 1pm, the weather is starting to heat up and the kids are in the mood for something sweet while we relax in the shade for a while. On every trip to the island, we are sure to visit the Candy Bar, a candy store located in the center of downtown with a great selection of nostalgic and novelty candy as well as various other desserts, such as homemade fudge and hand-dipped ice cream.

Potential Swap: There are plenty of options on the island to enjoy a sweet treat—or several, if you are so inclined! Dairy Isle has a great selection of ice cream treats and smoothies, and the Chocolate Café and Museum offers a wide array of chocolates as well. Or, if you have the time and sweet tooth, visit them all!

After buying the kids each a bag of candy at the Candy Bar, we walk right next door to Kimberly’s Carousel for a nostalgic few spins. You will need to purchase tickers inside the Carriage House gift shop, which also offers a nice selection of souvenirs and island gear.

It’s about 1:30pm, and the weather is getting pretty warm, so this is a great time to lounge under the ample trees in DeRivera Park. This large, shady park is located smack dab in the center of town, separating the main street of bars and restaurants from Lake Erie. The park is very well-maintained and offers multiple shaded and grassy sitting areas, a large playground, restrooms with showers, and a fountain. Take some time to peruse the park and then let the kids burn off some energy on the playground while you relax on a nearby bench. We hang out here for almost an hour and then decide to make our way to Perry’s Monument.

Potential Swap: If you are more interested in the water than the park, you could alternatively spend a few hours at one of the two local beaches—the aforementioned Put-in-Bay beach (left two photos below) near Perry’s Monument or the pebble beach at South Bass Island State Park (below right). We suggest wrapping up swimming an hour or so before you intend to leave the island, as you probably won’t want to be riding the ferry back wet.

Potential Swap: If you have older children, you can also opt for something a little more adrenalin-pumping, such as renting a jet ski, taking a helicopter ride, or parasailing.

One of our last stops of the day is Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, colloquially known as Perry’s Monument. Nothing beats the panoramic view from the top of the memorial. Climb 37 steps and then take the elevator 352 feet up to experience the height of the world’s tallest Doric column and one of the tallest monuments in the United States, behind only the St. Louis Gateway Arch, San Jacinto Monument, and Washington Monument. Perry’s Monument is also the only international peace memorial in the United States National Park System. Bonus: Children 15 and under are admitted free! (Those 16 and older will need to pay the $10 entrance fee).

COVID NOTICE: We took our trip prior to the closing of Perry's Monument due to COVID-19 restrictions. The monument and observation deck remain closed, although the visitor center has reopened. Please check the Perry's Monument website  for updated restrictions and opening information.

On busier days, we would normally visit this when it first opens, to avoid a line to get to the top. It’s a little before 2:30pm, and it isn’t too busy today, so we walk the stairs and are up at the top via the elevator in about 15 minutes. The kids don’t mind the steps, and we all love the view from the top! We enjoy the late afternoon breezes and the beautiful panoramic view of the island. Be sure to check out the visitor center just across the adjacent field, if you have time. If the weather is nice, stop a few minutes to walk along the nearby Put-in-Bay beach and take in a great view of the lake and the monument. Both the Perry’s monument and the visitors center open at 10am daily on a seasonal basis (May through September or October), and the monument line can get long on a nice summer weekend, so we love visiting this attraction early on weekends to be sure we don’t run out of time on our visit. During the week, the crowds are greatly reduced, so you don’t have to be too worried about long lines.

After the monument, the kids are getting tired and ready to head home, so we take one last golf cart ride around the island before ending this trip around 4pm. However, we have stayed later in the past, and if your family is in the mood to continue this itinerary, we suggest sticking around for dinner and a relaxing island sunset.

Once you are good and tired from the afternoon’s activities, it’s time to grab some dinner. What better family-friendly choice than pizza? We suggest one of two great options: Frosty’s Bar and Family Pizza or Cameo Pizza (located inside Mr. Ed’s bar.) Feel free to eat there, or grab a pie with your favorite toppings and head down to the last stop on our list!

Spend the rest of your evening enjoying the largest pebble beach on the island and watching the sun go down at South Bass Island State Park. The beach and dock near the park entrance (right before you head to the campsites) are a great place to wade in the lake waves and watch the sun go down before catching a ferry home (or heading back to your hotel/campsite, if you are spending the night). Note: If you are not spending the night, be sure to check the most updated schedule for whichever ferry you intend to take home so you arrive on time for your departing ferry trip. The Miller Ferry often has a last boat departing for mainland at 9pm, whereas Jet Express will depart until 11pm or 12am during busy summer months.

Potential Swap: If you want to stay closer to the downtown area while you wind down your day, this could be a great time to check out a few gift shops before you leave while enjoying some of the live music from the bars and restaurants.

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