2 days ago
SS Badger Lake Michigan car ferry to launch shoreline cruises, overnight crossings & mini cruises
MANITOWOC – The S.S. Badger Lake Michigan car ferry is planning four afternoon shoreline cruises in Manitowoc, will launch overnight crossings June 20-Sept. 1 and will offer mini cruises this summer.
Here's more to know about the offerings.
The shoreline cruises in Manitowoc will run June 14, July 19, Aug. 2 and Aug. 16. Passengers will board at 1:30 p.m. and sail from 2 to 4 p.m.
Each cruise offers live entertainment, food, a cash bar and shoreline views.
An on-board gift shop, movie theater, museum and lounge areas will be open during these excursions.
Tickets are $60 per person, and children 4 and younger are admitted free. The cruises sail rain or shine. Space is limited and all tickets are non-refundable.
Four nighttime shoreline cruises in Ludington, Michigan, will also be offered June 18, July 4, July 23 and Aug. 20. Passengers will begin boarding at 8:30 p.m. (Eastern) and the ship sails from 9 to 11 p.m. (Eastern). Ticket fare is the same for those rides, except the July 4 cruise, which is $72.
Read more: S.S. Badger passenger and car ferry on Lake Michigan ups its food, drink offerings
The S.S. Badger is adding overnight crossings to its regular sailing schedule this summer.
The overnight crossings will run June 20 to Sept. 1, departing Ludington at 8:45 p.m. (Eastern) Thursdays-Tuesdays and arriving in Manitowoc at 11:45 p.m. (Central).
The overnight crossings depart Manitowoc at 1:30 a.m. (Central) Fridays-Wednesdays and arrive in Ludington at 6:30 a.m. (Eastern).
Another way to experience the S.S. Badger this summer is a round-trip mini cruise where passengers can travel without a vehicle and return within 48 hours.
Ticket price is $108 per adult with two children free per paying adult. Each additional child ages 5-15 is $62.
The Badger makes four-hour runs from Ludington, Michigan, to Manitowoc and back.
The spring season runs through June 19, summer season is June 20-Sept. 1 and fall season is Sept. 2-Oct. 12.
The Badger can accommodate 600 passengers and 180 vehicles, including RVs, motorcycles, motorcoaches, and commercial trucks and oversized loads in one single trip.
For tickets and more information, go to or call 1-800-841-4243.
Read more: Couple from across Lake Michigan meet on the SS Badger car ferry and now have a family
Here are some fast facts about the S.S. Badger Lake Michigan car ferry:
Built at Christy Corp. in Sturgeon Bay for the C&O Railroad at a cost of $5 million
Maiden voyage was March 21, 1953
The last and largest train ferries built for the Great Lakes
Operated mostly as a train ferry until 1990, but also served passengers and automobiles
Lake Michigan Carferry was formed in 1991, and the Badger became a passenger/motor vehicle ferry beginning in 1992
Lake Michigan Carferry was purchased by Interlake Maritime Services in 2020
Length: 410 feet
Beam: 59 feet
Height: 106 feet
Depth: 24 feet
The last coal-powered steamship in the United States
Propulsion: Two four-cylinder compound Skinner Unaflow steam engines
Speed: Maximum, 21 knots (24 mph); average cruising speed is 14 knots (16 mph)
Capacity: 620 passengers; 180 automobiles, plus RVs, buses, motorcycles, semi-trucks and trailers (can accommodate vehicles and equipment up to 15 feet, 5 inches wide and 282 feet long)
Crew: 50 to 60 with more than 200 seasonal employees
Distance between Manitowoc and Ludington: 61 miles
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: SS Badger plans shoreline cruises, overnight crossings & mini cruises
