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18 Fun Things to do in Ludington with Kids
Looking for a family friendly beach destination? Head to Ludington, Michigan- just a short drive away from Grand Rapids, Michigan and 4 hours away from Chicago and Detroit.
I fell in love with this beach town back in 2019 when I visited for the first time and being able to come back with my family was everything. Ludington is such a great small beach town with so many things to do for families.
This adorable small beach town packs a big punch and here are some of the top things to do in Ludington with kids.
If you need a rental car for your trip, make sure to check out this website I use to get great deals on rental cars!
Ludington with Kids- Family Friendly Accommodations
Ludington Beach House
We stayed in this amazing family friendly inn while we visited Ludington with kids and it was perfect! It was literally only a few minutes walk away from the Stearns Park Beach, Jaycee’s Mini golf and the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum! It was in the most perfect location. The other attractions downtown are only a few minutes drive away.
We had a 2 bedroom suite with a little kichenette and little living area which was great. Our rooms were adorable and coastal themed which perfectly fit the destination. The hotel also had some outdoor family games like bean bag toss and there was a nice pool on-site. I highly recommend staying here on your next trip to Ludington with kids!
Is Ludington worth a visit?
Ludington, Michigan is very worth the visit. This small beach town in West Michigan is such a great place to have a family friendly trip in Ludington with kids. The downtown is very walkable with lots of shops and restaurants, Stearns Park Beach is great for families and there are so many great things to do in Ludington with kids.
Fun Things to do in Ludington with Kids
1-Hike to Big Sable Point Lighthouse
This iconic 1867 black and white lighthouse is located at Ludington State Park and I almost didn’t do it because it was longer than some of the other hikes there, but I decided let’s go for it! And it was so worth it and it is a really great activity in Ludington with kids!
It’s a 2 mile hike one way to get there, but it’s relatively easy because it’s flat the whole time and no climbing up hills or anything. It’s a really fun little hike in Ludington with kids because there are sand dunes on the sides on the way and various ponds on the way and interesting things to look at.
When you arrive at the lighthouse, you can also pay $8 to climb the tower and see the views from the top which are really worth it! (There is a height requirement so this activity won’t be suitable for small children.) You can also visit the bottom areas of the lighthouse for free.
2-Ludington State Park
Visiting this park is one of the best things to do in Ludington with kids and is home to three different campgrounds, beautiful sandy beaches, scenic sand dunes, an iconic lighthouse, wetlands, marshlands and forests. It is situated between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan, with several miles of beautiful shoreline along both lakes.
3-Hang out on Lake Michigan at Ludington State Park
The park has a long, sandy coastline of 3+ miles, starting outside of the pay station where you can find your own piece of beach over a sand dune. Or head to the official Lake Michigan beach area past the park gate.
Make sure to check out the historic Lake Michigan Beach House with interesting info and displays and also offering public restrooms and a concession stand in the summer months.
4-Visit the elk at Amber Elk Ranch
Looking for a unique activity that your family won’t soon forget? Head over to the Amber Elk Ranch for the opportunity to go on a wagon ride around the ranch and come face to face with over a hundred elk. Your family will have the opportunity to feed the elk and even be able to see adorable baby elk.
5-Icecream at House of Flavors
House of Flavors is located right in downtown and is the cutest little diner with the best ice cream! If you want to dine in the restaurant, you can or there’s a whole Ice cream shop in the back and you can take your ice cream to go and eat on the cute benches outside or head to Stearns Park Beach just down the road!
Looking for more unique things to do while in Michigan? Check out this post!
6-Visit the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum
This incredible museum is well worth the visit while on a trip in Ludington with kids. It’s very family friendly and there’s many interactive displays and activities including climbing up a lighthouse (my toddler’s favorite), an interactive submarine display and an interactive activity for the whole family where you actually get to navigate the S.S Badger! There were so many interesting historical artifacts and displays and this museum is very well put together.
7-Explore Waterfront Sculpture Park
This 5-Acre sculpture park is fantastic and right on the marina with a playground and a stage area for concerts in the park during the summer. The location is amazing right in Ludington’s harbor and has 9 incredible bronze sculptures all throughout the park. Each sculpture actually tells a story from Ludington’s history with information included which is quite interesting and the sculptures are amazing.
8-Stearns Park Beach
This is an amazing free city beach with a concession stand and is walking distance from downtown. We were able to walk there right from our hotel! There’s also a skating park, playground and mini golf course right there. You can easily spend all day playing at this amazing and popular beach.
You don’t even need to leave when it’s time to grab lunch! The park concession stand, The Sanbox, sells yummy food including gourmet sliders and themed milkshakes at the South Beach stand and grilled panini sandwiches, “snackleboxes” (beach snacks), homemade soft pretzels and handmade ice cream and Popsicle bars at North Beach.
9-Walk to Ludington North Breakwater Light
This path is located right at Stearns Park Beach and is a flat half-mile path out to a really great lighthouse. You can even climb to the top if you visit before 5 pm or it is also a great place to photograph the sunset!
There is a height requirement for climbing to the top, but if you have really little ones, they can still come inside to the bottom area to enjoy the gift shop.
10-Watch the S.S. Badger arrive
The S.S. Badger is actually the last coal-fired passenger steamship in operation in the United States. The S.S Badger is a fun shortcut across Lake Michigan from Wisconsin to Ludington and back. It has been in operation for more than 70 years.
There are many areas in Ludington that you can go to see the steamship coming into harbor. One of our favorite spots is right at Stearns Park Beach. This was so fun for our toddler to watch coming into port from Wisconsin to Ludington.
11-Family fun at Sandcastles Children’s Museum
This is such a fun museum for little ones with 3 different floors of hands on fun and learning activities! This Children’s Museum is very creative and some of our favorite areas included: a pirate play area, a kid’s theatre with costumes, a mini airplane, grocery shopping, a mini House of Flavors and Hungry Howie’s, Construction area and a farm area.
12- Historic White Pine Village
Historic White Pine Village is a historic village boasting 30 different historic buildings, including the original 1849 Mason County Courthouse and an authentic steam locomotive. You can come and take a tour of the late 19th-early 20th-century pioneer village!
This village is one of the best things to do with kids in Ludington, especially school-aged kids.
13- Jaycee’s Mini Golf Course
This mini golf course is actually located right next to the Stearns Park Beach. This mini golf course is one of the best things to do in Ludington with kids. It’s so cute and each area actually has little replicas of iconic places in Ludington like House of Flavors and the lighthouses.
14- Cartier Park
Looking for some outdoors fun while in Ludington with kids? Check out Cartier Park which has a paved one-mile biking/walking loop plus a 3.5-mile mountain bike trail. The paved pathway is easily accessible for strollers and wheelchairs with minimal elevation. You will be able to enjoy views of Lincoln Lake here.
15- Peter Copeyon Park
Peter Copeyon Park is located just south of the main road in Ludington. This is a really great park in Ludington with kids. There is a small play area and even a fun a splash pad. This park has some really great views of the Pere Marquette Lake as well.
Things to do near Ludington with Kids
16- Country Dairy
Country Dairy is a fun destination near Ludington with kids. They have a market and cafe and also sell local milk, cheese, and ice cream. There are also various activities, family friendly farm experiences and tours you can do here including renting bikes.
17- Mac Wood’s Dune Rides
When we were in Ludington, we took a little jaunt out to Mac Wood’s Dune Rides and we were able to go on a family friendly fun-filled adventure in a dune buggy on the sand dunes! It’s a 40 minute ride through sand dunes and you stop for a quick break at Lake Michigan and later on, you can see views over Silver Lake. Our tour guide was funny and informative which added a lot to this adventurous trip.
It was kind of foggy when we went to the lake, but it was still so fun to get out and enjoy the water and it kind of made some cool unique vibes! This is such a great place to go near Ludington with kids and definitely needs to be on your bucketlist! It was such a unique adventure and we will be talking about it for a long time to come!
Note: You aren’t able to make reservations so you just show up and get your name on the list and they will call you when it’s your turn. We waited about 20 minutes so it gave us time to go to the bathroom, check out the gift shop and play with the lawn games out front.
18- Lewis Adventure Farm and Zoo
This adventure farm is about 30 minutes away from Ludington and can be paired with the Mac Wood’s Dune rides on one of the days you come to visit Ludington. This farm is massive and you could easily spend many many hours here with kids.
Lewis Adventure Farm and Zoo has a real fruit farm, a petting zoo and 700-acres of different play areas, games and activities, including a really big splash pad. There are yummy treats like cute seasonal milkshakes, fudge and more. They also have exotic animals like camels and sloths which makes this farm especially unique.
We had a blast in the summer, but would also love to come back in the Fall to see the pumpkin patch and corn maze. This farm is fun for all ages and there is seriously so much to do!
Best Places to eat in Ludington
Lunch at Cluck Bucket
Located at 102 W. Ludington Ave. on Legacy Plaza and a food truck on S. South Pere Marquette Highway. Cluck Bucket is a family friendly restaurant with a unique way of cooking chicken and potatoes in a charcoal pit oven outside. They are known for their chicken, pit-tatoes and special red sauce.
They have a cute outdoor area at their food truck with a cute photo opp and lawn games while we waited for our food. This is definitely a plus when eating out with little ones.
Dinner and drinks at Ludington Bay Brewing Co
A modern brewery and restaurant located right in downtown Ludington. This restaurant has a great outdoor patio that allows dogs. The food is delicious with many options ranging from salads, pizzas and seafood dishes. Also has a kids meal for 12 and under.
Eat dinner at Jamesport Brewing Co.
This brewery was built into a historic building and has many options brewed right in house and delicious food on the menu. We tried the chicken stir fry with dried cherries and the spicy chicken sandwich and loved both. Has a “half pints” menu for kids!
Breakfast at House of Flavors
House of Flavors is located right in downtown and is the cutest little diner with fantastic breakfast options- though they also serve lunch and dinner- and of course, ice cream!
Brunch Babes
This bright pink food truck was actually the runner-up on Food Network’s “Great Food Truck Race”. The food is so good at this food truck, I would come back to Ludington just to eat at this food truck! They feature many different styles of loaded tots, gourmet tacos, donut sandwiches (on weekends) and roasted coffee.
The 10 Spot
The 10 Spot is located at 5750 W. U.S.10 and is a fun little area that includes 7 food trucks with a large seating area and even a stage.
STIX
Located at 1963 N Lakeshore Dr. this a great option when visiting Ludington State Park as it is the closest restaurant to state park. It features an upscale dine-in menu plus
food truck menu and drinks for outside dining. STIX features the biggest beer garden in Ludington (and one of the biggest in Michigan) and has fire pits and lawn games.
Ludington is a great hidden gem located in West Michigan and I have now been twice with and with out kids. It’s a really great destination for friends and couples, but I also really loved visiting Ludington with kids. There are so many fun things to do and we will be counting down the days until we can visit again.
