22 Fun Things to Do at Put-in-Bay with Your Kids

Put-In-Bay is more than just a party island! There are plenty of things to do with kids at Put-in-Bay, making the island a great idea for a day trip or overnight trip with the family!

Our family loves Put-in-Bay! I’ve lost count of the number of times we have visited! My kids ask to go back every year! They love taking the ferry to the island and they especially love riding around Put-in-Bay in a golf cart!

You’ll see in this blog post our pictures throughout the years! As the kids have grown and we have continued to visit, I have continued to updated this post with more kid-friendly things to do at Put-in-Bay, places to eat and ideas for where to stay!

This post was updated on June 30, 2023.

Is Put-in-Bay Kid Friendly?

I’ve received a few raised eyebrows when I say we took our kids to Put-in-Bay while on our vacation to Lake Erie. A lot of people think that Put-in-Bay is just a party island, but I’ll have you know that there is plenty of family-friendly fun to be had!

We have been to Put-in-Bay with our kids many times. By our second trip with kids, experience (and some great input from Lake Erie Shores and Islands) had taught us a few things and trip three was probably the smoothest and most fun up to that point!

We’ve returned to PIB with our kids multiple times since then and continue to find new things to love about the island as a family! (P.S. if you’re looking for more Lake Erie island life, check out all the fun things there are to do on nearby Kelleys Island!)

Getting To Put-in-Bay:

To get to Put-in-Bay, you must take a ferry from either Port Clinton or Catawba and there are two options, Miller Ferry and Jet Express.

We’re kind of partial to Miller Ferry – I don’t know, it must be the name! 😉 We’ve always taken Miller Ferry to the island probably because, besides the name, it’s also, by far, the cheapest.

Taking the ferry is part of the experience, for the kids! Mine loved the boat ride and looked forward to it as part of our day! Miller Ferries run generally every half hour during the summer season. You can see the schedule here.

Getting Around Put-in-Bay:

When you get to the island you’ll probably want to take some form of transportation (besides walking) to get to downtown Put-in-Bay. Options include a taxi, golf cart, bikes or the Lime Kiln bus, which is what I would recommend if you don’t plan on driving a golf cart around all day!

The bus is $3/person. This was also part of the fun for my kids since they don’t get to ride a school bus! You can board the bus at the top of the hill after exiting Miller Ferry. Cash only!

The Lime Kiln Bus will drop you off at The Depot in Downtown Put-in-Bay, and from there, most people travel around by foot or golf cart. Cars are allowed on the island, but golf carts, bicycles and feet are the most common methods of transportation. 

For a couple of years now, we have partnered with Miller Ferry to visit the island and they graciously offer us a golf cart from E’s Put-in-Bay Golf Carts! I think riding around in the golf cart might be my kids’ favorite part of the trip!

Downtown Put-in-Bay is full of restaurants, bars, shops and a few attractions, and, on our first two trips, this is the majority of what we saw. Jill at Lake Erie Shores and Islands offered us passes for the Put-in-Bay Tour Train for one of our trips and this tour train is what made our third trip to the island the best! I cannot recommend it enough!

A few of the activities I’m going to list here are stops on the Put-in-Bay Tour Train which makes it a convenient way to get to kid-friendly things to do at Put-in-Bay!

15 things to do (and eat) with the kids when you get to Put-in-Bay:

I’ll start out this section of the blog post with kid-friendly Put-in-Bay attractions and then will end it with family-friendly places to eat at Put-in-Bay!

1. Put-in-Bay Tour Train

• Address: 154 Delaware Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

The best thing about the tour train is, maybe obviously, the transportation. You’re simply not going to be able to walk all of these places with kids, and with the tour train, you get an education along with your transportation!

We learned so much history about the island as well as what island life is like in the present day. We saw the school, the only 2 churches on the island and got a snippet into daily life as a Put-in-Bay resident. I compare this with our first two visits where we didn’t see much of the island and had no idea what other things there were to do there, and the difference is night and day.

When you take the tour train, you pay for one loop. You can get off and back on at each of the stops, but you can only go around once. So look at the map and make sure you don’t miss a stop because you will not be allowed to circle back around to it again. The trains run every 30 minutes so keep an eye on your watch while you’re enjoying your stop.

The Put-in-Bay Tour Train currently makes 4 stops:

• Perry’s Cave and Family Fun Center
• Heineman’s Winery
• Perry’s Victory and International Peace Monument
• Lake Erie Island Nature and Wildlife Area

2. DeRivera Park

• Address: 341 Bayview Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

DeRivera park is named for the founder of Put-in-Bay, Jose DeRivera. It’s a beautiful, shady area with lots of picnic tables and a large fountain.

Within the park is Will’s Playground which has two play structures, one for older and one for younger kids. This park is a great place to come back to throughout your day to rest and regroup. There are also public rooms and showers here.

3. Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center

• Address: 979 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Perry’s Cave and Family Fun Center is one of the best Put-in-Bay attractions for families! Options for activities here include Perry’s Cave, Gemstone Mining, The Butterfly House at Put-in-Bay, War of 1812 Holes Miniature Golf, Gotcha Laser Tag, Fort aMAZE’n, Rock Climbing Wall, Antique Car Museum, gift shops and DanDee’s Snack Shack.

The Tour Train offers one general stop at Perry’s Cave and all of the activities are within a short walk of the drop off. I’m going to tell you about a few of the things we have done there  . . .

4. Antique Car Museum

• Address: 979 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Housed in a large barn at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center, the Antique Car Museum is free! There are rare Ford Model T’s and A’s, a popcorn truck, and other auto-related memorabilia!

5. Butterfly House

• Address: 979 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

We chose to do the The Butterfly House at Put-in-Bay as our main activity at Perry’s Cave Family Fun Center. We all enjoyed the Butterfly House which was FULL of butterflies! The brochure says “hundreds of butterflies” and I believe them!

Though no touching is allowed, it was not uncommon for butterflies to land on us and we were able to see them up close. In addition to walking among the butterflies, there is a large gift shop with educational gifts and lots of butterfly souvenirs.

6. Fort Amaze’n Giant Maze Challenge

• Address: 979 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

In this maze challenge you must find the letters M-A-Z-E on paper punches hanging around the maze. You also stamp your passport when you start and when you end. If you finish the maze in 5 minutes you win a special prize. (When we were there it was a free ice cream cone.) We didn’t come close to finding our way out in 5 minutes but the kids did get to pick a prize when exiting!

7. Perry’s Cave

• Address: 979 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Perry’s Cave is an Ohio Natural Landmark and you can climb down 52 feet below the surface to tour it and see the underground lake! The temperature inside the cave is always round 50 degrees so you may need to bring a sweatshirt! Cave tours take place every 30 minutes on a first come, first served basis. Kids 5 and under are free! 

8. Aquatic Vistors Center

• Address: 360 W Shore Blvd, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

The AVC is operated by The Ohio State University in partnership with Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It was a fish hatchery that closed in 1988 and became an educational facility which includes the OSU Stone Laboratory, OSU’s island campus on Lake Erie!

If you take a walk through the center, you can learn about Ohio fishing, research projects and view the live fish in open tanks. 

There are always various activities for kids all throughout the building including things like puzzles, coloring sheets, books, and more!

There’s really a lot to see, learn about and interact with here at the Aquatic Visitors Center! It’s a lot of fun for kids! And, it’s free!

Kids under age 16 can go out onto the dock to fish for free! Though they didn’t catch anything and my husband nearly dropped his phone off the side, this was a highlight! 🙂

As you can see, we come back every time we visit to go fishing at the OSU Aquatic Visitors Center on Put-in-Bay!

9. Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center

• Address: 255 Meechen Rd, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

The Nature and Wildlife Center houses what was once a private collection of mounted wild animals, many from Alaska. In the back of the property, there is a frog pond and a nature trail that will take you in a complete circle.

The Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center is best reached by golf cart or by the Tour Train. It’s a pretty long walk from downtown! But it’s definitely one of the best Put-in-Bay attractions for kids, so don’t skip it if you have kids who love animals and nature!

The center recently underwent a remodel and some new areas were added. We were able to see the new look on our latest visit! The Turtle Pond (pictured below) is a great addition!

There is a small fee to visit the Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center. As of 2022, adults are $4 each and kids are $3. Children 5 and under are free! There is a family rate of $10 which will save most families money!

Don’t forget to go outside, behind the center for the Nature Trail!

10. Kimberly’s Carousel

• Address: 160 Delaware Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Kimberly’s Carousel provides musical accompaniment to much of the downtown area and is lots of fun for kids and adults alike! Purchase tickets inside the nearby Carriage House.

11. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial

• Address: 93 Delaware Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

You can’t miss Perry’s Memorial from most of the island! The grounds and Visitor’s Center is open to the public. You can purchased timed tickets for the observation deck in the Visitor’s Center. There are 37 steps to the elevator which will take you to the top.

We have never gone to the top of Perry’s Monument (maybe next year)! But, we often stop by the grounds and walk around! There is a great view of Lake Erie behind the monument!

12. Cooper’s Woods Preserve

• Address: intersection of Langram and Thompson Road, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

At Cooper Woods Preserve, they have a Storybook Trail! Follow the path through the woods while reading the story posted on signs along the way! The trail is an 852 foot looped path. There is a parking lot, but the story begins at the corner of the preserve just down the street.

13. South Bass Island State Park

• Address: 1523 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

South Bass Island State Park is becoming one of my favorite places to visit on Put-in-Bay Island! This State Park is small but mighty! The new addition of the Put-in-Bay sign is lots of fun! This is a definite stop for a fun photo op!

If you’re looking for a swimming beach on Put-in-Bay this is where you will find it! South Bass Island State Park has a rocky beach and swimming is allowed here. The swimming area is marked off by buoys. Be warned that we have seen snakes in the water here. In fact, there are signs in the area letting you know that Lake Erie Water Snake is welcome!

There is also a playground here at the park. It’s a great place on Put-in-Bay for kids to get out some excess energy! There is a public restroom in the park and kayak rentals, too.

14. Oak Point State Park

• Address: Bayview Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

If you have a goal of visiting all of the State Parks in Ohio, make sure you also stop at Oak Point State Park on the north end of the island. It’s very close to the Aquatic Visitors Center. It’s also a very small Ohio State Park, but worth a visit for a great view of Lake Erie and Perry’s Monument!

15. Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve

• Address: 1159-1107 Columbus Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Scheef East Point Preserve is a natural habitat on the island that is home to many native birds, plants and of course the Lake Erie Watersnake. (I haven’t seen any here myself.)

There is a small parking lot here and a hiking path around the perimeter of the park. We haven’t hiked the path, but we do always walk beyond the concrete barriers and to the beach area.

Where to Eat on Put-in-Bay with kids:

16. Last Resort Ladder Co 4 & Fire Engine Pizza Co.

• Address: 432 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

If you really want to eat somewhere fun on Put-in-Bay, how about eating on a fire truck?! Last Resort Ladder Co. 4 is a full bar with a patio built around a fire truck! Next door, you can order pizza from the Fire Engine Pizza Company and eat it on one of the picnic tables on the patio!

We really liked the pizza here and eating it on the fire truck was an extra bonus for my two boys!

17. Rita’s Cantina

• Address: 341 Bayview Avenue, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456

We enjoyed eating lunch at Rita’s Cantina which is part of the Boardwalk group of restaurants. Tacos, nachos and bowls are on the menu here. This is probably a location that will feel like more of a party scene on the weekends, but on a Tuesday afternoon it wasn’t super busy and it was nice to eat on the upstairs patio!

18. Dairy Isle

• Address: 213 Bayview Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

Dairy Isle has a full menu of food items like burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders and crazy fries! But we stopped here for an ice cream treat! The boys got Root Beer Floats and I got an espresso with ice cream!

Dairy Isle has a lot of cold treat options like smoothies, sundaes, flurries, banana splits and more!

19. PIB Candy Bar

• Address: 170 Delaware Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

The PIB Candy Bar is a fun stop for a sweet treat! You’ll find hand dipped ice cream and lots of candy! There are new and unique candy items as well as some nostalgic favorites from the past!

I don’t think you can visit Put-in-Bay with kids and not go to the PIB Candy Bar! My kids LOVE it here, of course!

If you love ice cream, they do serve Toft’s Ice Cream on the side patio! You’ve got to have Toft’s when you come to the Lake Erie area!

20. Frosty Pizza

• Address: 252 Delaware Ave, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456

Frosty Pizza is an easy, family friendly stop for lunch or dinner. We got the Family Deal which included a large pizza, salad, breadsticks and 4 drinks. I didn’t see that on the menu when we visited most recently, but you can build your own pizza or order one of their specialty pizzas.

In 2023, we spent the night on the island for the first time and we happily discovered that Frosty Pizza serves breakfast! It seemed like a lot of the restaurants on Put-in-Bay that serve breakfast were only open Thursday through Sunday, but Frosty Bar is open daily for breakfast from 7:00 AM – 11:00 AM.

21. The Goat Soup and Whiskey

• Address: 820 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

This is another great family-friendly restaurant option while visiting Put-in-Bay! We fell in love with the patio and grounds here. There is a great kids menu and the kids got popsicles with their meals which was definitely a hit! I could have sat out on that patio forever!

The GOAT is a super popular restaurant at Put-in-Bay and we recently (and sadly) discovered it very difficult to get a seat without a reservation the last time we visited!

22. The Chocolate Cafe and Museum

• Address: 820 Catawba Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456

If you’re looking for another option for ice cream, coffee or a sweet treat, check out Chocolate Cafe! This shop is in the downstairs area of The Goat mentioned above. There is outdoor and indoor seating. The museum portion was not open when we visit so we’ll have to save that delicious experience for next time!

Where to Stay on Put-in-Bay:

If you’re staying near Lake Erie or on the northern half of Ohio, it’s definitely doable to take the ferry to Put-in-Bay Island, spend the day and then take the ferry back. That’s what we have done for most of our visits. But in 2023 we spent the night on Put-in-Bay and it was a totally new experience! We loved it!

BayShore Resort

• Address: 328 Toledo Ave, Put-In-Bay, OH 43456
• Website

We were invited to stay at BayShore Resort on Put-in-Bay Island and we loved it here! It’s so great to know of a good place to stay on Put-in-Bay! Each room has view of Lake Erie.

Each room faces the pool and the lake. The second and third floor rooms have screened balconies. Let me tell you, a screened-in balcony is a game changer! We loved keeping the sliding door open and listening to the waves hit the shore!

BayShore Resort has a Saucy Brew Works Coffee Bar inside and a Tiki Bar outside! There are two pools and a 30-person jacuzzi tub! I can’t wait to stay here again!

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Are you surprised there are so many family-friendly things to see and do at Put-in-Bay? 🙂 All of these activities give you plenty of options to enjoy the island with your kids!

If you’re planning a trip to Lake Erie Shores and Islands, make sure to check out my post 7 Lake Erie Vacation Ideas That Are Perfect for Families for more ideas or check out one of these posts featuring more Lake Erie ideas!

• Plan a Tropical Getaway with Your Kids at Castaway Bay in Sandusky Ohio
• Lake Erie: 15 Fun Things to do with Kids Near Sandusky, Ohio
• Ohio Road Trip: Geneva on the Lake
• Exploring Ohio with Kids: Lakeside
• 5 Beaches in Ohio to Visit this Summer!
• 7 Lake Erie Beaches You’ll Want to Visit This Summer

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