The S.S. Badger Lake Michigan Car Ferry will make its return from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, officially kicking off the 2026 sailing season, on Friday, May 15th. The public is invited to attend the maiden voyage celebratory event to welcome the ship back to its western port.
The festivities will take place at the Car Ferry dock located at 900 S. Lakeview Drive beginning at 11:30 a.m. There will be special guests and entertainment, including the Manitowoc Lincoln High School marching band, alpacas from LondonDairy Alpacas, the Red Hatters, and local elementary school students. Lunch is available for purchase from area food trucks, including China Wok Bubble Tea and El Tequila. Visit Manitowoc is also giving away branded water bottles, available while supplies last.
After the welcome festivities conclude, Visit Manitowoc Director of Tourism Courtney Hansen, Mayor Justin Nickels and members of the Common Council will board the S.S. Badger to make the first trip of the season to Ludington. The group will spend the weekend in Ludington, participating in additional maiden voyage celebrations and meetings with S.S. Badger leadership and city officials to reconnect and collaborate on the shared vision of providing a world-class travel experience for residents and visitors of both communities.
The S.S. Badger will continue to operate daily from May 15th through October 11th. Regular overnight crossings begin June 19th and end September 7th. In addition to the sailings between Ludington and Manitowoc, there are four Manitowoc shoreline cruise dates scheduled along our lakefront – in the afternoon on Saturday June 13th, July 18th, August 1st, and August 15th.
For more information, schedules and to purchase tickets, visit www.ssbadger.com.