This children's museum is amazing. It's the definition of small but mighty: It doesn't look like…read moremuch from the outside, or even when you first step inside. But as you explore through it, you'll see that it has way more magic hiding in every corner than you first thought. Sandcastles Children's Museum is three stories of fun. We took our 7 and 11 year old boys, and the 11 year old had just as much fun as his younger brother. That said, I would say that this museum is best suited for kids who are preschoolers through around 10 years old. One of the best parts of this museum is that it subtly references popular Ludington icons and landmarks. You'll see a play SS Badger ship, popular local restaurants on the second floor, and lots of other things that pay homage to the beach town in which the museum resides. One of our favorite spots in the museum is located on the third floor. It's there that you'll find a mini stage with several real, full-sized instruments that kids are invited to play. There are steel drums, ukuleles, guitars, pianos and lots of other instruments to try out. There's also a TV where you can watch yourself jamming on the instruments. All throughout the museum, you'll find things to play with, like a sand pit with digger toys, a play farm, play grocery store and restaurant, a veterinary office, a post office, craft station, rock climbing wall, science station, theatre stage with costumes, and lots more. There is just so much fun stuff for kids, and my children were occupied for hours.

A delightful spot to spend the day with wild kids. So many thoughtful exhibits with loads of hands…read moreon activities. My 4 year old loved the maternity ward and the 1.5 year old loved the grocery store. Loved our time at the museum. We also loved the mask requirement for all. A great way to feel safe in a world where people are getting so sick. Thank you!

What a gem to keep kiddos entertained in Ludington! The facility is spotless, plenty of bounce…read morehouses to keep the kids busy for hours. The re-entry is great for when the kids need a meal or just a break. Plenty of seating areas for adults with umbrellas for shade. It is clear they take pride in what they do and everything is kept clean clean clean! They have a great rain plan to keep the bounce houses covered and in their best condition (they literally cover the entire facility with tarps if it looks like rain is coming). The kids are having an absolute blast, and mom and dad are glad to have some time to mentally regroup! Our post-pandemic video-game-loving city kids can only stand so much "nature" for so long.. so glad to have found this place during our vacation!

I am disappointed in the staff/owner who run this place. I went with my family to enjoy a fun…read moreafternoon that ended with one of our youngest (6 years old) being yelled at by the owner. He got some slobber on one of the inflatables on accident. A complete accident. Then owner goes over to him and yells at him that he must clean it up. Then goes over to Our grandmother and says "hey grandma your kid spit on the slide". Then he kept saying to the six year old that he bought all these and he is the most disrespectful kid. This is not the case. He is not disrespectful he is a sweet boy. At the beginning I was yelled at (I am a adult) for doing a tumble in the hamster ball and was told "if I can't stand up and will be tempted to do flips then I need to get out" he went over to the younger siblings and said to them that they need to star listening to what he says or and to stop ignoring him and being rude. I'm sorry but no where was there a rule posted. We were not told what we could or could not do. So to be yelled at like that is unacceptable and disrespectful to the customer. My camp I work for had planned a big trip with many kids and now we are going to not go. I would not recommend taking your kids there. The angry bald man will follow your children to every slide and yell at them if they do ANYTHING wrong. I am deeply disturbed by the actions and hope that they change there way of running the business.

So I love that this had a guide to take up on tour and he knew what he was talking about and…read moreprofessional, I would highly recommend it,you get to go all over the ship ,please remember this is a tour for people who can't climb stairs but it was great .

We've visited a few time now. Each time we learn a little more. The guides are all very nice and…read moresuper informative. We love seeing the old items all around the ship, like the old radios, reading lamps, cameras and the furniture. It is a very lovely ship. I hope to one day be able to spend the night on it. We will for sure come back for another tour sometime in the future.

A good-sized 3 story building that used first housed the coast guard, is now housing a Maritime…read moreMuseum. There are exhibits and movies about local maritime history, boat building, the history of the ferry from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington. There's a fair number of videos throughout as well as artifacts from ships. There's even a mini lighthouse for kids to climb up. There's one part where it seems there's a holographic sea captain telling his tales. There's a fun activity of trying to steer a cargo ship! My wife and I got combo tickets for here and White Pine Historic Village. Nice view of Lake Michigan from the top floor.

Ludington is a town with lots of history, and you can learn about some of that history here at the…read morePort of Ludington Maritime Museum. The museum is located just steps from the beaches of Lake Michigan, which is apropos because this museum is all about the maritime history of the area. This is a museum that has lots of things to read, so if you're into that sort of thing, you will love it. If you visit with young children, though, then this place might not hold their attention for very long. There are a few interactive exhibits, but for the most part, the exhibits here are just for looking at and reading. This museum is really cool, though. It is three stories, and there is an elevator inside which is handy for people with strollers or wheelchairs or those who just don't want to climb the stairs. The stairs can be a little steep, FYI. As you make your way through the museum, you'll see exhibits about explorers, lighthouses, scuba divers, shipwrecks, and lots more. By the time you leave, you'll have a greater appreciation of Ludington and the Great Lakes.

An excellent craft beer and wine festival. Includes many meads and ciders as well. Some…read moreestablished breweries as well as some new faces every year. The variety is great and everyone will be able to find a beer to match their specific taste. Dark or Hoppy as well as lighter lagers and pilsners abound at this event. Come early - stay late.

My 3 1/2-year-old absolutely loved this place! There were so many different areas to keep him…read moreentertained and occupied. We were the only ones there for about an hour, which was really nice. They even had a nursing area where I could comfortably feed my baby, plus a separate space for babies to do tummy time and play on the floor. I can definitely see us coming back during the summer on rainy days!

We were visiting the area for the 4th of July and needed some activities for two little ones (4.5…read moreand 2 year old boys) on a rainy morning. This is genuinely among the very best play spaces we've taken our kids to. There were activities that excited both of our kids, so many imagination spaces with high quality and engaging toys, and even the adults were playing! There was a small baby space that we totally would have used if we had one under 12 months or so, as well as a calm and quiet "outer space" room that our 4.5yr old loved when he needed a quiet and separate area. There were some bigger kid activities like coloring books and card games (memory match type games). There were books and toys donated by the local First/Native American tribe that were interesting and fun to learn from. Things were clean and tidy and staff were very kind. Not sure of the food and drink policy but there were some tables where one could feasibly have a snack or connect to WiFi to answer an email or two. Maybe the one thing that would have catapulted this place beyond any "play cafe" we've been to: a small snack and drink bar. All around, we were really happy to find this place!

Great collection of artifacts in a historic building. There are 4 rooms, yet all are full of…read morehistorical material. We spent about an hour. My wife's grandparents grew up in Manistee and we actually found records of their childhood and their parent's lives. Some of it is geared specifically to Manistee, yet a fair amount seems more history in general. Manistee has less than half the population from its' peak - and is interesting to see the bustle of 120 years ago.

Located  in the heart of Manistee in one of their many Victorian store fronts lies this almost…read morehidden specimen of Manistee County's History. A very modest entry fee of $3. The space doesn't seem that big, even though it is 4 rooms. However they have packed every square inch with artifacts. There really is a little bit of everything. From Cigar Displays to Elvis Presley. From a Victorian Sleigh to an old Drug Pharmacy. There's things from the 1880's all the way to the 1980's. This really is a must stop when visiting Manistee. I spent nearly an hour just looking at everything thing. I went around twice, because there was so much I missed things the 1st time around. My only minor complaint is: I wish there had been more directly about Manistee and especially the great fire. Most of the artifacts may be from the area, but it mostly doesn't tell about the area. Still I loved my time here. Overall a 5 star review! I will definitely be back!

Beautiful facility. Cheery helpful staff. They aren't super responsive to emails though. They put…read moreon beautiful spring and fall recitals at the Ramsdell theatre. Signed our girls up for a three day dance camp and they only danced on one of the three days. We were disappointed. Also, I am surprised by how revealing some of the recital costumes are. My oldest would never feel comfortable dancing in the dance equivalent of a bikini.