S.S. Badger's Blog

  Looking for a fresh way to experience Lake Michigan this summer? The S.S. Badger is more than just a ferry—it’s a floating adventure with something for everyone. Whether you’re in it for the views, the value, or the voyage, here are three unforgettable ways to cruise on the Badger:   1. Sunset…

  Planning a big summer vacation can be overwhelming. However, you don’t need to travel far for a getaway! Michigan and Wisconsin offer a summer full of adventures perfect for day trips or long weekends, with activities for the whole family, no plane ticket needed.   Enjoy a Cruise on the S.S. Badger Explore the…

2024, BADGER, CROSSINGS, FERRY   LUDINGTON, Mich. – After a busy off season, the much-anticipated start of the SS Badger’s season is only days away. With several noticeable upgrades for 2025, the Badger will kick off her 72nd year when she officially sets sail on Friday, May 16.   The ship will depart from Ludington,…

LUDINGTON, Mich. — Sue McDonald likes to have fun at work. She started working at the SS Badger in 2024 as a galley prep cook, assisting the galley lead cook with preparing meals for the passengers and crew. Sue is retired and lives in Shelby, Michigan. She applied for the job at the urging of…

From left, Patrick and Nicole Nelson, Ann and Jeff Senglaub, Marissa Senglaub and Robert Ball. There is a common theme among the crew of the SS Badger: Family. Whether that is a closeness that is created through the shared purpose of working on a unique and historic vessel that has served the Great Lakes for…

The SS Badger’s 2025 sailing season will include regular overnight crossings from June 20 to Sept. 1. The regular season of Lake Michigan’s largest cross lake ferry is May 16 to Oct. 12. The daytime schedule is seven days a week, departing Ludington, Michigan at 9 a.m. (ET) and arriving in Manitowoc, Wisconsin at noon…

Modern view of the carferry docks In the early 1930s, the Ludington cross lake car ferry fleet consisted of nine ships that operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, transporting mostly rail freight from Ludington, Michigan to the Wisconsin ports of Manitowoc, Milwaukee and Kewaunee. For that fleet of…

SS Badger Entertainer Todd Hansen with Jr. Capt. Gabriel Mary Svacina has had a tradition of taking each of her grandsons on a Round Trip Mini Cruise on the SS Badger ever since they each turned 5 years old. Last summer, she took her youngest grandson, Gabriel. Svacina, 71, lives in Grimms, Wis., located in Manitowoc County, about 15 miles…

The S.S. Badger cross lake ferry features some of the best food and drinks on Lake Michigan. The 2025 sailing season features enhanced culinary and beverage choices. “We have listened to our passengers and are providing some new options to make their cruise an even more enjoyable experience,” said Wesley Paggeot, Lake Michigan Carferry director…

In the summer of 2024, Bill Bussell of Round Rock, Texas, along with his daughter and son-in-law, took a special trip on board the S.S. Badger cross lake ferry. Bill worked for the C&O Railroad’s Ludington car ferries during the summers of 1958 and 1959 while attending Michigan State University. Born in Capac, Michigan, Bill’s…

Technology on board the S.S. Badger spans nearly 200 years. One of the oldest forms of technology is the engine order telegraph (EOT), which is used to communicate between the pilot houses and the engine room. The EOT was created by an engineer and medical doctor named Charles Grafton Page (1812-1868) in the 1850s. The…

Lake Michigan Carferry Office Manager Shari Vandervest knows a thing or two about the car ferry operation. She has worked for LMC for three decades. “I was hired as a temporary worker with Manpower in 1994. I was only supposed to be here for six months,” Vandervest said. “Thirty-one years later, I’m still here and…