We went to South Haven, Michigan this summer with my family and it was SO much fun. None of us had been to Lake Michigan before, and we all left the trip wanting to come back soon!
Our AirBNB was in South Haven, MI so that was our jumping off point to other towns and destinations throughout the week. For instance, we toured Holland Michigan!
We also spent lots of time IN South Haven itself, and found it to be a delightful coastal beach (lake) town.
For context, South Haven is one of many lovely beach towns along Lake Michigan.
My kids were ages 2, 5, and 7.5 on this vacation. We found there was lots to do to keep them occupied & interested! A few major pros of a Lake Michigan summer vacation in South Haven?
- The activities were equally appealing to the adults AND kids on our trip
- You can easily keep costs down pretty low by spending a majority of your time outdoors and packing food with you or preparing breakfast where you are staying
Here are 6 activities I’d highly recommend to your family for your next South Haven summer vacation!
1. Play & Swim at the Beach
The beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan are far and away the best reason to come to South Haven in the summertime! There are several different beaches to choose from.
The largest and most obvious beach options in South Haven, Michigan are located right near the famous red lighthouse (as seen in the cover photo): North Beach and South Beach. As you can see, an inlet of water separates them on a practical level, but on a map they are otherwise essentially next to each other.
We walked around here a bit, and really enjoyed walking along the pier to get a better look at the lighthouse. There are a lot of amenities near these beaches, such as a playground and restrooms and vendors, etc. North and South Beach also draw the biggest crowds.
We opted to spend more time at Packard Park Beach which is smaller and more remote. None of the pictures do justice to how delightful this beach was: the sand was SO soft, there was a gentle breeze, it had the grassy dunes that I love, and it didn’t feel too overwhelming or crowded– even in the middle of the afternoon.
Packard Beach is between Oak Street Beach (another great less-crowded beach area) and North Beach. There’s a parking lot right by Packard Park where you can pay a flat rate to park for the day (or park along the street for free).
2. Tour the Michigan Maritime Museum
I know I know… doesn’t necessarily sound super kid-friendly. But really, it is! When you first walk in, there’s this amazing education room designed for children. There are hands-on table activities like legos, thick ropes to try and knot, and coloring sheets. There’s a whole other area of that room with tons of nautical-themed board books and picture books for children. I could’ve stayed in that corner forever!
The museum exhibits themselves are very visually stimulating and pleasantly NOT fragile. There’s a particularly hands-on section towards the end where visitors can play deck games– just like those that passengers used to play while on board boat tours of Lake Michigan “back in the day”.
Learn more about the Michigan Maritime Museum on their official website HERE.
From the grandparents on down to the children and the toddler, our whole group enjoyed learning more about the nautical history of Michigan. We left feeling very impressed with the quality of this museum. I’d highly recommend it. One of the most fun parts is that if you go straight out back, you are right on the harbor and can look at boats first-hand.
In fact, that brings us to activity #3…
3. A Boat Ride on Lake Michigan
The Michigan Maritime Museum (not sponsored, just a fan) has several different options to get on a boat and cruise on Lake Michigan. 5 Options, to be exact. You can read all about their fleet HERE on their website.
The most exciting (yet still very safe) option for children is the Friends Good Will. It’s a replica of a merchant top sail boat from the War of 1812. There is an age requirement of at least 4 years old for this boat in particular (The Lindy Lou has no age restriction). It’s large enough to walk around and feel secure with sturdy sides.
Full disclosure: one of my boys LOVED it and the other got rather seasick. The boat was rocking pretty good once we got farther out. So I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for anyone who becomes nauseous easily.
All of the crew members were dressed in ye olde timey outfits and having the best time ever– many were there retired, just helping out as volunteers because they enjoy it so much. It was a really positive experience!
There’s even an “Adventure Sail” aka a Pirate themed cruise that sets off regularly– check this page for details.
4. Go Blueberry Picking!
Did you know that South Haven is affectionately referred to as the Blueberry Capitol of Michigan? And that’s saying a lot, because many cities and towns throughout Michigan have U-Pick blueberries available! Truly, the blueberries we picked this summer in Michigan were some of the most (if not THE most) delicious I’ve tasted. Even my son who is so-so on blueberries was enjoying them.
So… where can you get these delectable berries? There are several different orchards, and we actually went to two farms during our trip. My favorite blueberry farm we visited — and the closest to South Haven– is called Bumbleberry Acres (again, not sponsored- just had a wonderful day out there and want to spread the word!).
Here’s what is great about Bumbleberry Acres for kids:
- cutest barrel train for kids to ride around the farm
- small playground area to get wiggles out
- tons of LOW bush-style blueberries that were very easy to pick
- the friendliest teenage workers that were all great with kids
- small area with farm animals to visit
- Lots of homemade baked goods to try; the lemon blueberry cookie was a favorite in our group
You can find Bumbleberry Acres just 10 minutes from downtown South Haven. Learn more on their official website HERE.
U-Pick Blueberry season generally runs from July to early September. Definitely check websites, though, for regular updates, available hours, and current conditions.
5. Kids’ Corner Playground
This park was recently redone, and it’s SO cute and fun. It still has the classic timber style like before, but with more pops of color. It’s all sea-themed, which is perfect because the playground provides a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan.
We came here one late afternoon and stayed into the early evening. The weather was perfect! The kids all had a blast exploring and easily could have stayed much longer. It was one of the highlights of the trip for them.
There’s a large area designed for older children and another area (fenced-in!! woo!) behind it geared towards toddlers and preschoolers.
Last thing: if you do go here, PLEASE take note of how incredible the hydrangeas are all over the place in this surrounding neighborhood.
I mean…right???
Too much?
Ok, let’s get back on track…
Time to reveal the FINAL thing you should do with kids in South Haven, Michigan this summer!
6. Experience Sherman’s Ice Cream
I’m definitely not the first person to rave about Sherman’s Ice Cream and I’m certain I won’t be the last. Everything you’ve heard/read is true. It’s a South Haven staple, a summertime classic, an icon of Lake Michigan. Too far? I don’t know.
I do know that this ice cream was delicious. It was so delicious that we came back a second time. AND I bought a souvenir mug so that I could keep the pure joy of summer with me throughout the cold winter months.
You can peruse the various flavors on their website HERE. Peanut Butter Cup, French Silk, Mac Fudge, and Strawberry Cheesecake were a few of the highlights for our group.
Heads Up: The portions here are truly HUMONGOUS. The “Double scoop” is like….a small mixing bowl full of ice cream. You can get a baby (I die every time, it just makes me chuckle), single scoop or double scoop. I’m 80% sure the photo above was the baby size.
You’ve been warned. And this is coming from someone who is a pretty devoted fan of ice cream.
Sherman’s gets busy on those hot summer afternoons & evenings, but the line moves fast. There’s a decent amount of picnic tables scattered around the building, too.
ENJOY!
Your Turn!
Are you a fan of summers on Lake Michigan?? Have you been to South Haven Michigan before?
Leave me all of your tips in the comments below, we are definitely wanting to go back someday soon and explore even more!
And if you’re looking for more family vacation inspiration, be sure to check out these posts too:
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