On this day in 1952, the S.S. Badger Carferry was launched by the Christy Corporation in Sturgeon Bay, making today her 70th birthday.
While she was launched in 1952, the Badger didn’t enter service until 1953.
She was part of a twin ferry service that transported passengers between Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Kewaunee, and Ludington Michigan all year round.
While car ferrying was a big business through the 50s, 60s, and 70s, it dwindled in the 1980s.
But in 1992, the S.S. Badger was given new life by Ludington native Charles Conrad, who purchased the 410-foot vessel and began offering car ferry services between Manitowoc and Ludington once again.
To this day, she still makes trips back and forth, taking both passengers and vehicles, recreational and commercial, across Lake Michigan.
This four-hour trip saves the average driver roughly 2 and a half hours of drive time and offers them a relaxing trip aboard a historic vessel.
The Badger is currently owned by Interlake Steamship Company and received a fresh coat of paint during the off-season.
