Ludington offers a vibrant arts scene.
The arts scene in the Ludington region is vibrant and connects the community to a range of cultural attractions. Drawing, pottery, fiber sculptures, painting, jewelry and other objects of original fine arts abound in the area’s galleries and shops.
The Waterfront Sculpture Park features art you can touch along the harbor walk as well as a band shell with free concerts. The Ludington Mural Society showcases the city’s history in a series of murals depicting early American scenes on building facades. Nearly 70 professional and aspiring artists turned sheets of masonite and discarded piles of window frames into an artistic expression as part of the Ludington Area Arts Council’s “Windows of our Lives” project, located in downtown Ludington. Also in downtown Ludington, the City Park plays host to the West Shore Art League’s Fine Arts and Crafts Show the first weekend in July and the Chamber of Commerce’s artisans fair in August. Dozens of antique shops in the region hold treasures from the artisans of yesteryear.
A Rich Historical Legacy
The history of the Ludington region is tied to its waterways, home through the centuries to Native Americans, explorers and missionaries, lumberjacks and entrepreneurs. Founded in the mid 19th century, Mason County attracted settlers with its dense forests of tall pine and waterport shores. The arrival of French missionary and explorer Father Jacques Marquette in the mid 1600s marked the earliest days of the region. The Father Marquette Shrine located at the west end of Pere Marquette Lake off South Lakeshore Drive marks the site of his death in 1675.
In 1847, Burr Caswell settled at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River, beginning a small community known as Pere Marquette Village. The Village grew to become Ludington. Lumbering camps began dotting the region and by 1892, Ludington’s lumber industry produced 162 million board feet and 52 million wooden shingles, marking the county’s first industrial boom.
As the waterfront grew, so did downtown businesses. Ludington became a major Great Lakes shipping port and its “million dollar harbor” was dedicated in 1914. By the mid 1950s, Ludington was the largest carferry port in the world. That service continues today with the historic SS Badger, the last and largest coalfired carferry ever built. Today, the downtown area is alive with arts, culture, history and unique shopping experiences. As it did in the 1800s, the celebration of the region’s waterfront heritage continues, as visitors and residents alike enjoy the regional natural resources, miles of pristine beaches, dozens of inland lakes and the 5,000-acre Ludington State Park.
