The SS Badger car ferry is the last coal-powered passenger steamship in the United States

In the early 1950s, the Ludington-based fleet received its last major additions with the SS Spartan and SS Badger, both considered the largest and most luxurious car ferries on the Great Lakes at the time. The SS Badger was built in 1952 by the Christy Corporation in Sturgeon Bay. The maiden voyage took place on March 21, 1953 and marked the beginning of a new era in regional transport. The service’s peak year was 1955, when the ferries carried more than 205,000 passengers and 204,460 freight cars on nearly 7,000 crossings.

However, in 1975, economic pressures caused the C&O Railroad, which had taken over the Pere Marquette Railway, to abandon the car ferry business. The SS Badger’s last operational trip took place on November 16, 1990.

However, that wasn’t the end for SS Badger. In 1991, Charles Conrad of Ludington purchased the SS Badger and her sister ships with the goal of reviving ferry service. Conrad, whose father worked for the Pere Marquette Railway, had a lifelong passion for the ferries and was dedicated to preserving their legacy.

What is it like to ride a badger? A trip aboard the SS Badger is a journey into a bygone era. Here is the experience.