Things to Do in Vermilion, Ohio

The sandy beach sits at the foot of Main Street, steps from downtown, with a big deck where people gather to watch boats and the sunset. At its west end stands the 34-foot Vermilion Lighthouse, a 1991 replica of the 1877 iron light. The original was pulled down in 1929 and, it turned out, rebuilt on Lake Ontario as East Charity Shoal Light.

★ Good to know A Fresnel lens was reinstalled in 2016, so the light glows red each night; come at sunset.

The Mystic Belle is a 28-foot flat-bottomed river boat run by Don Parsons marina. Its 50-minute narrated cruise covers Vermilion’s maritime history, waterfront homes, the Vermilion Lagoons and river wildlife like herons and turtles. The Lagoons, begun in 1928, are one of the country’s first planned waterfront neighborhoods.

★ Good to know Cruises run Memorial Day through Labor Day, Tuesday to Sunday, with sunset trips on Friday and Saturday; reservations are strongly suggested.

The Vermilion Historical Society’s walking tour starts at the Ritter Public Library at 5680 Liberty Ave. It passes the 1909 Wakefield mansion, the lighthouse and dozens of captains’ houses built from the 1830s to the 1920s. Styles run from Greek Revival and Italianate to Queen Anne.

★ Good to know Most captains’ homes are private, so look from the sidewalk; a few are bed and breakfasts.

Mill Hollow opened in 1960 as the first Lorain County Metro Park, and the reservation straddles the river below winding shale cliffs. It has about 5 miles of wooded trails, two ponds, playgrounds, disc golf and an amphitheater. Bald eagles are seen here almost daily, and spring brings bloodroot and Virginia bluebells.

★ Good to know The Benjamin Bacon House Museum, an 1845 settler’s home at 51211 N. Ridge Road, is usually open on Sundays in spring and summer.

This 1930s-style soda fountain and diner sits on the corner of Liberty Avenue downtown. It serves classic diner food and hand-dipped ice cream, and it does breakfast on weekends.

★ Good to know It’s at 5502 Liberty Ave., a short walk from the beach, so save dessert for after a swim.

About 9 miles south in Birmingham, this Lorain County Metro Parks garden covers about 70 acres on the Vermilion River. Otto Schoepfle built it from his grandparents’ farm starting in 1936 and donated it in 1969. It has a formal topiary garden, a shade garden with ponds, a children’s garden with restored carousel horses and river trails.

★ Good to know Late spring is best for the rhododendrons and roses.

Just west near Huron, this 573-acre reserve protects one of the last natural freshwater estuaries on the Great Lakes. It has marsh, swamp forest, a barrier beach and a visitor center with exhibits. American water lotus grows in the estuary.

★ Good to know Pair it with a drive along the lake toward Huron and Sandusky.