The Greater Cleveland area has a lot to offer, but sometimes you’re just craving a little break, or an easy getaway – and there are few better places for a quick weekend getaway than along Lake Erie!
My husband Elliot and I recently spent a night in the community of Lakeside Chautauqua, and discovered what a fun overnight getaway it is, perfect for the whole family.
If you’re looking for a unique weekend trip this summer where you can enjoy some outdoor recreation and lake views in a community that feels like a big summer camp, here’s a quick guide for visiting Lakeside Chautauqua.
Note: This trip was a paid partnership with Lakeside Chautauqua. But, as always, all opinions and recommendations here are my own, and are based on my own personal experience.
What is Lakeside Chautauqua?
First of all, let’s talk about what (and where) Lakeside Chautauqua is. It’s a historic community located on the Marblehead Peninsula in Lake Erie that dates back to 1873, and is one of the few remaining Chautauquas left in the United States.
Lakeside Chautauqua was founded at the height of the Chautauqua Movement, an adult education and social movement begun in the US by the Methodist Church. The church established Chautauqua assemblies across the US and Canada, aiming to provide adults with opportunities to nurture the mind, body, and spirit in one resort-like venue. Think: adult summer camp.
Lakeside Chautauqua is still a church-affiliated resort, and blends the camp-like nostalgia of summer with arts, education, recreation, and religion.
How to visit Lakeside Chautauqua
People do live within the one square mile of Lakeside Chautauqua, though it’s still primarily a summer resort, with most homes there being vacation homes. From Memorial Day through Labor Day each year, Lakeside Chautauqua is a gated community that requires an admission fee to visit.
In order to visit Lakeside Chautauqua overnight, you’ll need to pay a Gate Fee and also an Auto Fee if you want to bring your car into the community. Gate Fees (tickets for every person in your party) are $33-$41 per adult per day, $18 per day for youth (12-21), $5 for kids (5-12), and free for kids under 4. There are also weekly and season passes available – see all rates here.
Auto Passes are $15 per vehicle if you want to park inside the community, and less if you want to park just outside in either the South Lot or Danbury Lot. If you opt to park in one of these outside lots, there are free golf cart shuttles you can use to get into town.
You’re encouraged to buy your passes online in advance, but you can also purchase passes at any entrance gate. Your pass (if you just purchase a day pass) is good for the day you enter through 7 p.m. the following day. Perfect for an overnight visit.
Note: You can get a free pass to shop, dine, or attend religious services within Lakeside Chautauqua. Then length of these passes depends on the activity. But since this post is about an overnight visit, I’m not covering those short-visit passes here!
Things that are included in a Lakeside Chautauqua pass
So other than entry, what are you paying for with that Gate Pass? The good news is, you have access to a lot within Lakeside. The Chautauqua movement centers around both recreation and education, and this is reflected in many of the things you can do at Lakeside Chautauqua.
Just a few things that are included in the price of entry:
- Access to the pool at the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus (plus free kids’ swim lessons)
- Use of shuffleboard courts (plus free beginner Shuffleboard lessons)
- Entry to concerts around the community, including shows at Hoover Auditorium
- Access to presentations in the Chautauqua Lecture Series and talks by keynote speakers
- Use of tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts
- Art classes and an open studio at Rhein Center
- Wellness and fitness classes like yoga
Lakeside Chautauqua also has weekly religious services that are open to all, and puts on several events and festivals throughout the summer season. Elliot and I visited during the Plein Air Art Festival and the Lakeside Wooden Boat Show, both annual events that were a lot of fun to see.
(You can find a full calendar of events at Lakeside Chautauqua here.)
Top things to do in Lakeside Chautauqua
Even though I didn’t personally spend my summers as a kid at the beach or on a lake, Lakeside Chautauqua stirred up a lot of nostalgic summer feelings for me; I would have absolutely loved this little town as a kid/teenager!
As an adult, it was an enjoyable getaway, too. Here are some of the top things to do on a weekend trip to Lakeside.
1. Walk along the lakefront
Lakeside Chautauqua is home to what it calls “Ohio’s Most Beautiful Mile,” a lakefront walking trail that offers up views of Lake Erie as you pass by pretty waterfront homes. The trail starts behind the Lakeside Gazebo in Bettinger Park, and follows the coast through Perry Park (which is home to pickleball courts, a playground, and more).
The walking path is indeed very beautiful, and is lined with flowers and trees – and even a few fairy gardens. Definitely make time for a stroll here!
2. Get a little competitive
There are so many recreation opportunities in Lakeside, but my two favorites are definitely the shuffleboard courts and mini golf course.
Shuffleboard is big in Lakeside, and has been since they installed courts here in 1928! Lakeside has a big facility in Bettinger Park with 26 different shuffleboard courts, and shuffleboard cues and discs are provided for play. They also offer free adult beginner shuffleboard lessons every Tuesday morning.
There’s also an 18-hole mini golf course in Bettinger Park with lots of fun obstacles and features – there’s even a mini Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial on one hole (and you can see the real thing in the distance from the Lakeside Dock!).
Mini golf is one of the few activities you have to pay extra for – a round is $4 per person.
3. Shop downtown
Lakeside Chautauqua is a tiny community, but it still has a handful of cute shops and restaurants along W 2nd Street and Walnut Ave especially.
We spent some time shopping at spots like The Fine Print (bookstore), Marilyn’s, Wise Woman Boutique, and Gifts That Give Back. The shops are all small and local, and I ended up finding some great gifts!
Afterwards, stop in to Coffee and Cream for an ice cream, and enjoy it while doing some people-watching in the outdoor patio space on Walnut Ave.
4. Enjoy the Lakeside Dock
Lakeside has a 700-foot-long dock that extends into Lake Erie. You can swim and fish off the dock, and it’s THE spot in town to go for a stroll at sunset.
There are also some rocking chairs under a roof overlooking the dock that are also in a prime spot for catching a Lake Erie sunset.
You can also rent kayaks, paddleboards, and small sailboats from the Waterfront Rental Center right next to the Dock. (Just note that these rentals do cost extra.)
5. Go for a swim
You can swim off the Lakeside Dock (and off the small sandy beach right next to it), and there’s also a small kids pool and splash pad right above the dock – great for families with young kids!
(Just note that there’s no lifeguard on duty for swimming in the lake.)
If a pool is more your vibe, you entry fee also gets you into the pool at the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus. This pool is large and really cool, with water slides and a zero-entry shallow end with some fun water features.
6. Go to a concert or lecture
Lakeside Chautauqua fills its summer calendar with a wide variety of educational lectures and music concerts that are free for everyone to attend!
The lectures uphold the “educational” pillar the Chautauqua movement was founded around, and Lakeside brings in several speakers every year. In 2024, lectures have covered everything from the Wild West to media literacy to television history to how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the world. (Check out the lecture lineup here.)
There are also lots of opportunities to see live music and performances; Lakeside Chautauqua hosts more than 75 concerts and shows every summer. (When we were there, the band 10,000 Maniacs was performing!)
Where to stay in Lakeside Chautauqua
We stayed at Hotel Lakeside, which is a landmark in its own right (it’s literally a National Historic Landmark!). The hotel sits right on Lake Erie and dates back to 1875. The hotel feels historic, with its large screened-in porch and high-ceilinged lobby, and in the past has played host to the likes of President William McKinley, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, and even Amelia Earhart.
You can get dinner (try the Lake Erie walleye or perch) and mocktails* at Hotel Lakeside, too.
*Note: Lakeside Chautauqua is a dry community, so you won’t find any bars or real cocktails on any menus here.
There are also several B&Bs and guesthouses within the community, like the Idlewyld Bed & Breakfast and Keystone Guest House.
Reasons to visit Lakeside Chautauqua
So why plan an overnight visit to Lakeside Chautauqua? Just a few reasons!
- It’s an easy drive from Cleveland; less than 1.5 hours.
- It’s in a truly beautiful location on Lake Erie – the summer sunsets here are hard to beat!
- The community is super safe; it’s family-friendly, and the sort of place you could let your kids wander and not worry about them. (Maybe this is why I feel like I would have loved it as a kid?)
- The nostalgic summer camp vibes; I felt like I was in a ’90s teen movie.
- It’s close to many other attractions within Lake Erie Shores & Islands, including Marblehead, Sandusky, Catawba Island, Kelleys Island, and Put-in-Bay.
Generations of families have made trips to Lakeside Chautauqua an annual tradition, and I can understand why!
Have you ever been to Lakeside Chautauqua?
Amanda was born and raised in northeast Ohio, and has always been a fangirl of her home state. Now, she’s sharing her love of the Cleveland area, highlighting all the best things to do, see, and eat in the CLE. She’s been running Cleveland Traveler since January 2019.