Bay View

Bay View is a Victorian summer community on the hillside just northeast of downtown Petoskey, and a National Historic Landmark. It is also a private association of residents, and some of it, the beach included, is for members and their guests. Visitors still get a lot. Its summer program of concerts, lectures and classes is open to the public, and you are welcome to walk the cottage streets and the woods. Come in summer, pick an evening concert or a lecture, and pair it with a day in Petoskey.

What visitors can and cannot do

You can:

• Go to concerts and lectures. The association says its classes and events are open to the public, and many are free. The Sunday evening vesper concerts in John M. Hall Auditorium run from mid-June into August; the opening concert is free with no ticket, and the rest are ticketed through the association’s box office.
• Walk the grounds. Use the association’s self-guided walking tour, a downloadable guide to the historic buildings and markers.
• Hike Bay View Woods. About 172 acres with nearly three miles of trails and boardwalks, open to members and visitors. No bikes, keep dogs leashed and stay on the trails.
• Play and paddle. The recreation program invites everyone to its morning tennis and pickleball sessions, and the Boat House rents kayaks, paddleboards and small sailboats in season, with rates listed for non-members.
• Eat and stay. Both historic inns take overnight guests, and the 1911 Restaurant is open to the public.

You cannot:

• Use the beach. The waterfront and beach are listed for Bay View members and guests. To swim, go to Petoskey State Park up the shore.
• Ride through the campus. Association policy asks cyclists to walk their bikes on the central campus. Pedestrians have the right of way everywhere.
• Treat it like a park. These are people’s summer homes. Stay on the streets and paths, and keep off porches and yards.

Getting there and getting around

US-31 runs through Bay View on Petoskey’s northeast edge. By our routing estimates, the drive takes about 3 hours 45 minutes from Grand Rapids, just under 5 hours from Detroit and about 7 hours from Chicago. Pellston Regional is about 40 minutes away by our estimate, Cherry Capital about an hour and 40 minutes, and Harbor Springs Airport a few minutes for private planes.

The easiest way in is on foot or by bike from Petoskey on the Little Traverse Wheelway, which passes by. Our sources do not cover visitor parking, so if you drive, ask the association or your inn.

Where to eat

• 1911 Restaurant. The dining room at the Terrace Inn, open to the public, with a seasonal menu built on local ingredients and a terrace over the cottage streets.
• Roselawn Dining Room. At the Bay View Inn, open seasonally and known for its Sunday brunch.
• The Gathering Post. The association’s own coffee stop, pouring a Bay View blend from Petoskey’s Roast & Toast with pastries, on weekdays. Its proceeds support Bay View’s historic buildings.

For everything else, downtown Petoskey is a short walk or ride; see the Petoskey guide.

Where to stay

Bay View has two historic inns: the Terrace Inn, open since 1911, and the Bay View Inn, a Victorian inn from the 1880s. The association also points visitors to local real estate firms for summer cottage rentals. See places to stay in Bay View, or stay in Petoskey and walk over.

One day

Coffee at the Gathering Post, then the walking tour through the cottage streets. Walk or bike the Wheelway into Petoskey for lunch and an afternoon at Petoskey State Park. Come back for dinner at one of the inns and, on a Sunday, the vesper concert. For a second day, cross to Harbor Springs or spend it on Walloon Lake.

With kids, and on a rainy day

With kids: A paddle from the Boat House, a woods walk and, on the Fourth, the children’s bike parade. On a rainy day: The Bay View Library, open since 1931, has more than 9,000 books and summer hours, or check the schedule for a lecture or class.

Best time to go

Come during the summer assembly season, roughly mid-June to mid-August, when most programs run. The education program stretches from May through October, but outside summer there is far less on. On the Fourth of July, Bay View has its own morning customs: a children’s bike parade, a parade and a reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of Hall Auditorium, which leaves the evening free for Petoskey’s fireworks. The Bay View Music Festival page has the concert season.

Winter

Bay View is a summer place, and its program runs mainly from mid-June to mid-August. The Terrace Inn lists itself as open year-round. For winter things to do, see the Petoskey guide.

Hours, menus and schedules change, so check with each place before you go.