News Release

Memorial tours to begin on July 22

News Release Date: July 19, 2021

Contact: Barbara Rowles, 4192852184 x1225

Put-in-Bay, Ohio – The Memorial column at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial will reopen to the public on Thursday, July 22 at 10 a.m. after an extended closure.  

Superintendent Rowles said, “the staff and volunteers are excited to welcome the public back to the Memorial again. One of the best ways to gain a better understanding of the significance of the Battle of Lake Erie and experience the Memorial is to see the spectacular views of Lake Erie from the Observation Deck.” 

The Memorial will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the last trip to the observation deck at 5:30 p.m. Masks are required for everyone inside the Memorial column, regardless of vaccination status. Exceptions are for children under 2 years old and those with medical conditions that prevent wearing a mask.

The Memorial closed for tours at the end of the 2019 season and with the emergence of COVID-19 remained closed through 2020. The National Park Service (NPS) operational approach to reopening facilities is centered on examining each facility's function and service to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and will be regularly monitored. Working closely with the NPS Office of Public Health, the park is using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and workspaces are safe and clean for visitors, employees, partners, and volunteers.

Consistent with CDC recommendations, in other areas of the park people who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks indoors and in crowded outdoor spaces where 6 foot physical distancing is not possible.  

While the cost of the entrance fee to the Memorial has not changed, the method for collecting fees has. Starting this year, to reduce the cost of collection, improve security, and increase the amount of funds available to support critical park projects and visitor needs, the park will only accept credit or debit cards for entrance fees and passes. The entrance fee to the Memorial remains $10 a person which can be used for repeat visits for 7 days. Children 15 and under are admitted free of charge and must be accompanied by an adult.  

For more information and to plan your visit check the park website www.nps.gov/pevi and Facebook pages.