PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio — Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial located on Put-in-Bay island announced a day of free admission to the public to celebrate a momentous occasion.
On Tuesday, June 13, the park is celebrating the 108th anniversary of the Memorial’s opening. The memorial signifies the long-lasting peace between the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada following the Battle of Lake Erie. The normal $10 fee to enter is being waived for the entire day.
Not only can visitors enjoy the views for free from atop the Memorial’s 352 foot observation deck, they also have the unique opportunity to bring a piece of mail to be hand stamped by Put-in-Bay Postmaster John R. Domer in the rotunda of the Memorial from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. on June 13.
“We are delighted Postmaster Domer will join us to unveil the new cancellation stamp and to offer this experience to the public,"said Superintendent Barbara Rowles. "The $10 entrance fee to the Memorial’s observation deck will be waived for the entire day, so the cost on June 13 will be very close to the price of admission in 1915, which was $0.25."
The park worked with Dave Gill to develop a new hand cancellation stamp under the U.S. Postal Service Postmark America program. The new stamp will be available upon request at the Put-in-Bay Post Office following it's June 13 debut. The artwork for the cancellation stamp, created by David Peltier, features and image of the grand Memorial.
Made of Milford pink granite and offering sites of the Lake Erie Islands as well as the shorelines of Ohio, Michigan and Ontario, the Memorial was constructed between 1912 and 1915 and houses the remains of three American and three British officers killed in the Battle of Lake Erie.
A reserved time ticket is required and can be purchased in the visitor center. The observation deck and visitor center are open daily now to Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Starting Sept. 11, the closing time will change to 5 p.m.
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