
Perry Peace Memorial and Visitors Center
On 10 September 1813, Master Commandant Oliver Hazard
Perry met and defeated a British flotilla, under
Commander Robert Heriot Barclay, at the Battle of Lake
Erie. With a squadron of nine ships, manned as a mixed
crew of soldiers, marines, and sailors, Perry achieved
one of the most significant victories of the War of
1812. At the most crucial period of the engagement, with
the flagship the Lawrence battered into a helpless
wreck, Perry transferred his command to the U.S. Brig
Niagara, aboard which he broke the British battle line
and achieved his great triumph. Moments after the final
gun went silent, Perry wrote his now famous message to
General William Henry Harrison: " We have met the enemy
and they are ours."
In the decades following the battle, several
movements were generated to construct a monument to
Perry. Enthusiasm was plentiful, but finances were not.
It was not until 1910, with the centennial of the battle
approaching that the dream of building the Perry
Memorial actually came to pass. Begun in October of
1912, Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
opened to the public in June of 1915. In 1936, the
Memorial was declared a National Monument by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, at which time the memorial became
part of the National Park System.
Rising 352 feet above Lake Erie, the Perry Memorial
is the most dominant feature of the Lake Erie Islands.
Interred beneath the rotunda floor are the remains of
the three American and three British officers who were
killed during the Battle of Lake Erie. Carved in the
rotunda walls are the names of Perry's vessels along
with the names of the Americans who were killed or
wounded in the battle. After a climb of 37 steps to the
lower landing, an elevator takes visitors to an open-air
observation deck 317 feet above Lake Erie.
On a moderately clear day the observation deck offers
a panoramic view of the Lake Erie Islands and the
shorelines of Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario. From mid-June
through the end of August, Park Rangers offer
interpretive talks about the Battle of Lake Erie, the
War of 1812, construction of the monument, and other
topics of interest. Talks normally occur on the plaza at
the base of the Memorial and are usually offered on the
hour from 11:00 am to 5 pm. On weekends, Rangers offer
living history demonstrations. Dressed in War of 1812
military and civilian uniforms, Rangers present talks
about the battle and the war, concluded with a firing
demonstration of reproduction flintlock muskets and
rifles. On scheduled weekends there are firing
demonstrations of a reproduction 32-pounder carronade.
In 2002, the National Park Service opened a new $2.4
million visitor center. The Perry Victory Visitor Center
features a 15-minute movie about the War of 1812 and the
Battle of Lake Erie, a large display area, three large
historically accurate paintings of the battle and a gift
shop. The centerpiece of the visitor's center is the
1860 statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, on
permanent loan from the city of Perrysburg, Ohio. The
statue is Ohio's first public memorial.
Operating Hours & Seasons
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LATE APRIL TO
MID-MAY, SEPTEMBER to MID-OCTOBER: 10AM to 5PM
daily |
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MID-MAY TO
MID-JUNE & SEPTEMBER: 10AM to 6PM daily |
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MID-JUNE TO
SEPTEMBER: 10AM to 7PM daily |
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LATE OCTOBER TO LATE
APRIL: Open by prior appointment |
Make appointment by mail:
93 Delaware Ave
PO Box 549
Put-in-Bay, OH 43456-0549
Phone: 419-285-2184
Fax: 419-285-2516
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