Things to Do in Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio, Season by Season

Geneva-on-the-Lake began on July 4, 1869, when Cullen Spencer and Edwin Pratt cleared land above Lake Erie and opened a public picnic ground they called Sturgeon Point. A carousel followed a few years later, then cottages and boarding houses. By the 1940s the mile-long Strip along Lake Road East was lined with visitors' cars. The village still calls itself Ohio's first summer resort.

A Curt Teich & Co. postcard of Geneva-on-the-Lake. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Vincent William is about 15 minutes west, in Madison, with a restaurant, a winery and an eight-room inn. This guide covers what to do in Geneva-on-the-Lake, what closes after Labor Day, and where to eat and stay.

The short version: go between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when everything on the Strip is open: arcades, mini golf, food stands and bars with the doors open. Go between September and May for the wineries, the state park trails and a quieter town. Most of the Strip's summer businesses close in September, but most of the bars, the wineries, the state park and The Lodge stay open all year.

The Strip

The Strip is the stretch of Lake Road East (Route 531) that runs about a mile through the village.

• Eddie's Grill has served foot-long hot dogs, burgers, root beer and lemonade since 1950. It opens on Mother's Day weekend and closes the Sunday after Labor Day.

• Madsen Donuts was started by Carl Madsen in 1938.

• Allison's Mini Golf opened in 1924. Its owners say it is the oldest miniature golf course in the United States in continuous play.

• Sport Center Arcade has been on the Strip since 1947 and still runs prize games.

• Adventure Zone has go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages and a climbing wall, open May through September.

• Old Firehouse Winery runs a Ferris wheel every night in summer.

At night the Strip is mostly bars. The Swiss Chalet & Beer Garden has been family-owned since 1921, and The Cove has had live bands for more than 60 years. Weekend nights in July and August are crowded and loud. A weekday evening is easier if you want to walk the Strip and still find a table.

Our Strip guide has addresses and directions.

Geneva State Park

Geneva State Park covers 698 acres of shoreline inside the village, and the grounds are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the year.

• Beach: a 600-foot sand beach with a designated swimming area. Dogs have their own swim area at the west end.

• Marina: about 380 slips and a six-lane boat ramp, open May 1 to October 31. Several fishing charters leave from here.

• Trails: six miles of multi-use trail plus a two-mile paved trail with views of the lake. In winter, when there is enough snow and ice, the park allows cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing.

• Lake Erie Canopy Tours: eight zip lines and sky bridges on towers up to 60 feet, plus kayak rentals on Cowles Creek. It runs from May through October. The 2026 season ends November 1.

Our park guide has directions from the inn.

Wineries on and near the Strip

Two wineries are in the village itself. Old Firehouse Winery is in the village's original firehouse on the Strip, serves lunch and dinner, and is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. From November 1 to April 30 it rents seven igloos, Friday through Sunday. At the east end of the Strip, Crosswinds Grille at The Lakehouse Inn pours the inn's own wines with dinner.

More wineries are a short drive south of the lake, about 10 to 20 minutes from the Strip:

• Ferrante Winery & Ristorante, a large estate winery with an Italian restaurant.

• Harpersfield Vineyard, with a fireplace in the colder months and small plates. Open Friday to Sunday.

• South River Vineyard, whose tasting room is a former church on a hill.

• The Winery at Spring Hill, which also makes cider and has live music Friday to Sunday.

All four are open year-round. The Lodge runs a wine shuttle all year, and our getting around guide lists local drivers. For a longer list and a suggested route, see The Best Wineries in the Grand River Valley.

What's open October through April

Off-season trips work if you plan around what's open.

Open year-round: The Lodge and its Horizons restaurant, Old Firehouse Winery, Crosswinds Grille, GOTL Brewing Co., Geneva State Park, and most of the bars on the Strip. The Cove, Sportsterz and Yankies book live music into December, and Noble Art Entertainment stages dinner theater at The Lodge through the holidays. Visit Geneva-on-the-Lake lists Madsen Donuts as open on weekends in the off-season.

Closed until spring: Eddie's Grill, Allison's Mini Golf, Sport Center Arcade, Adventure Zone, the Old Firehouse Ferris wheel, the marina after October 31 and the canopy tours after November 1.

Off-season dates for 2026:

Check the Visit Geneva-on-the-Lake events calendar before you go; dates and times change.

Where to eat

For a sit-down meal in the village:

• Horizons at The Lodge has a glass-walled dining room facing the lake and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

• Crosswinds Grille at The Lakehouse Inn. Reservations are recommended.

• Old Firehouse Winery, for lunch or dinner on the Strip.

• Piero's Pasta House, serving pasta, mussels and fish since 1997.

• GOTL Brewing Co., with outdoor tables over the lake.

• Mary's Kitchen, a diner of nearly 70 years, with cinnamon rolls.

• Driftwood Point, just west of the village, for Lake Erie perch and walleye.

Horizons, Crosswinds and Old Firehouse are open all year. Call the others before you go outside summer.

If you'd rather eat away from the Strip, our dining room in Madison looks north over the lake. Chef Jeff Gable cooks American food shaped by the family's Italian and Irish tables, using produce and meat from farms nearby, including Bonner Farms and West Orchards. You can see the menu and book a table. For more restaurants across the county, see our food tour of the Grand River Valley.

Where to stay in and near Geneva-on-the-Lake

The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake is the largest place to stay in the village: 109 rooms and 25 lakeside cottages beside Geneva State Park, open all year, with an indoor pool. If you are travelling with children, stay here; our inn is adults only.

In the village there are rental cottages, motels on Lake Road, the Eagle Cliff Inn, and The Lakehouse Inn, which includes breakfast and has a spa. There are also RV resorts and the state park campground, which stays open with limited services, and no water, from November through March.

At Vincent William, 15 minutes west, the inn has eight rooms, adults only, above our restaurant and wine bar. Each room has a private bath and a view of the lake, breakfast is cooked to order each morning, and inn guests can use a heated pool and hot tub above the water from May through November, weather permitting. It suits couples who want to spend the day in Geneva-on-the-Lake or at the wineries and come back to a quiet house for dinner. A two-night minimum applies in summer only. Check dates and rates.

Common questions

Is Geneva-on-the-Lake open in winter?
Partly. The Lodge, Old Firehouse Winery, the state park and most of the bars stay open all year. The arcades, mini golf, go-karts and Eddie's Grill close in September and reopen in May.

Are there wineries in Geneva-on-the-Lake?
Yes. Old Firehouse Winery is on the Strip and Crosswinds Grille pours The Lakehouse Inn's own wines. Visit Geneva-on-the-Lake lists more than 30 wineries, breweries and distilleries in the area.

How far is Geneva-on-the-Lake from Vincent William?
About 15 minutes by car to the Strip, and about 10 minutes to Geneva State Park.