Spacious, Fun and Family Friendly Beach Home
Cottage in Gary, IN
12 guests · 4 bedrooms · 3 baths
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Free cancellationFull refund if you change your mind
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
About this cottage rental
Miller Beach is Lake Michigan’s hip but family friendly beach getaway, and the Blue Butterfly is its best bang for the buck at under 1.5 blocks from the beach. As one of only four beach communities nestled between the sandy shores of Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park, Miller Beach is located only 45 minutes from downtown Chicago and has something for everyone. Miller Beach’s blue waters, towering dunes and diverse ecosystems are ideal for beach goers, families, hikers, nature enthusiasts and those looking for a couple’s getaway or even a brewery tour.
About the Blue Butterfly
The Blue Butterfly is a spacious home with three floors of living that features four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, granite countertops, a dishwasher, a washer & dryer, a walk out deck, Internet & cable, four flat screen televisions, a Weber charcoal grill, a high chair, playpen, foosball and other entertainment including bean bag toss (corn hole) and board games.
Floor one features bedroom one, The Master, with a new California King memory foam mattress, a 40-inch television and a walk-in closet. The first floor also includes a fully equipped kitchen, a full bathroom, a living room, a dining room and a family room with a sliding door that leads onto the deck.
Floor two features two large bedrooms and a full bathroom with a jetted tub and skylight. Bedroom two, The Captain’s Quarters, includes two new queen size beds, a full size futon, a 40 inch flat screen television with Blu-Ray and a walk in closet. Bedroom three, The Pilot’s Cabin, includes a new queen size memory foam bed and is ornately decorated in honor of aviation pioneer, Octave Chanute, who designed and tested gliders in the Indiana Dunes. His ideas and advice helped lead the Wright brothers in creating the first successful airplane.
The basement features bedroom four, a half bath, laundry and the family/game room. Bedroom four, The Beach Hut, includes a new queen size bed, and the game room includes foosball and other games.
The backyard and driveway are enfenced and feature a swing set, patio set, adirondack chairs, Weber charcoal smoker and Weber charcoal grill. The Blue Butterfly accommodates parking for six.
We are happy to discuss ideas for planning your trip. We provide all guests with a Guide to Planning Your Trip to Miller Beach. Below are some upcoming events in addition to the premium outlet malls, casinos, world-class breweries, fall colors and much more listed in our guide.
About the Blue Butterfly
The Blue Butterfly is a spacious home with three floors of living that features four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, granite countertops, a dishwasher, a washer & dryer, a walk out deck, Internet & cable, four flat screen televisions, a Weber charcoal grill, a high chair, playpen, foosball and other entertainment including bean bag toss (corn hole) and board games.
Floor one features bedroom one, The Master, with a new California King memory foam mattress, a 40-inch television and a walk-in closet. The first floor also includes a fully equipped kitchen, a full bathroom, a living room, a dining room and a family room with a sliding door that leads onto the deck.
Floor two features two large bedrooms and a full bathroom with a jetted tub and skylight. Bedroom two, The Captain’s Quarters, includes two new queen size beds, a full size futon, a 40 inch flat screen television with Blu-Ray and a walk in closet. Bedroom three, The Pilot’s Cabin, includes a new queen size memory foam bed and is ornately decorated in honor of aviation pioneer, Octave Chanute, who designed and tested gliders in the Indiana Dunes. His ideas and advice helped lead the Wright brothers in creating the first successful airplane.
The basement features bedroom four, a half bath, laundry and the family/game room. Bedroom four, The Beach Hut, includes a new queen size bed, and the game room includes foosball and other games.
The backyard and driveway are enfenced and feature a swing set, patio set, adirondack chairs, Weber charcoal smoker and Weber charcoal grill. The Blue Butterfly accommodates parking for six.
We are happy to discuss ideas for planning your trip. We provide all guests with a Guide to Planning Your Trip to Miller Beach. Below are some upcoming events in addition to the premium outlet malls, casinos, world-class breweries, fall colors and much more listed in our guide.
Amenities
Pool
Air conditioner
Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Dishwasher
TV
Garden
Family friendly
Map of Gary, IN
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
10.0 / 10.0
This place was excellent for our large family of 7. More than enough space for everyone. The kids enjoyed all of the available toys. We also appreciated the extra well stocked kitchen supplies. The area was quiet and peaceful but still close enough to the main highway so that we could get out and about during our stay. Would be great to come back during the summer to enjoy the beach as well. Highly recommended.
8.0 / 10.0
The Walk 2 the Beach was Close. Loved 2 B able 2 walk 2 the Beach at least 2 times a day! The Property was Well Equipped, with plenty of space 4 our Family of 5 Adults, & 1 Child & our Fur Babies❣️🐶🐱 Our granddaughter had PLENTY 2 do with the Swing Set; Toys, & Riding Toy options❣️
10.0 / 10.0
This was our second year staying at this property and really enjoyed our time. House was clean and well stocked. We loved the spaciousness - plenty of room to spread out. Beach is very accessible and house is well stocked with beach towels, chairs, toys, etc. We enjoyed the addition of the new fire pit. Overall, a great stay offered by a great host. We’ll be back.
10.0 / 10.0
This was one of our favorite houses we've stayed at. It was perfect for our family. It was very spacious inside and very clean. The beds were very comfortable!
All of the things that we needed to have a fun day at the beach were included. And it was a very easy and quick walk to the beach. It felt like we had the beach to ourselves.
The kids loved the swings and foosball table. We also really liked the food at Depot Dog and Schoops.
10.0 / 10.0
We had a great time at the Blue Butterfly. It was a short walk to the beach and a short drive to Mt. Baldy Dunes. Great location. Lots to do. Plenty of room for 3 families. Thank you for a fun stay.
10.0 / 10.0
very nice place, clean, pet friendly and well stocked with kitchen stuff. About a block and 1/2 to the beach and easy drive to the national parks and hiking trails.
8.0 / 10.0
Three college roommates and our families with young kids stayed here and it was perfect for our needs. From the beach toys, towels, chairs, etc to the baby toys and games it was a perfect getaway. Close to lots of beaches and the National/State Dunes Parks.
8.0 / 10.0
nice home, poor communication
Home was spacious, clean, well-stocked. Beds were comfortable. Easy walk to the beach. Owner was not responsive to texts and questions, which was disappointing.
10.0 / 10.0
Blue Butterfly
Has exactly what you need and more which made it so easy for kids! Beautiful beach nearby. We had so much fun and felt right at home. Thank you so much!
10.0 / 10.0
Great place to stay!
We really enjoyed our week at the Blue Butterfly in Miller Beach. The property was great for our big family of all ages! Another plus was the easy walk to the beach.
10.0 / 10.0
Great house with space for a large family!
The house is in a great location close to Lake Michigan. It had everything we needed and the owner was very easy to communicate with. We had a great family vacation.
10.0 / 10.0
Beautiful Blue Butterfly
We really had an amazing time with our family here. The pictures don’t do it justice. Great fenced in yard, plenty of space for a large card game at the dining room table and a great back porch for breakfast and dinner gatherings. Super close to the beach, and a short drive to the national and state parks as well as plenty of close dining options. The house was clean, well stocked and in a great location. Easy check in and check out. I would highly recommend this for your next trip :)
10.0 / 10.0
Loved it.
Nice place
10.0 / 10.0
Great for a girls weekend away
We had 9 women in this house for a weekend. It was very clean, super cute, very spacious. We never felt cramped even with that many of us. I would highly recommend or revisit!
10.0 / 10.0
Terrific
So perfect for a small family reunion. All the appliances were quality. The beds were comfortable. Plenty of hot water. Well stocked kitchen and the property manager was always quick to respond to my questions. Thanks for a great stay.
10.0 / 10.0
Great group gathering
We were looking for a central location to bring friends and family from different areas. The location was excellent, the host provided everything necessary (and more), the property was clean and well provisioned. Everyone had a blast! We especially appreciated the extra air conditioner units upstairs. It was very hot week and we were all very comfortable.
10.0 / 10.0
Great home and location
The location to in relation to the beach was great. Property was fantastic. Amenities exceeded expectations. Pleased as punch with the whole experience
10.0 / 10.0
Perfect house for family beach vacation
We loved staying here! The house has everything you could possibly want/need for a beach stay. Elizabeth was super responsive and helpful whenever we had any questions.
Everything in the house is labeled, even down to the instructions on how to operate the showers (trying to figure out someone else’s shower can sometimes feel like you need a engineering degree). It’s really nice to have such a thoughtful host who clearly wants their guests to have a great experience.
The beach is only a few minutes away. We loved taking our Newfie down there to play and meet other dogs.
We highly recommend this property for any family that was to enjoy a relaxing beach vacation.
10.0 / 10.0
Great place for a getaway
Came here with my wife and some friends and it was absolutely wonderful. Very clean the host was kind and responsive and the beach was very close. It truly felt like a home away from home couldn’t recommend it enough!
10.0 / 10.0
Blue Butterfly is a real gem
This clean, well-maintained, well-equipped home has a pleasant surprise behind every closet (and garage) door. Set in the nice little hamlet of Miller Beach, it's a short, easy walk to the beach. There was plenty of room for our 3 adults and 5 children, plus our German Shepherd. There was a more than adequate supply of dishes and cooking implements, and plenty of linens, soap, and shampoo in case you forgot your own. There as even a container of Swiss Miss hot chocolate in the cupboards. The garage had 3(!) barbecue grills, beach chairs, and some toddler-sized toys. The yard is nicely fenced in the back, which allowed us to not worry about the dog on the leash when we were out with her in the yard, and even had an above ground fire-pit. Everything was in working order, including air conditioning which was definitely needed for a a few of the very warms days during our stay. There were plenty of TVs, though we didn't watch them much during our 8 day stay. The owner, Elizabeth responded promptly to my questions and was quite pleasant to work with. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and recommend this place to everyone.
10.0 / 10.0
Family vacation
There was some confusion or misunderstanding about the extra person charges. The host took her time explained that to me. The property is exactly what I expected. Close to the beach. Everyone had a great time. Thank you.
10.0 / 10.0
Blast at the Butterfly!
We stayed here as a family in 2015 and it was as great as we remembered it. Plenty of space, even with us having many adults in our group, which ranged in age from 17 to 81. Everyone got down to the beach and, as others have noted, just about everything you need is already there. Most critical to me: a fully appointed beach wagon made for sand (i.e., light with fat wheels that don't sink). the beach chairs and towels provided also made setting up for the day a breeze. Owners are a phone call away and ready to help make the stay trouble-free. Already planning for next trip!
10.0 / 10.0
Fantastic Rental!
We had a fantastic stay at the Blue Butterfly. We had another rental down the way for a wedding and had this rental for some extra parking and some extra beds. The host was super accommodating and allowed us to fit an extra car in the driveway in a reasonable manner. I was super impressed, this was a great value and the beach is beautiful. I think the pictures don't do it justice! 10/10 recommend.
10.0 / 10.0
Wonderful family getaway
This house was perfect for our family! It's located is a short walk to the beach, and the layout provides ample space for guests to spread out (bedrooms on each level, including basement). The kitchen was well-stocked, which made meal prep super easy. This is key given that Miller Beach has very few restaurants. The fenced yard was perfect for our dog! Highly recommended for families looking for a quiet beach getaway!
10.0 / 10.0
great place
This was a nice place very close to the shore, very clean, nice back deck, on a quiet street
10.0 / 10.0
Great Time at the Blue Butterfly!
The Blue Butterfly is a very friendly home for families and pets! The hosts are so accommodating and go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. It is an easy walk to the beach. We enjoyed our stay here!
10.0 / 10.0
Home away from home.
Everything was perfect, anything we needed was available from first aid kit to beach towels to the beach. We also was able to do a little grilling. The kids loved it so much they didn't want to leave.
10.0 / 10.0
Awesome Family Friendly, Loved The Blue Butterfly!
We had the best time here, even amidst the pandemic. They had everything you could possibly need at the house to do the cooking there and relax and play in the backyard after a day at the beach. We couldn't have asked for a better location. Elizabeth was very responsive and even brought us flashlights when the power went out. Would definitely recommend to others and plan on coming back!
10.0 / 10.0
We had a great time in this wonderful place!
We spent two nights at the house and loved it. The location is perfect — a block from the beach. The house worked well for our group of 9 (4 adults and 5 teens). The house was spacious, the beds comfortable — everything was great. The beach is currently “closed” due to COVID, but we did sunsets and sunrises with no problem. We were asked to leave the beach once by a friendly patrol officer. It is 1/2 an hour walk to West Beach.
8.0 / 10.0
House filled our needs, but needed thorough cleaning
The house was accurately portrayed in the listing but needed a deep clean. We found splatters on cabinets, toothpaste in bathroom, etc. We spent quite a bit of time cleaning once we got there to satisfy ourselves. The location was good, the beach was GREAT, and the backyard was perfect for hanging out and letting the kids play.
10.0 / 10.0
Great family time
Very nice home. Stocked with everything we needed. Property owner was very accommodating and has great communication with you.
10.0 / 10.0
Excellent Vacation Spot During COVID-19
We had a wonderful time. The location of this house is great. It's just a short walk to the beach. This part of the shoreline wasn't very crowded so you could social distance easily. This wasn't the case at the state and national park beaches. The house is just as advertised with A LOT of supplies.
10.0 / 10.0
Epidemic Excursion
Clean, spacious house great for social distancing!! Easy access to the private beach which also allowed for personal space. Plenty of amentities come with the house, all you need is a bathing suit! Will definitely recommend this home to anyone seeking a getaway at Miller Beach...
10.0 / 10.0
Great house close to lake beach
We have been coming to Miller beach for many years. This house and location worked out the best for us. We loved the backyard with swings and TV in every room. Great location close to lake. We enjoyed dinners at outside patio and campfire at night.
10.0 / 10.0
Nice place
The Blue Butterfly house is very nice. Lots of space and very clean. The house is one that you image would be sitting directly on the beach someplace that has been in someone’s family for decades. We really liked it. It is in an older neighborhood and the house next door is an awful site. But luckily you only see it coming and going. They also provided a lot of supplies like paper towels, toilet paper, shampoo, soaps etc. Over all we would recommend this house.
10.0 / 10.0
Great family getaway
The Blue Butterfly was everything we were looking for in a vacation rental. We had never vacationed with our dogs before so were a bit apprehensive about how it would work out. The house was perfect for us and our pets and I would recommend for anyone wanting a comfortable and clean environment to kick back and relax in. The beach we spent the most time at was close, mostly private and we we're lucky to have perfect weather for our 5 day stay. The house was also close to other attractions and we personally checked out the Lighthouse outlet mall and Xscape Quest escape room which were both in nearby Michigan City, Indiana. I would recommend both to anyone looking for entertainment nearby.
4.0 / 10.0
House plan is great and met our family needs. Just some minor issues.
The house plan/lay out was great and matched what was on the website. Outside had a lot of weeds. As a person who does not like weeds, found myself wanting to start pulling/cleaning up the outside. Also think there is poison ivy, sumac or some other poison vegetation out there as we had to keep telling the kids not to touch anything.
Per the pictures on the internet, thought the back yard was bigger. Brought a badminton set, as we though it would fit, not enough room. Swing set was great for the kids. There is a large hornet nest on the overhang above the deck, that was a concern as we hung out on the deck/back yard a lot. Do want to compliment: the place was fully stocked with toiletries, kitchen is stocked with pans/utensils, garage had extra charcoal, lighter fluid, beach items. The beach chairs were great. We are a family that brings a lot of this stuff with us. The website said you had everything, we still brought our own stuff but wouldn't have needed to,. As far as cleanliness, our biggest issue was that every time we would sweep the dinning area and kitchen there were always "hairballs". Not sure if they were human or animal. Also, the dinning chairs had hairballs on the bottom of the legs. We have pets and that is one thing I do when I clean is wipe off the bottom of the chair legs because hair accumulates there. There was no light bulb in the refrigerator. The outside door molding on the sliding glass door kept falling out of place and had to be manually pushed back in place. The kitchen sink is not attached to the counter top, the seal had previously been broken, and appears to be supported by the piping. The left side sink leaks between the seal and the tail pipe. This has been an obvious on going issue as the cupboard under the sink was wet and there is water damage in the cupboard and on the floor in front of the sink. After realizing this, we did not use the left side of the sink. We thought all this would have been caught by the cleaning crew. If you have any further questions please contact us: Jerry Roth 419-466-4757 or Tricia Roth 419-966-0061.
10.0 / 10.0
Good location
Property owner tries to have everything available for you that they can. Plenty of toys, games and beach gear. Close to beach, Michigan City and casino. House is clean and neat.
10.0 / 10.0
Everything you need!
This rental was more than I hoped for. A short walk to the beach, this house is well appointed and the outdoor space was so relaxing. The beds are so comfortable and the game room was great. Loved the keyless entrance allowing all of us to come and go as we pleased. Neighbors were nice too. A great little community and absolutely spectacular sunsets! Hiking is so close at West Beach. We had a delightful stay and thanks to the owners who always answered the phone and for sharing their wonderful home. Pack your swimsuit and toothbrush and head here.
10.0 / 10.0
Fabulous home, spacious, well appointed
It was a wonderful home to be able to share with our entire family while we attended our niece's wedding. We had everything a large family could need...multiple TVs, large yard, games, toys, well appointed kitchen, large deck and plenty of parking. We loved our entire stay!
FAQs
How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Gary?
The average price for a rental in Gary is $377 per night. This rental is $331 above the average.
Is parking included with this cottage?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Spacious, Fun and Family Friendly Beach Home. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this cottage?
Yes, a swimming pool is available for use at Spacious, Fun and Family Friendly Beach Home. Enjoy the water!
Is Spacious, Fun and Family Friendly Beach Home pet friendly?
Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Spacious, Fun and Family Friendly Beach Home?
We found 12 amenities for this rental. This includes pool, air conditioner, pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, and internet / wifi.
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