Five Great Lighthouses
1 Marblehead Lighthouse
110 Lighthouse Drive
Marblehead, Ohio
The 65-foot stucco tower on the Marblehead Peninsula is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Built in 1821 at what was then called “Rocky Point,” it was well known for its kerosene lantern and third-order Fresnel lens, which glowed far into the distance to provide ships safe passage. Although entry to the structure was forbidden after the last lighthouse keeper resigned in 1946, today tours of the cone-shaped structure are offered weekday afternoons from Memorial Day until the Friday before Labor Day, as well as the second Saturday of the month in June and July.
2 Fairport Harbor Lighthouse
129 Second St.
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
The 60-foot lighthouse standing just east of Mentor Headlands Beach was built in 1871, but its decommissioning in 1925 led to a 20-year period when it sat in disrepair. Happily, eight residents of Fairport Harbor had faith in the structure and close ties to the keeper’s family, so they successfully petitioned Congress to reopen the lighthouse in 1945. Its 69 spiral steps lead to a breathtaking view of Lake Erie. The site also boasts the oldest lighthouse museum on lighthouse land property in the United States. Artifacts include navigational tools, marine charts, the original third-order Fresnel lens and a possible appearance by the ghost cat, which volunteers call “Sentinel.”
3 Toledo Lighthouse
1750 State Park Road, No. 2
Oregon, Ohio • 419-836-1466
The 64-foot lighthouse was built in 1904 in Maumee Bay, five miles north of the shore. Its Romanesque architecture and extravagant facade make it not only unique to Lake Erie, but also an ideal couples getaway — which the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society intends to turn it into in the near future. The lighthouse is also the inspiration for the Toledo Lighthouse Festival (July 10-11), which will feature a lighthouse photo contest, rides, food and island-inspired tunes.
4 Dunkirk Lighthouse
1 Point Gratiot Drive
Dunkirk, N.Y. • 716-366-5050
Just south of Buffalo, the city of Dunkirk boasts a square-shaped, stone tower more than 60 feet tall aside a Victorian-style keeper’s house. In 1939, the lighthouse took the place of two older towers. Though unoccupied since 1960, when the last keeper left the property, the tower and keeper’s house are open for tours and showcase a wedding dress made from World War II parachutes. This lighthouse, too, boasts an alleged ghost, whom insiders lovingly call “Charlie.” The structure now serves as a weather station for the National Weather Service. Instruments and a computer at the tower’s peak transmit up-to-date information to the weather service and Coast Guard.
5 Point Abino Lighthouse
Point Abino Road North
Fort Erie, Ontario
905-894-5322
As marine traffic headed toward Buffalo increased, so did the number of boats that crashed into the lake’s rocky east end, spurring this temple-like tower to be built in 1917 between Fort Erie and Port Colborne, Ontario. The tower’s unique classical revival design led it to be named a National Historical Site in 1998, three years after being decommissioned. It’s now open for public tours the second and fourth Saturdays of June through September.
110 Lighthouse Drive
Marblehead, Ohio
The 65-foot stucco tower on the Marblehead Peninsula is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Built in 1821 at what was then called “Rocky Point,” it was well known for its kerosene lantern and third-order Fresnel lens, which glowed far into the distance to provide ships safe passage. Although entry to the structure was forbidden after the last lighthouse keeper resigned in 1946, today tours of the cone-shaped structure are offered weekday afternoons from Memorial Day until the Friday before Labor Day, as well as the second Saturday of the month in June and July.
2 Fairport Harbor Lighthouse
129 Second St.
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
The 60-foot lighthouse standing just east of Mentor Headlands Beach was built in 1871, but its decommissioning in 1925 led to a 20-year period when it sat in disrepair. Happily, eight residents of Fairport Harbor had faith in the structure and close ties to the keeper’s family, so they successfully petitioned Congress to reopen the lighthouse in 1945. Its 69 spiral steps lead to a breathtaking view of Lake Erie. The site also boasts the oldest lighthouse museum on lighthouse land property in the United States. Artifacts include navigational tools, marine charts, the original third-order Fresnel lens and a possible appearance by the ghost cat, which volunteers call “Sentinel.”
3 Toledo Lighthouse
1750 State Park Road, No. 2
Oregon, Ohio • 419-836-1466
The 64-foot lighthouse was built in 1904 in Maumee Bay, five miles north of the shore. Its Romanesque architecture and extravagant facade make it not only unique to Lake Erie, but also an ideal couples getaway — which the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society intends to turn it into in the near future. The lighthouse is also the inspiration for the Toledo Lighthouse Festival (July 10-11), which will feature a lighthouse photo contest, rides, food and island-inspired tunes.
4 Dunkirk Lighthouse
1 Point Gratiot Drive
Dunkirk, N.Y. • 716-366-5050
Just south of Buffalo, the city of Dunkirk boasts a square-shaped, stone tower more than 60 feet tall aside a Victorian-style keeper’s house. In 1939, the lighthouse took the place of two older towers. Though unoccupied since 1960, when the last keeper left the property, the tower and keeper’s house are open for tours and showcase a wedding dress made from World War II parachutes. This lighthouse, too, boasts an alleged ghost, whom insiders lovingly call “Charlie.” The structure now serves as a weather station for the National Weather Service. Instruments and a computer at the tower’s peak transmit up-to-date information to the weather service and Coast Guard.
5 Point Abino Lighthouse
Point Abino Road North
Fort Erie, Ontario
905-894-5322
As marine traffic headed toward Buffalo increased, so did the number of boats that crashed into the lake’s rocky east end, spurring this temple-like tower to be built in 1917 between Fort Erie and Port Colborne, Ontario. The tower’s unique classical revival design led it to be named a National Historical Site in 1998, three years after being decommissioned. It’s now open for public tours the second and fourth Saturdays of June through September.