National Lighthouse Day: Honoring Michigan’s Beacons of Light

Recognized annually on Aug. 7, National Lighthouse Day celebrates the importance of America's lighthouse heritage

National Lighthouse Day, recognized annually on Aug. 7, is a celebration of lighthouses and the commitment and service of those who tended America's lights for generations. Michigan is home to more lighthouses than any other state in the country, with more than 120 lighthouses keeping watch along the state's 3,200 miles of shoreline.

From tall and imposing like the Little Sable Lighthouse near Pentwater to diminutive and stout like the Detroit River Light near Lake Erie, each lighthouse has its own look and style while being originally constructed for the same vital purpose: to help safely guide mariners along the potentially treacherous waters of the Great Lakes.

Where are Michigan's historic lighthouses? See a map of Michigan's historic lighthouses here.

"Michigan's lighthouses offer an outstanding opportunity for people to connect with the Great Lakes and the longstanding maritime heritage of our state," said Michigan's State Historic Preservation Officer Ryan M. Schumaker. "A visit to a lighthouse is like a multi-sensory journey back in time: hearing the waves hit the shore, climbing the tower steps, feeling the lake breeze, and imagining what life must have been like for lightkeepers more than 100 years ago. Now in the 21^st century, Michiganders have the chance to live this history with a lighthouse visit and can also support the future of Michigan's lighthouses by selecting a Save Our Lights license plate for their vehicles."

Did you know you can help Michigan's lighthouses have a brighter future? Every Michigander who owns a vehicle can help preserve Michigan lighthouses. When you upgrade to a Save Our Lights license plate for your vehicle, you show off your love of lighthouses and directly support Michigan's lighthouse preservation and repair grant fund. More than $2.9 million has been awarded in Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program matching grants for dozens of lighthouse preservation projects and with your help, we'll have more grants to give in the years ahead. It's easy: Get the Plate, Save a Light! Get the plate here.

In celebration of National Lighthouse Day, here is a bit of Michigan lighthouse trivia - did you know these fun facts?

Where is Michigan's most remote lighthouse?

Stannard Rock Light, in Lake Superior. In 1835, Capt. Charles C. Stannard blew off course in a storm and discovered a shallow reef 25 miles east of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Thereafter known as Stannard's Rock, a lighthouse was built on the reef in 1882.

Bonus Trivia: Its isolation earned it the nickname Stranded Rock and designation as a "stag station," where only single Coast Guard men could be stationed. Even from the top, only water is visible in every direction.

Why are some lighthouses painted red?

Lighthouses serve as navigational aids both at night and during the day. When sailing, red-colored aids to navigation such as buoys and lighthouses always mark the right-hand side of a channel when sailing against a river current. Therefore, lighthouses on the right-hand pier when entering popular harbors such as Alpena, Charlevoix, Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, and South Haven are always red!

Where is Michigan's tallest lighthouse?

The Rock of Ages Light (1907), five miles west of Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and the White Shoal Light (1910), about 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, claim the titles as the two tallest lighthouses in Michigan, each at more than 120 feet tall. Both lights are isolated in their respective lakes, and neither are presently open to the public.

But if you want to get your steps in and climb to the top of a tall lighthouse, which ones should you visit? On Lake Huron, the New Presque Isle Light (1870) between Rogers City and Alpena rises 113 feet and visitors may climb 138 steps to the lantern at the top. On Lake Michigan, Big Sable Point Light (1867) and Little Sable Point Light (1874), both near Ludington, each rise to around 110 feet and offer 130 steps to sweeping views of beaches and dunes below.

Bonus Trivia: Both New Presque Isle and Little Sable Point were designed by Orlando Poe, chief engineer for the Upper Great Lakes Lighthouse District in the 1870s. With a slightly tapered design and stylized features such as brackets and arched windows, "Poe design" lighthouses are among some of the most elegant on the Great Lakes.

Where is Michigan's oldest lighthouse?

Fort Gratiot Light in Port Huron, where the first lamp was lit in 1829! Additional work in the 1860s gave the lighthouse its present form. It is now open to the public for tours. Over the decades, changes made to the lantern and watch levels of the tower diminished its appearance and compromised its historic integrity. In 2023, a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant hired a preservation consultant to rehabilitate the watch and lantern rooms at the top of the tower, including repairs to the interior and exterior metalwork, painting, caulking, and installing new glass in window openings. It now closely matches its 1930s appearance. License plate fund dollars hard at work!

Which lighthouse is closest to the Motor City?

A lighthouse may be closer than you think. Detroit is home to three lighthouses, and two of them are historic. The white lighthouse at William Milliken State Park on the Detroit Riverwalk is a modern (2004) replica of the Tawas Point Lighthouse (1876) on Lake Huron. On the border with Grosse Pointe, the Windmill Point Lighthouse at Mariner Park is a simple 1933-built lighthouse. Perhaps most interesting is the William Livingstone Light, accessible by a walking trail at the east end of Belle Isle State Park.

Bonus Trivia: The Livingstone Light is the only marble Art Deco style lighthouse in the entire country! The tower was constructed of Georgia marble in 1930 and is 47 feet tall, and named for William Livingstone, a former president of a Great Lakes shipping trade group. It's a great spot for ship watching.

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