Michigan Lighthouses: Western Lower Peninsula

The U.S. state of Michigan comes in two parts: the Lower Peninsula (between Lakes Huron and Michigan) and the Upper Peninsula (between Lakes Michigan and Superior). Putting the two together, the state has an astonishingly long coastline, so it is not surprising that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other U.S. state, by quite a large margin. The Directory has information on more than 130 sites.

This lighthouse heritage is well recognized. Michigan is the only state that supports lighthouse preservation with a program of annual grants from the state to local preservation groups. All over the state, volunteers are working hard to save and restore lighthouses. There is a state preservation society, the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, and the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is also based in the state.

This page includes lighthouses of the west coast of the Lower Peninsula, which faces Lake Michigan. There's another page for the east coast.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. USCG numbers are from Volume VII of the United States Coast Guard Light List.

What's Hot:

Volunteers needed to help open Mission Point Light to the public

Holland "Big Red" Light transferred to Historical Commission

Grand Traverse Light needs $40K for urgent repairs

Grand Traverse Light, Traverse City, September 2006
anonymous Creative Commons photo

General Sources
Seeing the Lights: The Lighthouses of Michigan: A wonderful site by Terry Pepper, with fine photos, accounts of recent visits to many of the lighthouses, and extensive historical information.
Michigan Lighthouses: Excellent photos and information posted by Kraig Anderson.
Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: Maintained by Neil Schultheiss, this very fine site has excellent photos and accounts for most of the state's lighthouses.
National Maritime Inventory - Michigan: Inventory of Michigan lighthouse data.
Beacons in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan: An online resource posted by the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University. Includes a general history and a detailed chronology of Michigan lighthouses.
Detroit River Lights: Photos taken in August 2007 and posted by Noah Greenia.
Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association: GLLKA encourages lighthouse preservation throughout the Great Lakes states, but it is best known for its work preserving the Round Island and St. Helena Island Lights in the Straits of Mackinac area.
Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy: This organization is dedicated to the preservation of lighthouses and life saving stations throughout the state.
Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival: Based in Alpena, the festival is held annually in mid October and supports preservation efforts, especially for lighthouses of northwest Lake Huron and the Mackinac Straits area.
Michigan Lighthouse Project: Information posted by the Michigan Department of State, which administers state grants for lighthouse preservation.

Western Straits of Mackinac Lighthouses
McGulpins Point: 1869. Inactive since 1906. Approx. 40 ft (12 m) octagonal cylindrical brick tower attached to 2-story Norman Gothic brick keeper's house. Lantern removed, but the gallery and its railing are preserved. Anderson has good current photos and driving directions. A private residence, very well maintained. In 2005 the property was for sale for $1.75 million; by early 2008 the price had been lowered to $975,000. Located at the end of Headlands Road about 3 miles (5 km) west of Mackinaw City; Google has a satellite view. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-487.
Waugoshance: 1851. Inactive since 1912. 76 ft (23 m) ruined round brick tower, formerly encased in iron, mounted on a stone crib. Very rare original "birdcage" lantern. Previously used for bombing and strafing practice, the lighthouse is gravely endangered and deteriorating. Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. The Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society has begun working on the preservation of the lighthouse; the first priority is raising funds to stabilize the building. The Society hopes to secure a lease on the light station. Located about 2 miles (3 km) northwest of Waugoshance Island. Accessible only by boat in dangerous waters. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-874.
White Shoal: 1910. Active; focal plane 125 ft (38 m); white flash every 4 s. 121 ft (37 m) round steel and terra cotta block tower (brick lined), incorporating keeper's quarters, mounted on a timber and concrete crib; 190 mm lens. Tower painted with distinctive red and white stripes in a "candy-stripe" spiral pattern (the only U.S. lighthouse with this daymark); lantern and gallery are red. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The original bivalve 2° Fresnel lens is on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point on the Upper Peninsula. Anderson has great photos. Located 2.6 miles (4.2 km) northwest of Waugoshance Island. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-886; USCG 7-17750.
Grays Reef: 1936. Active; focal plane 82 ft (25 m); red flash every 10 s. 65 ft (20 m) octagonal cylindrical Art Deco steel tower on square concrete keeper's quarters, mounted on concrete and stone crib; solar-powered 190 mm lens. The tower is surmounted by a tall antenna. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s) as needed. The original 3-1/2° Fresnel lens is on display at the Harsha House Museum in Charlevoix. Sibling of Minneapolis Shoal Light (see below). Anderson has good photos. Located 4 miles (6.5 km) west southwest of Waugoshance Island. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-343; USCG 7-17775.
Ile aux Galets (Skillagalee): 1888. Active; focal plane 58 ft (17.5 m); white flash every 6 s. 58 ft (17.5 m) octagonal brick tower; 300 mm lens (1969). Lighthouse painted white; lantern, watch room, and gallery black. The keeper's house (formerly attached) and all other light station buildings were demolished in 1969. Sibling of Port Sanilac Light (see above). Anderson has a wintry aerial photo. Located on a low island about 8 miles (13 km) west northwest of Cross Village. Accessible only by boat in dangerous waters, and there are no facilities for landing on the island. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-399; USCG 7-17795.
Traverse Area Lighthouses
Little Traverse (Harbor Point): 1884. Inactive since 1963. 40 ft (12 m) square cylindrical brick tower, unpainted, attached church-style to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house. Lantern painted white with a red roof. Original 4° Fresnel lens still mounted in tower. Very rare square pyramidal wood fog bell tower (1896) with the original striking mechanism intact. Modern light (focal plane 73 ft (22 m), green flash every 6 s) on a 41 ft (12.5 m) steel skeletal tower, painted white, on the point east of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is located at the end of Harbor Point, a gated community in Harbor Springs. Visible from boats entering or leaving the harbor; also visible on harbor tours from Petoskey available in season. Site and tower generally closed; in recent years special tours have been available once or twice each year. Owner/site manager: Harbor Point Association. ARLHS USA-444; USCG 7-17855.
* State Street Pier: 1963? Active; focal plane 38 ft (11.5 m); continuous red light. Navigation light mounted atop a cupola on the roof of a restaurant on the pier. A closeup photo is available. This light was installed around the time the Harbor Point lighthouse was deactivated. Located on East Bay Street at the foot of State Street, off MI 119 in downtown Harbor Springs. Site and restaurant open. Site manager: Stafford's The Pier Restaurant. ARLHS USA-1326; USCG 7-17865.
[Petoskey]: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 ft (13.5 m); red flash every 2.5 s. 33 ft (10 m) round "D9" round cylindrical steel tower, painted white, on a red square concrete base. This is one of many modern pierhead lights of similar design throughout the Great Lakes, but it is highly visible and is regarded locally as a lighthouse. In the winter of 2006 a violent storm damaged the breakwater, but the light was not affected. Located at the end of the breakwater at the entrance to the harbor. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1085; USCG 7-17915.


Mission Point (2): 1933? Active; focal plane 41 ft (12.5 m); white flash every 6 s. 25 ft (7.5 m) round cylindrical steel tower rising from a square 1-story equipment room and mounted on a circular crib. Located offshore from the old lighthouse; easily seen from the shore. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1098; USCG 7-18145.
**** Grand Traverse (Northport) (2): 1858 (station established 1852). Inactive since 1972. 47 ft (14.5 m) square cylindrical brick tower rising from 2-1/2 story brick keeper's quarters. Building painted white, roof red, lantern black. Brick fog signal building (1899) and oil house. Diaphone fog signal (1934, inactive since 1966) restored in 2000 and operated on Saturdays in the summer. Modern light (1972; focal plane 50 ft (15 m); white flash every 6 s) on a 41 ft (12.5 m) square cylindrical steel skeletal tower. A photo appears at the top of this page. An article in the Northern Michigan Journal has the history of the light station. The light station is a museum; 4° Fresnel lens (1870) on display. The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Foundation has worked since 1987 to restore and maintain the lighthouse. In 2001, a state grant of $14,500, matched by private donations, was used to repaint the building. The 150th anniversary of the light station was celebrated on July 20, 2002. Lighthouse Digest has a March 2003 feature on preservation efforts. Ownership of the light station was transferred to the state on September 22, 2003. In 2006, an urgent appeal was made for $45,000 needed for urgent repair of moisture damage to the foundation and floor joists. Since 2004, volunteer keepers spend two-week tours of duty at the lighthouse. Located at the end of MI 201 on the point separating Traverse Bay from Lake Michigan. Site open (state park entry fee), museum and tower open daily May through October, also weekends in November. Owner: Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (Leelanau State Park). Site manager: Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. ARLHS USA-332; USCG 7-18110.
Beaver, Fox, and Manitou Islands Lighthouses
Squaw Island: 1892. Inactive since 1928. Approx. 15 m (50 ft) octagonal cylindrical brick tower attached to a 2-story brick Norman Gothic keeper's quarters. The building is unpainted red brick; lantern is painted black. Brick fog signal building and brick oil house. Anderson has aerial photos. Private residence. Lighthouse Digest has an article on the history of the light station. This lighthouse, long abandoned, was in very poor condition until the present owner began restoring it. Located on a remote island 6 miles (10 km) northwest of St. James (Beaver Island). Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-786.

South Fox Island (1): 1867. Inactive since 1934. 30 ft (9 m) round cylindrical brick tower attached church-style to a brick keeper's house. The 4° Fresnel lens from this lighthouse is now displayed in the tower of Old Presque Isle Light (see above). Building painted white, lantern white with a red roof. Previously abandoned and endangered by neglect. In October 2000 the state proposed a land swap with David Johnson, the developer who owns most of the island; the swap would have placed the light station under private control. Strong opposition from preservationists led the developer to scale back his plans in November 2001, leaving the station in state ownership. In late 2004, a preservation group was organized to work for restoration of the South Fox Island lighthouses. Volunteers have been working steadily since then, and there has been considerable progress in stabilizing and refurbishing the light station buildings. Located at the southernmost tip of the island. Accessible only by boat; passenger ferry and camping on the island available. Site and tower closed. Owner: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Site manager: Fox Island Lighthouse Association. ARLHS USA-771.
South Fox Island (2): 1905 (relocated here in 1934). Inactive since 1959. 60 ft (18 m) square pyramidal cast iron "Sanibel class" skeletal tower with central cylinder, lantern, and gallery. Originally built in 1905 at Sapelo Island, Georgia, the lighthouse was dismantled and transferred to this site in 1934. The Coast Guard has a photo of South Fox Island showing both towers, and a historic photo of this tower at Sapelo Island. When it was active, the lighthouse was painted white, with a black lantern and watch room; today it is mostly black with rust. In late 2004, a preservation group was organized to work for restoration of both South Fox Island lighthouses. Located adjacent to the earlier lighthouse. Site and tower closed. Owner: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Site manager: Fox Island Lighthouse Association. ARLHS USA-1327.
North Manitou Shoal: 1935. Active; focal plane 79 ft (23 m); red flash every 15 s. 63 ft (19 m) square cylindrical steel tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 2-story square steel keeper's quarters, mounted on concrete crib; solar-powered light (2000). Lighthouse painted white with black trim; lantern black. Fog horn (2 blasts every 20 s) as needed. Sibling of DeTour Reef Light in Lake Huron. Bryan Penberthy has a photo by Dennis Kent. The North Manitou Lighthouse Preservation Society, organized in December 2000, was working for restoration and maintenance of the light station; current information is needed. Located midway between North Manitou Island and the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-554; USCG 7-18340.
** South Manitou Island (2): 1858 (station established 1840). Inactive since 1872. 2-1/2 story brick keeper's quarters; light tower removed in 1872. The building remained in use as the keeper's house for the 1872 lighthouse (next entry). ARLHS USA-1328.
** South Manitou Island (3): 1872 (O.M. Poe). Inactive since 1958. 104 ft (31.5 m) round brick tower attached to a 2-1/2 story brick keeper's quarters (1858). Fog signal building (1875). Anderson has sveral good photos. The National Park Service, which has a page describing the island, is studying restoration of the light station. Formerly endangered by beach erosion, which is now controlled by a seawall. Lighthouse Digest has an October 2002 article. Located on the southeast corner of the island, within walking distance of the ferry dock and island visitor center. Accessible by passenger ferry from Leland. Site open (park entry fee), visitor center open daily mid-May through October, tower open to guided tours in season. Owner: U.S. National Park Service. Site manager: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. ARLHS USA-773.
Northern West Coast Lighthouses
* Manning (Robert H. Manning Memorial): 1991. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 38 ft (11.5 m); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 35 ft (11 m) round cylindrical stucco-clad wood tower, painted white; lantern painted black. A fine 2007 closeup is available. The tower is designed to resemble the tower of the Point Betsie Light. Located in Empire Beach Park on Lake Street (South Lake Michigan Drive) in Empire; Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Town of Empire. ARLHS USA-1268; USCG 7-18366.

* Frankfort North Breakwater: 1912 (relocated 1932). Active; focal plane 72 ft (22 m); continuous white light. 67 ft (20 m) square pyramidal steel tower with lantern and gallery, on a 2-story square steel base, built at the end of the breakwater. 4° Fresnel lens in use. Lighthouse painted white; gallery and lantern roof are black. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The lighthouse was built at the end of the old North Pier in 1912; it then stood 44 ft (13.5 m) tall. A historic photo shows the lighthouse in its original form. In 1932 the lighthouse was moved to the new North Breakwater and lifted onto the 2-story base. A closeup photo is available. There is an active Coast Guard Station at the foot of the breakwater. Located on the north side of the Betsie Lake entrance, south of the foot of Main Street in Frankfort. Accessible in calm weather by walking the breakwater; parking available nearby. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-308; USCG 7-18375.
[Frankfort South Breakwater]: Active; focal plane 46 ft (14 m); red flash every 4 s. 40 ft (12 m) round cylindrical steel "D9" tower, painted white with a single red horizontal band. A photo showing both Frankfort lights clearly is available. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1075; USCG 7-18385.
* Portage Lake North Pierhead (3): Date unknown (station established 1891). Active; focal plane 32 ft (10 m); green flash every 4 s. 20 ft (6 m) round cylindrical "D9" steel tower, painted white with a single green band, mounted on a square 1-story concrete equipment shelter. Fog horn (blast every 15 s) as needed. A photo is available. The original light here was a wood pyramidal tower; it was replaced by a skeletal tower in 1930 and by the present tower in recent years. Located at the end of the pier at Portage Point off MI 22 about 10 miles south of Arcadia. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-656; USCG 7-18415.
** Ludington North Breakwater (2): 1924 (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 55 ft (17 m); green light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 57 ft (17.5 m) square pyramidal steel tower, mounted on a prow-shaped concrete base designed to break the force of storm waves. Lighthouse painted white; lantern is black. The original 4° Fresnel lens is on display at the Rose Hawley Museum at White Pine Village near Ludington. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s) as needed. A good photo is available. The lighthouse replaced an 1871 wood tower. Renovated by the Coast Guard in 1993, the lighthouse has a slight lean, which was not corrected. In 2002, the city of Ludington, the Mason County Historical Society, and the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association were working on a plan to lease the tower and the nearby Coast Guard station, which is scheduled to be replaced. However, in 2005, the lighthouse became available for transfer under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. In May 2006, the city's application was approved by the National Park Service, and the transfer to city ownership occurred shortly thereafter. Also in May 2006, the light was changed from white to green to help boaters distinguish it from the lights of the town. Located at the end of Lakeshore Street, just of MI 116 in downtown Ludington. Accessible in calm weather by walking the pier. Site open, tower open on weekends during the summer, weather permitting. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-460; USCG 7-18530.
* [Ludington South Breakwater (2)]: 1960s (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 30 ft (9 m); red flash every 2.5 s. 25 ft (7.5 m) white round cylindrical "D9" steel tower with a single horizontal red band. Located at the end of the breakwater; clearly visible from the North Breakwater Light. Accessible in calm weather by walking the pier. Site open, closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1081; USCG 7-18555.

Southern West Coast Lighthouses
**** White River: 1876. Inactive since 1960. 38 ft (11.5 m) octagonal cylindrical limestone tower attached to a 1-1/2 story Norman Gothic limestone keeper's quarters. Building is unpainted stone; lantern painted black. The lighthouse houses a museum; the original 4° Fresnel lens is on display. Local citizens contributed the funds to buy the light station when it was decommissioned. Lighthouse Digest had a feature article in February 2002, and Terry Pepper has a great page for the light. Located on Murray Road in Wabaningo, west of Whitehall. A state grant provided exterior restoration and trim painting in 2000. Site open, museum and tower open daily except Monday in the summer, plus Memorial Day weekend and weekends in September. Owner: Fruitland Township. Site manager: White River Light Station. ARLHS USA-885.
[Muskegon North Breakwater]: Active; focal plane 34 ft (10 m); green flash every 4 s. White round cylindrical "D9" steel tower with a single green band. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. USCG 7-18720.
Muskegon South Pierhead: 1903. Active; focal plane 50 ft (15 m); red flash every 4 s. 48 ft (14.5 m) round cast iron tower at the end of the breakwater; 300 mm lens. Entire lighthouse painted red. Former Coast Guard station at the foot of the pier now houses a NOAA research facility and seasonal Coast Guard detachment. Anderson has a good photo showing both light and station. Located at the end of the south pier at the harbor entrance, at Fulton and Beach Streets in Muskegon; Google has a satellite view. Site open with NOAA permission, tower closed. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: NOAA Lake Michigan Field Station. ARLHS USA-1082; USCG 7-18710.
Muskegon South Breakwater: Active; focal plane 70 ft (21 m); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 53 ft (16 m) square pyramidal steel tower mounted on a square steel equipment room. Entire structure painted red. Fog horn (2 blasts every 20 s) as needed. A photo shows the lighthouse with the tall ship Europa in 2003, and Anderson also has a good photo. Located at the end of the south breakwater at Muskegon; Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-518; USCG 7-18705.
* Grand Haven South Pierhead Inner (2): 1907 (station established 1881). Active; focal plane 52 ft (16 m); red light occulting every 4 s. 51 ft (15.5 m) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery built about midway on the pier; 250 mm lens. Entire lighthouse painted red. Sibling of the Muskegon South Pierhead Light. The original 6° Fresnel lens is on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven. Anderson has a good photo showing both towers. A webcam provides a current view of both Grand Haven towers. Lighthouse Digest has an October 2001 feature article on all the Grand Haven lighthouses. Located on South Harbor Street in Grand Haven adjacent to Grand Haven State Park. Both lighthouses are accessible in good weather by walking the pier. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1077; USCG 7-18975.
* Grand Haven South Pierhead Outer: 1905?. Active; focal plane 42 ft (13 m); red flash every 10 s. 36 ft (11 m) square cylindrical lantern mounted on cast iron-clad wood fog signal building (1875), built on the end of the pier; 190 mm lens. Entire building painted red. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s) as needed. The catwalk (1922) linking both lighthouses to shore was renovated in 1987-88 after citizen protests stopped the Coast Guard from demolishing it. The Coast Guard renovated the lighthouse in spring and early summer 2001. Located on South Harbor Street in Grand Haven adjacent to Grand Haven State Park. Both lighthouses are accessible in good weather by walking the pier. Site open, towers closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1078; USCG 7-18965.
* [Grand Haven Main (2)]: 1855 (station established 1839). Inactive since 1905. The original 4° Fresnel lens is on display at the Tri-Cities Historical Museum in Grand Haven. The light tower of this "schoolhouse" lighthouse was demolished in 1910, but the 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house continued to serve the pierhead lights. The building was sold as a private residence in 1956. John Kulpa has contributed a photo. Located on a high bluff overlooking the lake south of the harbor entrance. Site closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-327.
* [Saugatuck (Kalamazoo River) Pierhead Lights (2)]: Date of modern lights uncertain; pierhead lights established 1909 (south pier) and 1914 (north pier) . Active; north pierhead light focal plane 25 ft (7.5 m), green flash every 4 s; south pierhead light focal plane 31 ft (10.5 m), green flash every 4 s. Two 20 ft (6 m) cylindrical steel towers topped by navigation lights; both towers painted white, north pier tower with a single green band and south pier tower with a single red band. Fog horn (blast every 15 s as needed) on the south light. The light station was established in 1839; the 1859 lighthouse (inactive since 1914) was destroyed by a tornado on April 3, 1956. Salvaged portions of the 1859 building are incorporated in a faux lighthouse on the site (private residence). Lighthouse Digest has an article on the history of the light station. Located on the breakwaters protecting the river entrance northwest of Saugatuck. Reportedly accessible from a public parking area at the end of Riverside Drive. Site open, towers closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1266 (south) and 413 (north); USCG 7-19445 (south) and 19450 (north).
* Saugatuck (replica): 2002 replica of 1859 lighthouse. 9 m (30 ft) square cylindrical wood tower with lantern and gallery, rising from one end of a 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house. Entire building painted with red and white horizontal bands. Andrew Nicolle has a 2007 photo, and Teresa Forrest has a fine closeup. The replica was built in Douglas, on the south side of the Saugatuck River, adjacent to the historic passenger steamship Keewatin, as seen in another of Forrests's photos. Site open, tower closed. Owner: unknown. Site manager: Keewatin Maritime Museum.
* South Haven South Pierhead (2): 1903 (relocated 1913 when the pier was extended). Station established 1872. Active; focal plane 37 ft (11 m); continuous red light. 35 ft (10.5 m) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, 5° Fresnel lens (1902, transferred from earlier tower) still in use. Tower painted red, lantern black. Fog horn (2 blasts every 30 s) as needed. This lighthouse, a shorter version of the Muskegon South Pierhead Light, replaced an 1872 wood tower. The original catwalk links the tower to shore. The 2-1/2 story wood, hipped-roof keeper's house (1872), located at 91 Michigan Avenue onshore, was transferred to the city for preservation in 2000. The Michigan Maritime Museum has renovated the keeper's house as the Marialyce Canonie Great Lakes Research Library. In 2005 the museum reported it was "in the process" of acquiring the lighthouse. Lighthouse Digest has published a history of the light station. Located at the end of the pier at the foot of Water Street in South Haven. Accessible by walking the pier; parking in adjacent city park. Site open, tower closed except for an open house during the city's mid-June Harborfest. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-772; USCG 7-19505.
* St. Joseph North Pierhead Outer: 1906. Active; focal plane 31 ft (9.5 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 30 ft (9 m) round cast iron tower built at the end of the pier. The original 5° Fresnel lens is on display at the Priscilla U. Burns Heritage Center in St. Joseph. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The original catwalk links this tower to the inner tower and to shore. A good photo of both St. Joseph lights is available. Sibling of the South Haven tower (previous entry). Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-798; USCG 7-19515.
* St. Joseph North Pierhead Inner: 1907. Active; focal plane 53 ft (16 m); continuous white light. 53 ft (16 m) octagonal steel tower mounted on square 1-story cast iron fog signal building, built midway in the pier; 4° Fresnel lens. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black; fog signal building roof is red. A good photo of both St. Joseph lights is available. The pier lights replaced an 1859 onshore lighthouse, which was demolished for a parking lot in 1955. The city's virtual tour features the lighthouses. Located on the north side of the St. Joseph River entrance adjacent to Tiscornia City Park in Benton Harbor; Google has a satellite view. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, towers closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-797; USCG 7-19520.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

New Buffalo (1839-1859), Lake Michigan. ARLHS USA-950.
North Manitou Island (1898-1970s), Lake Michigan. ARLHS USA-1269.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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