For more than 100 years, Wisconsin lighthouses have guided ships through our Great Lakes and inland waters. More than 30 of these historic structures are still standing and many are still serving their original purpose. Some are open to the public and several offer tours.
Located at the end of the northern pier marking the entrance to the Ahnapee River in Algoma.
The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard. Grounds open, tower closed.
From Highway 42 in Algoma, go east on Fremont Street. Take a left onto Lake Street, where you can park and view the light at the end of the two-piece pier across the Ahnapee River.
From Highway 76, north of Oshkosh, turn east onto Snell and follow it for 1.0 mile where it tees at Sherman Road. Turn right on Sherman Road and continue to the parking area at the end of the road, where you will see the lighthouse
The lighthouse is owned by Winnebago County. The Grounds are open, but the tower is closed.
The lighthouse, reportedly the result of a 1937 project of the Works Progress Administration, was rejected by the Department of Transportation as a navigational light for the lake and was thus never lit. In 2007, the lighthouse received a $4,000 makeover with labor provided by inmates from the Winnebago Correctional Institute. Parts of the wooden lantern room were replaced, windows were refitted, and the metal roof was rebuilt
Located on Lighthouse Island found on the eastern side of Baileys Harbor
From Highway 57 just north of Baileys Harbor, turn east on Ridges Road and follow it as it wraps around to the far side of the harbor, passing Baileys Harbor Yacht Club. Where the road makes a sharp left turn, go straight on the dirt road and you will see the island and lighthouse off to your right.
The lighthouse is privately owned. Grounds/dwelling/tower all closed.
Built in 1870 at a cost of $6,000, the range lights are identical to the Presque Isle Range Lights on Lake Huron which were built the same year. These range lights replaced the Baileys Harbor light in the outer harbor.
Located on the northwestern tip of Washington Island, just off the northern end of the Door County Peninsula
Washington Island is accessible via a car ferry from Northport, located on the northern tip of the Door County Peninsula
The Boyer Bluff Light is an active light managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, although it is not technically a lighthouse because it is not enclosed. It consists of a 220-foot steel skeletal tower
The light is owned by the Coast Guard. The Grounds & tower are closed.
Located at the intersection of Bay Shore Drive and Lake Street, on the north side of the entrance to the Fox River in Oshkosh
From Highway 45 in Oshkosh north of the Fox River, take Irving Avenue east for 0.6 miles to Broad Street. Turn right onto Broad Street and follow it for 0.9 miles to Bay Shore Drive. Turn left onto Bay Shore and continue for 0.8 miles to Lake Street. The Bray's Point Lighthouse can be seen from the street at the corner of Lake Street and Bay Shore Drive
The lighthouse is privately owned & the grounds & tower are closed
By the early 1980s, the tower’s wooden staircase and observation decks had deteriorated to the point where they had to be removed. In 1992, through the joint effort of the Columbia Park Tower Fund and Fond du Lac County, the tower was restored and opened once more for climbing. Metal plaques are found by each stair, landing, and observation deck, recognizing a person or group who contributed funds for the tower. Over $53,000 was raised from the community, while the county contributed $45,000.
Located in Columbia Park on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago near Pipe
From Highway 151 in Pipe, turn west on County Highway W and follow it to the lake, where you will see the modern light in Columbia Park.
The light is owned by Fond du Lac County. The Grounds/tower are open
This light is a steel skeletal tower with 2 flashing white stobes located on top
Located about 5 miles northeast of Baileys Harbor on the eastern side of the Door Peninsula
From Highway 57 north of Baileys Harbor, take County Highway Q east for 3.5 miles to Cana Island Road. Turn right on Cana Island Road and follow it for 2.4 miles to its end. Along the way you will pass the Spikehorn Campground. Park near the end of the road and walk across the causeway to the island
The Cana Island Lighthouse is open daily from early May to late October from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (920) 743-5958
The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard. Grounds/dwelling open in season, tower closed
Located on the northwestern end of Chambers Island, roughly seven miles offshore from Fish Creek
The lighthouse is part of Gibraltar Township Park, and is open during the summer when the caretaker is present. The lighthouse is mostly easily seen on tours offered during the annual Door County Lighthouse Walk.
The lighthouse is owned by the Town of Gibraltar. The Grounds are open, but the dwelling/tower is closed.
Marking the northwestern tip of Long Island, the rectangular Chequamegon Point Light went into service on October 11, 1897. A fourth-order Fresnel lens, transferred from the tower's predecessor, filled the tower's lantern room, and a fog bell was suspended from the metal braces still visible on the tower today.
The tower was automated in 1964. When erosion threatened the structure, it was moved 150 feet back from the shoreline in 1987 and replaced by the D9 cylindrical tower, which stands next to it.
This lighthouse is best seen from the water, or by landing on the island and visiting the lighthouse. Boat tours that pass by the island are offered by the Apostle Islands Cruise Service. The Lighthouse Celebration, held annually in September, provides an opportunity to see many of the lighthouses of the Apostle Islands
The lighthouse is owned by the National Park Service. The Grounds are open, but the tower is closed.
The present tower on Devils Island was first lit on September 20, 1901. At that time the tower was a cylindrical tube, with short buttresses attached to its base. It was soon discovered that high winds caused the tower to shake violently, and the present exterior braces were put in place in 1914.
The station retains its fog signal building, oil houses, and two brick Queen Anne keeper's dwellings. The northern end of Devil's Island is ringed with sea caves seen here below the keeper's dwellings, and here below the tower.
Located on the northern tip of Devils Island, part of the Apostle Island National Lakeshore
This lighthouse is best seen from the water, or by landing on the island and visiting the lighthouse. Boat tours that pass by the island are offered by Apostle Islands Cruise Service. The Lighthouse Celebration, held annually in September, provides an opportunity to land on the island and visit the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is owned by the National Park Service. Grounds open, tower open in season, dwellings closed
The lighthouse originally stood on a reef just west of the draw bridge in Sturgeon Bay. After being sold in 1925, the lighthouse was relocated to Sturgeon Bay where it is still in use as a private residence
Located at 411 South Fourth Avenue in Sturgeon Bay
From the northern end of the Michigan Street bridge in Sturgeon Bay, go north to Third Avenue and turn right. Turn left at Oregon Street and then right onto Fourth Avenue. The keeper's residence or Dunlap Rear Range Light will be on your right
The structure is privately owned. Grounds/dwelling closed.
Located in Peninsula State Park between Fish Creek and Ephraim
From Highway 42 just east of Fish Creek, turn north into Peninsula State Park. When paying your entrance fee, ask for a park map with directions to the lighthouse. Follow Shore Road north about 3.5 miles to the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. Guided tours are offered daily from early June to mid-October
Call (920) 839-2377 for exact times
The lighthouse is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Built in 1868. Keeper's dwelling is completely restored. Guided tours daily from Memorial Day through the third weekend of October, 10 am to 4:30 pm
Located at the Fisherman's Road boat ramp on the eastern shore of Lake Winnebago, south of Pipe and north of Fond du Lac
This light tower, which now marks the entrance to the boat ramp and small marina operated by the Fisherman's Road Fishing Club, previously stood alongside the tall tower at Calumet Harbor, just three miles north of Fisherman's Road. The tower was moved to its present location sometime during or before 2001
From Highway 151, three miles south of Pipe and eight miles north of Fond du Lac, turn west on Fisherman Road and follow it to the lake
The light is owned by the Fisherman's Road Fishing Club. Grounds open, tower closed.
In 1932, lumberman W. J. Nuss generously offered to build a lighthouse in Lakeside Park using plans donated by the noted architect Roger A. Sutherland. The offer was quickly accepted by the park board, and work on the forty-foot tower started the following May. At this time, the country was suffering through the depths of the Great Depression. Unemployment peaked at 24.9% in 1933, spreading a cloud of gloom across the nation. Charitably, the laborers employed on the lighthouse project were all out-of-work Fund du Lac citizens.
The bottom ten feet of the eight-sided lighthouse consists of a flagstone-covered base, while the upper section of the tower is of frame construction. A wooden staircase, attached to the interior walls of the lighthouse, winds up through the tower permitting visitors to reach the observation deck, where an excellent view of Lakeside Park is afforded.
Located in Lakeside Park in Fond du Lac
At the junction of Highways 45 and 151 in Fond du Lac, turn north on Main Street and continue into Lakeside Park. When the road tees, turn right on Promen Drive and follow it to Park Drive, which is a short loop that passes by the Fond du Lac Lighthouse
The lighthouse is owned by the City of Fond du Lac. The grounds are open, but the tower is closed.
The range lights used to stand on Grassy Island, which is located just north of the entrance to the Fox River from Green Bay. The island is now home to a pelican rookery
Located at the eastern side of the mouth of the Fox River in Green Bay
From Interstate 43 just east of the Fox River, take Exit 187 and go north (towards the bay) on Webster Ave./E. Shore Drive. Turn left on Irwin Avenue, which becomes Bay Beach Road. Follow Bay Beach Road to the Coast Guard Auxiliary building and Green Bay Metropolitan Boat Launch, from where the lights can be seen. The range lights are also visible from Interstate 43's bridge over the Fox River
The lights are owned by the Green Bay Yacht Club. Grounds/towers are closed
From Interstate 94 west of Kenosha, take exit 342 and travel east on Highway 158 (52nd Street) 6.8 miles until it ends. Turn left on 6th Avenue, drive two blocks and turn right onto 50th Street. Take 50th street over the bridge and onto Simmons Island. Turn right after crossing the bridge and you will see the Kenosha Lighthouse on your left.
The lighthouse is occasionally opened for tours by the Kenosha History Center.
The lighthouse is owned by the City of Kenosha. Grounds open, dwelling/tower open in season
55 feet tall, this lighthouse was constructed in 1866 and served as a navigation aid until 1906 at which time the light was extinguished. Following a transfer in the mid-1950s to the City of Kenosha the light was again relit in 1994, although it no longer serves in an official capacity. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Built in 1906. 50 feet tall. It is made of rivited steel plates
Located at the end of the northern pier marking the entrance to the harbor in Kenosha
From Interstate 94 west of Kenosha, take exit 342 and travel east on Highway 158 (52nd Street) 6.8 miles until it ends. Turn left on 6th Avenue, drive two blocks and turn right onto 50th Street. Take 50th street over the bridge and onto Simmons Island. Turn right after crossing the bridge and follow the road down to the pier
The Kenosha Pierhead Lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard. Grounds open, tower closed
Located in Ulao, roughly 4.5 miles south of Port Washington
From Interstate 43, take Exit 92 and travel east on County Road Q/Ulao Road. When the road tees, turn left on Lake Shore Road, and you will see the light on your right
The lighthouse is privately owned. Grounds/dwelling/tower closed.
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