Historic lighthouses can be found on both coasts, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes. Today I’m featuring the Wind Point Lighthouse near Racine, Wisconsin. My husband grew up about a mile from this lighthouse, so we visited the lighthouse during one of our trips to Grandma’s house.
The Wind Point Lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, for good reason. It became operational in 1880, making it one of the oldest active lighthouses on the Great Lakes. It stands at 108 ft., so it’s one of the tallest, too, and it was only the second lighthouse on the Great Lakes to become electrified when its kerosene lamp was replaced with a 300-watt light bulb in 1923. If you’d like to read the details on the sign, click on the picture and it will link to a larger version of the photo.
The lighthouse grounds are open as a park to the public 365 days a year, from sunrise to 11 p.m. You can pack a picnic lunch, or just wander along the shore.
My kids and their cousins enjoyed climbing on the rocks and just exploring.
We also found some driftwood on the shore.
The lighthouse has a small museum onsite, but it wasn’t open during our visit. It is typically open weekends from noon to 4 pm. Tours of the lighthouse, including a climb to the top, are offered just a few times a year, typically the first Sunday in July, August, and September.
The Friends of Wind Point Lighthouse have a website with official hours and tour dates.
Would you like to visit a lighthouse, but aren’t headed to Wisconsin anytime soon? Check out this cool interactive map. Click on a state and you’ll see the locations of lighthouses.
Have you visited or toured a lighthouse that you’d like to tell other readers about? Please leave a comment and tell us about it.
