Old Michigan City Lighthouse, Michigan City, Indiana

This schoolhouse style lighthouse was built in 1858 but has been inactive since 1904. It did however serve as the keepers house for the Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse until 1940. It is located in Washington Park in Michigan City, Indiana just West of the Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse. It now serves as a lighthouse museum and is well worth the visit. Although there is no lens in the tower, a rebuilt spiral staircase allows one access to the tower and the view. Photos taken in June 2011.

Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse, Michigan City, Indiana

This light was built in 1904 replacing a previous wooden light that established on the site in 1871. It sits at the end of a long concrete pier near Washington Park in Michigan City, Indiana. There is a popular beach adjacent to the pier. The light is somewhat unique in that there is a steel catwalk that starts at the foot of the pier and travels out to the lighthouse. This cat walk enabled the keepers to more easily access the light during very stormy weather. In 2007 the lighthouse was deemed excess by the Coast Guard and was taken over by Michigan City. Just north of the light is a large nuclear power generating station. When I visited the light in June 2011 I found it in need of some sprucing up as the paint was worn and there was an abundance of graffiti, especially on the lake side of the light.

Chicago Harbour South East Guidewall Lighthouse, Chicago, Illinois

This light was established in 1938 and sits at the end of the South East Guidewall just South of Navy Pier. It marks the entrance to the lock into the Chicago River. It can be viewed from the Navy Pier or from a lake cruise offered at Navy or the water taxi from Navy Pier to the Field Museum. Photos taken in June 2011.

Chicago Harbour Lighthouse, Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Harbour Lighthouse sits at the end of the North Harbour breakwall east of Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. It was originally established in 1893 at the entrance to the Chicago River and was moved to its present location in 1919. The lighthouse was deemed excess by the Coast Guard and ownership was transferred to the City of Chicago. One can get good views of the light from any of the lake cruises offered at Navy Pier. Photos taken in June 2011.

Grosse Point Lightstation, Evanston, Illinois

The Grosse Point Lightstation was established in 1873. It is located in Evanston, Illinois approximately 13 miles North of Chicago. It is found on the shore of Lake Michigan adjacent to Lawrence O. Lawson Park and Lighthouse Beach. It is a privately operated light and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It is not far from the campus of Northwestern University. Photos taken in June 2011.

Cumberland Sound Lower Range Front Light, Florida/Georgia Bod

This light is between Fernandina Beach on Ameila Island, Florida and Cumberland Island, Georgia. It is a range light and works with a rear range light (see more distant shot on the right) to guide ships into the channel near the St. Mary's River. It was fairly rough on the boat and hence the poor quality of the more distant shot. Photos taken in March 2011.

Cape Canaveral Fresnel Lens, Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Museum, Florida

As I noted in my post about the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse, there is a wonderful display of Fresnel Lenses at that site. The most impressive is the original Cape Canaveral lens, a First Order Fresnel Lens that stands just over 16 feet high. This lens was originally installed in the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse in 1868 and was removed in 1993 when it was sent to the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Museum for restoration and display. Photos taken in March 2011.

St. Augustine Lighthouse, St. Augustine, Florida

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is located on Anastasia Island, across the Lions Bridge from St. Augustine, Florida. The lighthouse was built in 1874 and has an active First Order Fresnel Lens. Although it is 10 feet shorter than the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, there are 16 more steps to the top. The restored keeper's house is now a museum. It is claimed that the lighthouse is haunted and there is paranormal activity both in the tower and on the grounds. Local paranormal tours feature the lighthouse. Photos taken in March 2011.

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, Ponce Inlet, Florida

This light, the tallest in Florida and second tallest in the USA is situated at Ponce Inlet, south of Daytona Beach, Florida. It was completed in 1887 and at the time the area was known as Mosquito Inlet and the light was originally called the Monquito Inlet Lighthouse. The climb to the top is 203 steps but affords one a great view of the area. The grounds are well maintained and there are historic displays in the Keeper's House. One building on site houses a number of Fresnel lenses including the original Cape Canaveral light. Photos taken in March 2011.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Jupiter, Florida

This beautiful red brick lighthouse in Jupiter, Florida was activated in 1860 and has an active First Order Fresnel Lens. Construction was started on the light in 1853 but was delayed by the Third Seminole War. It sits atop a hill that has been found to be an Indian mound. The lighthouse is situated on Coast Guard Property but is maintained privately and there is a museum on site. The light was inactive during the Civil War when it was turned off by Confederate sympathizers. There are tours of the ligthouse daily. The Loxahatchee River Historical Society maintains the lighthouse. Photos were taken in March 2011.

Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, Hillsboro Inlet, Florida

The Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is located in Hillsboro Inlet near Pompano Beach, Florida. It sits on private property owned by the Hillsboro Club and is only open to the public for tours on a limited basis. It can however be viewed from across the inlet at the Pompano Beach City Park. It was activated in 1907 and is another pyramidal skeletal type of lighthouse. It remains an active aid to navigation. Photos taken in March 2011.

Cape Florida Lighthouse, Key Biscayne, Florida

The Cape Florida Lighthouse is located at the Southern tip of Key Biscayne (just South of Miami, Florida) in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. The current lighthouse was built in 1846 to replace a lightstation that was gutted by fire during an attack by the Seminole Indians in 1836. The assistant lightkeeper was killed during that attack and the lightkeeper was seriously injured. The light was restored in the 1990's and near the light is a display showing some of the restoration pieces. There is also a restored keeper's house on the site. The beach just north of the light is very popular. Photos were taken in March 2011.

Sanibel Island Lighthouse, Sanibel Island, Florida

The Sanibel Island Lighthouse is a pyramidal skeletal type of lighthouse that was build in 1884. It is located at Point Ybel on the East end of Sanibel Island, Florida (Gulf Coast). It is situated at a very popular beach area of Sanibel Island. Photos were taken in March 2011.

Boca Grande Lighthouse, Gasparilla Island, Florida

This beautiful lighthouse sits in Gasparilla Island State Park at the South tip of Gasparilla Island, Florida near Port Boca Grande. It was built in 1890 and was inactive between 1966 and 1986. It was renovated in 1985 - 1986 and houses a small museum. Photos taken in March 2011.

Gasparilla Island Rear Range Lightouse, Gasparilla Island, Florida

This light was erected at this site in 1927. It was originally constructed in 1881 as the Deleware Breakwater Rear Range Light at Lewes, Deleware and disassembled there in 1921 and moved to its present location in 1927. It is a pyramidal skeletal type of lighthouse. It sits on a stretch of white sand beach on Gasparilla Island by the Gulf of Mexico. It is a short distance north of the Boca Grande Lighthouse. Photos taken in March 2011.

Tierra Verde Lighthouse, Tampa Bay, Florida

The Tierra Verde Lighthouse (also known as the Tampa Bay Watch Lighthouse) is located on the causeway from the St. Petersburg area toward Fort Desoto Park (Tampa Bay Area). It is a privately built lighthouse built in 2005 by the Tampa Bay Watch society, a non profit socitey that is dedicated to the preservation and protection of the Tampa Bay estuary. The light is modeled after the Boca Grande Lighthouse. It is the first privately held aid to navigation allowed in Florida. Photos taken in March 2011.

Egmont Key Lighthouse, Egmont Key, Florida

The Egmont Key Lighthouse is located on Egmont Key (Egmont Key State Park) a short distance across the water from Fort Desoto which is south of St. Petersburg, Florida (Tampa Bay area). It was built in 1858 to replace an earlier lighthouse that was damaged by a hurricane. It remains an active aid to navigation. The only way to access the light is by a private ferry from the Fort Desoto Park, however on the date I was at the area the ferry was not running, hence my photos are somewhat distant and taken from the fishing pier adjacent to the fort. Photos taken in March 2011

Mt. Dora Lighthouse, Mt. Dora, Florida

This lighthouse is located on Grantham Point in the town of Mt. Dora, Florida (Northwest of Orlando, Florida). It is at the Northeast end of Lake Dora and was constructed in 1988. It is thirty five feet tall and is a private lighthouse built to aid boaters on the lake. It has a 750 watt photocell powering a blue pulsar. While not an official aid to navigation, it is a pretty little light in a nice setting. Mt. Dora is a popular tourist destination in Central Florida and has many nice shops, restaurants and older buildings to visit. Photos taken in February 2011