National Lighthouse Day is in August. Where to celebrate in Michigan

Michigan's spot among the Great Lakes surrounds it with hundreds of lighthouses, set to be recognized on National Lighthouse Day this summer.

McGulpin Point, MI - Thomas A Tag 

The annual celebration is Aug. 7, 2025, a perfect time to visit Michigan's nautical guides.

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Click here to see more of Michigan's lighthouses on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Vintage NYC lighthouses: These 10 beacons of the harbor called Staten Island home

The lighthouses of Staten Island are not only part of local scenery and life, but also testaments to the borough's long maritime history and traditions.

Old Orchard  Shoal, NY - Mike & Carol McKinney

These buildings were crucial aids for sea navigation, placed strategically along the shores and peaks to guide ships through the New York harbor.

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Click here to see more of NY lighthouses on the USLHS Research Catalog

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They were the keepers of the Hillsboro Lighthouse, FL, and now their descendants will pay them tribute

It was not a fun job, and it didn't pay well, either. But the dozens of men who worked as keeper of the historic Hillsboro Lighthouse in Hillsboro Beach devoted their lives to the security of American mariners and the United States.

Hillsboro Inlet Keeper Thomas Knights headstone, Pompano Beach, FL - Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel 

Today, their jobs have mostly been eliminated, but the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society wants to make sure South Floridans remember their heroic efforts.

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Click here to see more of Hillsboro Inlet on the USLHS Research Catalog

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You must add these unique lighthouses to your list

Cape Hatteras, NC; Portland Head Light, ME; Pigeon Point, CA; and St. Augustine, FL

Pigeon Point, CA - David Zapatka

Click here to read more about each location

Click here to see more of Cape Hatteras, Portland Head, Pigeon Point & St Augustine on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Restoration of 98-year-old Manistee lighthouse, MI, begins this week

The restoration of a nearly century-old Lake Michigan lighthouse will begin this week, officials announced.

Manistee N. Pierhead, MI - USLHS archive 

Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse, built in 1927, will undergo upgrades this year and open to visitors in 2026, Lakeshore Keepers said in a news release.

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Click here to see more of Manistee N. Pierhead on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Beach Bus Adventure: Tips & Tricks for hitching a ride to the Big Sable Lighthouse, MI

There are a few days every summer when you can hitch a ride to this iconic Lake Michigan lighthouse - skipping the 1.8-mile hike.

Big Sable Point, MI - Dave Hamley

Perched on the big lake's sandy shoreline, Big Sable Point Lighthouse is not the easiest place to visit. 

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Click here to see more of Big Sable Point on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Rose Island Lighthouse, RI, license plate wins national 'Best Plate Award'

A Rhode Island specialty license plate has earned national recognition for the first time, bringing honor to the Ocean State and supporting a beloved Newport landmark.

RoseIsland, RI - John J. Young

The Rose Island Lighthouse license plate has been awarded the 2024 Best Plate Award by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.  

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Click here to see more of Rose Island on the USLHS Research Catalog

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New web series sheds light on Humboldt's Historic Beacons, CA

This is the trailer to the Web Series: Humboldt's Historic Lighthouses. This five-part series will explore the history of all 5 of Humboldt's Lighthouses. Episodes will be released in historical order.

Cape Mendocino, CA - Jeremy D'Entremont

As part of the new legislation passed in 1851... the US Congress appropriated $158,000 to build 7 lighthouses along the Coast of California.

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Click here to see more of Humboldt Bay, Cape Mendocino, Trinidad, Table Bluff, and Punta Gorda on the USLHS Research Catalog

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Former N.L. lighthouse keeper's tale gets comic book treatment in the U.S.

A lighthouse keeper's memoir has gotten the comic book treatment with a new series in a massive newspaper south of the border.

Barry Porter, Canadian Keeper - Barry Porter

Barry Porter's memoir, Adventure of a Lightkeeper, was published by Flanker Press in 2022 and tells tales of his adventures while working with the Canadian Coast Guard on the northeast coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Museum Remembers Ellen S. Low, 1830s Keeper of Barnegat Lighthouse, NJ

One woman stands at the unlikely intersection of Old Barney, Marie Antoinette and ancient Pompeii, and her name is Ellen S. Low, keeper of Barnegat Lighthouse from 1835 to 1839.

Barnegat, NJ - Jeff Gales

At the Barnegat Light Museum on Thursday, July 10, Lizanne Daukas Oliner gave a presentation on Low's often hazy history, displaying a hand-sewn dress to suggest what Lowe may have worn.

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Click here to see more of Barnegat on the USLHS Research Catalog

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U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research.

If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Ralph Krugler at ralph@uslhs.org 

Submitted by Ralph Krugler on