Mackinac Point Light House

Mackinac Point sits on the southern side of the Mackinac Straights which is where boats pass though a passage connecting Lake Michigan to Lake Huron.  The Mackinac Point lighthouse is also referred to as the "Castle of the Straits" because of the construction of the keeper's house looking like the top of a Castle.

Construction of the Mackinac Point lighthouse started in 1889 but funding was limited to creating a steam run fog horn.  The McGulpin Point Light was located to the west of this site but was not as visible as it needed to be to protect boats trying to navigate through the straits. It was not until 1892 that construction started on the light tower and the light was placed into operation on October 25, 1892.  Once the lighthouse was built it was realized that the fog horn building was only 71/2 feet away from the keeper's house, imagine trying to get some sleep with that noise, and they ended up moving the fog horn building a whole 15 feet to the east.  Great planning!  The light has a forth-order revolving Fresnel lens and produced a red flash every ten seconds.

Mackinac Island State Park purchased the site in 1960 and restored the light so that it became the focal point of the Michilimackinac Maritime Park.  In 1996 a $2.2 million fundraising effort provided further restoration. You can visit the lighthouse today, but check their website for hours because they change depending on the time of year you are visiting.  Admissions are $9.75 for adults and $7.00 for children. If you are going to be in the area for the full day, you may want to purchase a combination pass for visiting the two forts that are a part of the state park system at the same time.  The site includes the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum and the opportunity to tour the lighthouse tower at specific tour times.  We were here very early in the morning before they opened and have a deadline for a boat tour many miles away, so we enjoyed an early morning stroll around the grounds and put this on our list for a future visit.

This is also a great location to enjoy looking out over the straits of Mackinac.  There are great views of the Mighty Mac bridge and if you are patient enough and have a pair of binoculars with you, it would be a fun spot to do some boat spotting as the big boats cross through the straits.

Helpful Links for More Information:

Mackinac State Historic Parks

Historic Information about Mackinac Point Lighthouse

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