Door County Lighthouses & Lighthouse Museums
Door County’s 300 miles of shoreline, much of it rocky, gave need for lighthouses so that sailors of the 19th and early 20th centuries could safely navigate the lake and bay waters around the Door Peninsula & surrounding islands.
The most accessible Door County Lighthouses are: Cana Island Lighthouse,
Eagle Bluff Lighthouse,
Canal Station Lighthouse,
Baileys Harbor Range Lights. These four lighthouses are accessible by vehicle and visitors are welcome. Detailed information below.
Lighthouse & Lighthouse Museum Tours
Baileys Harbor Range Lights
Built in 1869, automated in 1972. Between 1869 and 1969, these lights were used to gain safe entry into Baileys Harbor. When the upper and lower lights were lined up with one light over the other, the sailor knew he/she was in safe water. Both buildings are open for inspection during the Lighthouse Walk in May.
Cana Island
The Cana Island Lighthouse, built in 1869 and automated in 1944, is an active navigational aid. Thanks to painters and photographers, it also is Door County's most recognizable lighthouse and one of the peninsula's most identifiable landmarks. Located on a small island just off shore, the grounds can be reached by wading across a causeway. The keepers' house, along with the oil house, is open from mid-May through mid-October. The Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Walk is held the third weekend of May.
Canal Lighthouse
Sturgeon Bay. Built in 1899, automated in 1972. The bustling Coast Guard-operated station is located at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal. Grounds are opened to the public during the Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Walk, held the third weekend of May.
Chambers Island
The island's lighthouse was built in 1858, automated in 1961. The lighthouse is open for self guided tours on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day when a caretaker is in residence. Public boat service is unavailable, however, so the only way to get to the island is by private vessel or by chartering a boat. The lighthouse is also reachable by special boat tours during the Lighthouse Walk, held the third weekend of May.
Eagle Bluff Lighthouse
Peninsula State Park, Fish Creek. Built in 1868, automated in 1926. The Door County Historical Society has restored this structure and turned it into a living museum. Tours are operated daily through the summer and on weekends through the third weekend in October. A state park sticker is required.
Old Baileys Harbor (Bird Cage) Lighthouse
Built in 1852 and closed in 1869 after the construction of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights.
Pilot Island Lighthouse
Built in 1858, automated in 1962. A narrated boat tour passes the lighthouse as part of the Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Walk, held the third weekend of May.
Plum Island Lighthouse
Built in 1895, automated in 1969. A common sight for those taking the Washington Island Ferry. A narrated boat tour passes the lighthouse as part of the Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Walk, held the third weekend of May.
Pottawatomie Lighthouse
Rock Island. Built in 1836, automated in 1956. The grandfather of Door County lighthouses, it sits on what now is a state park. Rock Island and its lighthouse are reachable by ferry from Jackson Harbor on Washington Island.
Sherwood Point Lighthouse
Sturgeon Bay. Built in 1883, automated in 1983, Sherwood Lighthouse was the last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes. The facility is used as a private retreat house for Coast Guard personnel. Grounds are opened to the public during the Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Walk, held the third weekend of May.