Nighttime tours show off different side of lighthouse

The Marquette Harbor Lighthouse is a staple along the Lake Superior coastline, and to celebrate Maritime Month people were able to see it in a different light.

Marquette’s Maritime Museum hosted two special tours of the lighthouse at dusk.  Since the lighthouse is on United States Coast Guard property, it is a rare opportunity for the public to take photographs of the lighthouse at night.

“We like to do this for the public so they can get different a view than our normal tour,” the Maritime Museum’s Assistant Director Taylor Adams said.  “The lighthouse is just beautiful at sunset, it’s probably the best view, so we like to do this for the public.”

“They get to learn about some keepers at the lighthouse, all about the early lifesaving service, and they also get to hear some ghost stories that our staff has experienced at the lighthouse, so it’s a very special opportunity for people.”

The lighthouse was built in 1866 and is the oldest building in Marquette.  It is also the most photographed lighthouse on the Great Lakes.

“Being able to come here and see the inside of it, and knowing it’s such a part of Marquette’s culture, and and icon for the city,” Adams said.  “And to be able to envelop yourself in that is such a great experience.”

Although the nighttime tours have concluded for the summer, there are still daily tours through mid–October.  The Maritime Museum’s website has a list of tour times and costs.