Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

Located on a point just east of the Mackinac Bridge [1], the 1892 cream-brick Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse (9 a.m.–5 p.m. daily June–Aug., 9 a.m.–4 p.m. daily May and Sept.–mid-Oct., $6 adults, $3.50 children 5–17) guided ships through the busy Straits of Mackinac for nearly 70 years. When the Mackinac Bridge was completed in 1957, it became obsolete, since vessels could range on the bridge’s high lights instead of the diminutive 40-foot tower.

Today, the charming Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, topped with a cherry-red roof, houses a maritime museum, part of Colonial Michilimackinac State Historic Park [2]. A schooner and other ships are docked and on display. The lighthouse grounds serve as their own delightful little park, with impressive views of the Mackinac Bridge as well as picnic tables scattered around a tidy lawn.

From here, you can reach several island and offshore reef lights via boat—though you should take care in these potentially dangerous waters. Two of the most interesting are the 1874 Spectacle Reef Light, an impressive example of a monolithic stone lighthouse, and the 1895 Round Island Light in the Straits of Mackinac.