Door County Fall Lighthouse Festival this weekend, Oct. 12-13

Door County has one of the highest concentrations of lighthouses of any county in the U.S., and visitors can see all 11 of them by foot or boat at the Door County Maritime Museum’s Fall Lighthouse Festival.

The Festival weekend include land-based, boat, and adventure tours that together reach all the treasured lighthouses of Door County. Many of the tour excursions are unique to the Lighthouse Festival, and provide visitors exclusive access to several lighthouses not typically open to the public, including Chambers Island Lighthouse, Plum Island Range Lights, and the Sherwood Point Lighthouse.

Click here for an interview with Kevin Osgood of the Door County Maritime Museum

Click here for more information

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Point Wilson Lighthouse leased to U.S. Lighthouse Society

Port Wilson Light Station in Port Townsend, Washington, has been leased to the U.S. Lighthouse Society, which plans to restore the property’s facilities to allow public tours of the buildings. The Coast Guard owns the property and will maintain the light itself, as it is still an active aid to navigation, said Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Gales and his team are working on refining the long-term plan for property. There will need to be extensive updates to the electricity, sewer, and heating systems and other infrastructure. The goal is to open all of the light station’s buildings — the lighthouse and two dwellings — to the public.

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Mukilteo Lighthouse (WA) is packed with history and stunning views

The Mukilteo Historical Society and the City of Mukilteo keep their iconic lighthouse operating, with a museum, a gift shop, and the original light-keeper’s homes on the property. Much of the history of the lighthouse has been preserved through pictures and artifacts on display on the lighthouse grounds. The peak period for visitors just ended at the beginning of October, but the Mukilteo Historical Society says they’re always accepting volunteers and giving private tours upon request.

Q13 Fox has produced a nice little video on the lighthouse, which you can see below.

Click here to learn more about the Mukilteo Historical Society and the lighthouse

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Grand Haven’s (MI) south pier lighthouses begin interior restoration

Phase 2 of the restoration of Grand Haven, Michigan’s two south pier lighthouses will begin in the next year. Phase 2 will include interior and exterior concrete work such as refinishing the chimney and repairing floors, ceilings and portholes for the outer, or entrance, lighthouse.  Once complete, the outer lighthouse will be open for tours, will have historic signage and may contain a gift shop.

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Stepping Stones (NY) 5K raises $6,500 for lighthouse restoration

One hundred forty participants laced up their running shoes and took a 3.1-mile trek around Kings Point on Sunday as part of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse 5K. Funds raised will go toward construction at the Stepping Stones Lighthouse, where the dock has already had work done in the last month.

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