Permanent Exhibits

Be transported to another time at Point Betsie Lighthouse!

The restored lighthouse keeper’s residence tells the story of life at the remote and beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline. The highlight of your visit might be our 100-year-old Fourth Order Fresnel Lens, which safely guided ships into the treacherous Manitou Passage. It could be the family rooms, where you can imagine living at the lighthouse and preparing meals on our wood stove. Maybe you’d like to learn about the fragile Point Betsie dune ecosystem in an exhibit sponsored by The Nature Conservancy. You’ll love the Boathouse Museum (next to our gift shop), where an authentic U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat and other tools used by heroic life-savers tell the story of a daring Lake Michigan rescue. It’s quiet now, but the Fog Signal Building once blasted our unique sound pattern across the waves to guide ships even when fog hid our tower light’s beams. And you’ll want to climb to the top of the lighthouse tower, where if you look into the past you might see a steam-powered freighter hauling a load of timber or grain to Chicago.

There’s something for every member of the family at Point Betsie Lighthouse. We love to share our history and hope you’ll join us soon.

(L – Photo courtesy of Kristina Lishwa, kristinalishawa.com | R – Photo courtesy of Jeff Wier, pointnorthphotography.com)