Grand Traverse Lighthouse

Grand Traverse is a beautiful lighthouse that is located at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula in Michigan. The peninsula separates Lake Michigan from Grand Traverse Bay. The Grand Traverse lighthouse was built in 1858 and operated until 1972 when it was closed and an automatic light tower was constructed. In 1986 the lighthouse was made open to the public. In July of 2012 I was able to visit the lighthouse, take a tour of the lighthouse, and climb the tower. I found the inside of the lightouse to be very interesting. In many of the lighthouses that I have visited the keepers quarters are small and quite sparsely furnished. This was not the case at Grand Traverse. The house was rather large and was very nicely furnished for the period in which it was used. There was even a formal dining room complete with china,silver and crystal. The preserved museum in the lighthouse gives visitors a look at how the lighthouse keepers lived at the turn of the century.

The actual lantern room protrudes from the pitched roof of the building. I reached it by climbing to the second story and taking two short staircases that led up to the lantern room. The view of Grand Traverse Bay from the top was beautiful.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse Ornament by lighthouseenthusiast
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White River Light Station

The White River Light Station is located on the west coast of Michigan near Whitehall.  This charming old light station was built in 1875 to help ships maneuver the channel between White Lake and Lake Michigan.  There were many sawmills built around White Lake near the great pine forests.  Lumber schooners would travel this route to bring their lumber to market.  The light station aided in navigating the ships through the narrow channel.

When we visited the Michigan coast in July, I was able to visit the light station.  It was decommissioned in 1960 and is now open as a museum.  Visitors can climb the tower for a view of the chanel as it goes into the lake.

The museum in the light station is small but interesting.  It has several scale models of the lighthouse that have been made over the years. There is memoriablia from the keepers that lived in the lighthouse over the years. It also houses the original fourth order fresnal lens from the light station.

To learn more about Michigan lighthouses please visit some of my lighthouse pages. Lake Michigan Lighthouses and Lighthouses on Lake Michigan

White River Light Station Magnets by lighthouseenthusiast
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