Photo by Todd & Brad Reed Photography
One of the most symbolic icons of Manistee, the Victorian Port City, is the North Pierhead Lighthouse, located between the 1st Street and 5th Avenue beaches.
Standing watch over Lake Michigan waters, the North Pierhead Lighthouse welcomes boaters into its harbor, and is a reminder of Manistee’s great maritime history.
First built in 1869, it burned in the Great Fire and a new one was constructed in 1872. The North Pierhead Lighthouse is built from cast iron and stands 39 feet tall.
Many changes have taken place over the years–including a wooden catwalk that was eventually replaced by an iron one around 1900. Many Michigan lighthouses demolished their catwalks when the lights became electrified, so Manistee’s catwalk is a rare sight. In the late 1920s, after extensive pier renovations, the old fog signal building was replaced by the present structure.
Is it the way the lighthouse stands strong and proud against the Lake Michigan waves, and storms of every season? Is it the opportunity for a spectacular photo? Whether you are a Manistee local or a visitor to West Michigan, be sure to visit the North Pierhead Lighthouse in Manistee often.
From Highway 31 in Manistee, take Memorial Drive, the first street north of the Manistee River, west towards Lake Michigan. Memorial Drive will become 5th Avenue. Take 5th Avenue to John Red Szymarek Park at the corner of 5th and Monroe. Turn right and follow Monroe to a traffic circle whose center piece is a lighthouse. Go 3/4 of the way around the circle and turn right on Lakeshore Drive. You can either park in the 5th Avenue beach parking lot or continue on a bit and possibly park near the Coast Guard Station, from there you can walk the breakwater to reach the Manistee Lighthouse.
112-feet of lighthouse awaits you at the Ludington State Park! Take a tour and follow the winding staircase to the top!
Ludington’s North Breakwater Light is the number one lighthouse to see in Michigan! Take a trip along the breakwater path to see it up close!
The North Pierhead Lighthouse, located in the Victorian Port City of Manistee, stands watch over Lake Michigan.
Little Sable Point Lighthouse is located in the Silver Lake State Parks, home of the sand dunes along Lake Michigan.
The North and South Pierhead Lights are located in Pentwater along Lake Michigan and are rare pier range light systems along the Great Lakes.
Built in 1875, this lighthouse is more than a century old and has an enormous amount of history to explore inside its museum.
The Grand Traverse Lighthouse is situated at the end of the Leelanau Peninsula within, about eight miles north of the town of Northport.
It’s a site to behold as visitors of the Grand Haven Lighthouse & Pier walk under a string of twinkling lights.
Standing tall and proud along the shores of Lake Michigan, Point Betsie marks the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage.
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