Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

July 25th, two months ago, brought me to venture out to see the old Colonial Fort Michilimackinac and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse right near the Mackinac Bridge in downtown Mackinaw City. These are Must-Sees for the Mackinaw City area. I paid $18 for the Michilimackinac Combo plan which gave me access to Old Fort Michilimackinac and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Both of these locations is along the boundaries of the Michilimackinac State Park on the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Actually, the lighthouse is on Lake Huron and Michilimackinac Fort is on Lake Michigan. It's an easy stroll between both locations. I went to the lighthouse first so that I could be there for some of the outdoor activities they were having.

Mackinac State Historic Park Photo

The lighthouse itself called "Castle of the Straits" was under construction to repair a little damage to it but it didn't take away from the great little lighthouse it is. It was built in 1889 and is one of the smaller lighthouses that I've been to. Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse helped passing ships navigate through the treacherous waters of the Straits of Mackinac where many shipwrecks had occurred previous to it's construction.

During those foggy days and nights, the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse has a large fog horn with a specific sound so that ships can navigate in the straight and know exactly where they are. The fog horn is located in the Fog Signal Building/Museum Store. Here, the girl is showing us that the fog horn is now on a electric remote, but back in the day you had to be right up to the horn - and it was so loud! I loved that the lighthouse workers were dressed in period costumes. The link about tells more about the fog whistle signal and the sound it makes. The Fog Signal Building whistle demonstration is only available at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

I loved you hair all done up.

The lighthouse was nicely appointed inside with various period pieces. Here's a map of the main house and three of the rooms restored to their 1910 appearance.

Tower Tours of the lighthouse are given throughout the day on a first-come first-served basis and there is no charge to tour the top and view out the windows. There is a limit to 6 people per tour because of the small size of the widows walk. There are a few safety rules regarding climbing the tower. No flip flops are allowed. You can't carry children or belongings due to the climb and the narrowness of the climb. You also have to be at least 4 foot tall and physically able to climb up a wrung of stairs and fit through a narrow opening. It is also recommended if you have a heart condition or claustrophobic, you shouldn't climb the tower. Here's the key to the lighthouse and I loved the portholes and view from the top. While the lighthouse isn't very tall, it sits atop of a small bluff giving it a good vantage point at the time.

The remainder of the home was a small museum regarding the lighthouse focusing on the science and technology of the lighthouse system.

The lighthouse also has a nice museum called The Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum which is included with your entrance fee. The museum is located in the reconstructed warehouse on site and the movie Shipwrecks of the Straits plays continuously during the day. The items on display for actual items found from shipwrecks in the strait as well as ship mock ups. It was quite interesting and small scale so you could really enjoy the display but also have enough time to do other things in the state park.