Wind Point Lighthouse – Wind Point, Wisconsin

Wind Point Lighthouse – Wind Point, Wisconsin

This lighthouse was built in 1880 and is the oldest and tallest in operation on Lake Michigan.  The Lighthouse was fully automated in 1964.  Caretakers live in part of the Dwelling with the other part being used as a town hall with the grounds being open to the public.  The grounds are open every day of the year for your enjoyment.  You can go anytime between sunrise and 11 p.m. when it is closed.

The tower is open on the second Sundays in June, July, August, September, and October. Due to the high demand to see for miles at the top of the lighthouse, reservations are necessary. Tours run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is a $10 per person admission.   Those interested in a tour should contact Friends of the Wind Point Lighthouse at 262-880-8266.  Twelve people at a time can climb to the top every 20 minutes.  The Tour to the Top dates are: July 1, Aug. 5, Sept. 2 and Oct. 7.

The funds raised are used for the Friends of the Lighthouse to maintain and preserve the structure and to offer educational programs to schools. So if you normally spend your weekends indoors, watching TV or or playing games like Partypoker, now is your chance to enjoy a day by the sea. The tower stands over 100 feet tall and would certainly make a striking picture for photographers who are interested in 19 Century architecture.

In addition to seeing the expansive view, climbers can expand their minds and learn about lighthouses. Guides will answer questions and back down on ground level, a small building, which used to house the fog horn, has been turned into a maritime museum. Glass cases hold a range of Wind Point artifacts. Kids can push a button and sound a fog horn.

The tower is 108 feet tall and is attached to the keepers dwelling by a covered passageway.  The dwelling was home to the Head Keeper and two assistants and their families.  To get to the tower top you need to climb 144 cast iron steps, each individually anchored to the walls and supported by a central column, this leads to the lantern room.

With the addition of a fog signal in 1900 and powered by steam the signal could be heard from a distance of 40 miles out in the lake.

The tower originally was outfitted with a kerosene-fired Third Oder Fresnel lens but in 1924 it became the second station of all the Great Lakes lights to be electrified.  Then in 1964 the electrified Fresnel lens was replaced with a DCB-24 Aerobeacon with an output of 2,000,000 candle power.  Since the station towers 110 feet at its focal plane the light is visible for a distance of nineteen miles.  In 1964 the fog signal was dismantled and removed.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.  In 1997, the National Park Service awarded ownership of the property to the Village of Wind Point although the Coast Guard still maintains the light as a public navigation aid.

The village of Wind Point had leased the buildings from the Coast Guard since 1964.

For more information on tours to the top of the lighthouse, please contact Jeff or Missy Peterson 262-639-3777.

Location: Won Wind Point, 3.5 miles north of Racine, WI.

Travel Instructions: From Highway 32 roughly 3 miles north of the harbor in Racine, turn east on Three Mile Road and follow it to where it turns left and becomes Lighthouse Road. Follow Lighthouse Road for just over a mile. You will pass through a golf course and the lighthouse will then be down a short road on your right.

The lighthouse caretakers are Mike and Susan Arts.