Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the Great Lakes.  Established in 1825 and rebuilt in 1829 and 1861, it was the first lighthouse on Lake Huron and is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Michigan. It helps keep watch over Lake Huron at the entrance to the St. Clair River.  The 86 ft light stands above the lake level in a conical stone tower, overlaid with red brick that has been painted white. The keeper's cottage and fog whistle house are red.

Today, a Coast Guard station and our lighthouse watch over one of the busiest waterways in the world.

Weather permitting, the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is one of the few operating lighthouses that allow visitors to climb the tower.  From the gallery, visitors can view the Blue Water Bridge, the mouth of the St. Clair River, Point Edward, Ontario and Lake Huron to the north.  Tours available Monday-Sunday in the summer, weekends in the Fall, and closed in the winter (Jan-April).

Tours typically leave on the hour and half hour marks at this site. Please call (810) 216-6923 to confirm the day’s schedule. Tickets for each tour are limited and sold first come, first serve.  *Open to groups of 20 or more people by appointment, year round.*