Guiding the Way

If you love lighthouses, this exhibit will stop you in your tracks. Lighthouses of America features meticulously crafted lighthouse models spanning every major American coastline — the East Coast, West Coast, Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes — in a single, stunning display.

Each model is a miniature portrait of a real lighthouse, capturing the distinctive architectural character that makes each structure unique. Together they form a comprehensive survey of American lighthouse design across two centuries, from the squat stone towers of the colonial era to the soaring cast-iron sentinels of the 19th century.

It’s an exhibit that appeals equally to lighthouse enthusiasts, architecture lovers, and anyone who has ever been moved by the sight of a lighthouse beam sweeping across dark water.

✦ Michigan’s 129 lighthouses are the most of any state in the nation. The Port of Ludington Maritime Museum sits in the shadow of the iconic North Pier Light.