Northern Michigan Business Directories

A rare opportunity to tour the Little Traverse Lighthouse on Harbor Point in Harbor Springs, Michigan takes place October 1, 2011. Lighthouse lovers won't want to miss this special tour.

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society (HSAHS), in cooperation with the Harbor Point Association, will offer tours of the Little Traverse Lighthouse on Saturday, October 1, 2011 every half hour beginning from 9 am-12pm and 1-5 pm.

During the lighthouse tour, docents will bring to life the history of the 127-year-old lighthouse, including the story of Elizabeth Whitney Williams. Willams was the first keeper of the Little Traverse light and one of the first women light keepers on the Great Lakes. Visitors will also be invited to enter the tower to see the Fourth Order Fresnel lens, shipped from Paris, which once guided ships into Little Traverse Bay. The original 1896 fog bell has been also restored and is thought to be the only operational mechanism of its kind in the U.S.

Since the last tour of the Little Traverse Lighthouse was conducted in 2008, several additional renovations to the facility have occurred. The old barn on the grounds has been restored and reconstruction of the original oil house is scheduled to be completed in 2011. These changes will restore the complex to the grandeur it enjoyed back in 1898.

In addition to the tour Terry Pepper, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA), will speak on Friday, September 30, 5-7 pm at the Harbor Springs History Museum. Wobbleshanks, Skilly, Beavers and Foxes will recount the story of Northern Michigan's Straits of Mackinac lighthouses and the dedicated men and women who gave their all to ensure the safety of those at sea. Priority tickets for the program are available in a tour/program combination ticket.

Tours of the Little Traverse Lighthouse begin at the Harbor Point Gatehouse and are by reservation only. Reservations are limited. Tour reservation forms are available online at the HSAHS website. Tickets to tour the lighthouse are $25, and combination tickets for the Friday evening presentation and Saturday tour may be purchased for $40. All proceeds will support the work of the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society including the Harbor Springs History Museum.

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