Ontonagon Lighthouse
Ontonagon Lighthouse
4.5
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
Historic lighthouse open for tours from mid-May to mid-October from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day of the week.
Duration: < 1 hour
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
41 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
10
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
1
ontheroadagain65
Garden City, MI1,111 contributions
Jul 2020
Don't let GPS fool you, there is no access to the lighthouse, unless you go on a tour. Unfortunately for us, no tours available, when we stopped in town. If you go to the Gitche Gumee Landing Gift Shop, you can see the lighthouse from the side of their building, to at least get a picture.
Written August 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen G
Detroit, MI201 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
Online postings say it is open.
Museum in town is closed for season.
No locals we asked could give information.
Google Maps takes you to a Dead end at the Marina. We could see the building in the distance. No way to get there was found. No signs that we could find. Very disappointing.
Museum in town is closed for season.
No locals we asked could give information.
Google Maps takes you to a Dead end at the Marina. We could see the building in the distance. No way to get there was found. No signs that we could find. Very disappointing.
Written October 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renee W
Gillett, WI24 contributions
Jun 2018
It’s nice to see the entire lighthouse and hear the local history. Our guide was very pleasant and answered all our questions. If you love lighthouses it well worth the price.
Written June 23, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David B
Elgin, IL72 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
Our tour guide of this lighthouse was Teri. She is extremely knowledgeable and explained in detail the workings of this lighthouse and its history. She demonstrated almost every item inside the lighthouse. We were very happy with our tour and of the experience. We highly recommend this event.
Written June 15, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dave R
Burke, VA52 contributions
Sep 2014 • Solo
I visited about 6 lighthouses all around the UP and this was the last one I toured. By far, this is the absolute best lighthouse tour of all of them. Our guide was Dave and he was a wealth of knowledge about the lighthouse, the lighthouse keepers and the history of the area in general.
He took us into each and every room of the lighthouse and gave us the history of each room over the years. And you can climb the tower and go both inside and outside the very top.
Plus, the various items in the lighthouse are either original or very close to original, including a manual, portable fog horn that still works! Dave demonstrated it. This thing is from the late 1800s.
Its probably good that this was the last lighthouse tour I took. If this had been the first, all the rest would have been sadly disappointing compared to this one.
Ontonagon is a bit off the beaten path from the rest of the area, but this tour made it all worth it. I highly recommend touring this lighthouse and the associated history museum.
He took us into each and every room of the lighthouse and gave us the history of each room over the years. And you can climb the tower and go both inside and outside the very top.
Plus, the various items in the lighthouse are either original or very close to original, including a manual, portable fog horn that still works! Dave demonstrated it. This thing is from the late 1800s.
Its probably good that this was the last lighthouse tour I took. If this had been the first, all the rest would have been sadly disappointing compared to this one.
Ontonagon is a bit off the beaten path from the rest of the area, but this tour made it all worth it. I highly recommend touring this lighthouse and the associated history museum.
Written September 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BlondieTTT
Prior Lake, MN70 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
For all the Lighthouse history buffs out there- this is one of the best tours we've ever experienced. Stop at the historical society in Ontonagon first. Get a good feel for the area- they will take you to the Light House.
Written September 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aly116
Robbinsdale, Minnesota, United States25 contributions
Jul 2014
The only way to see the lighthouse is on a tour provided by the historical society. The website states that there is a tour at 4:00 but when we showed up it had started at 3:30, which was the last tour of the day. Since we were only passing through town and are from out if state we were unable to see the lighthouse and it was a huge let down for the group.
Written July 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ray W
Volcano, CA394 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
This lighthouse can be reached only by crossing private property, and that can only be done in the Historical Society's tour bus. These tours go out three times a day, generally. Stop by the very good little Society museum at 422 River Street (the main drag) in Ontonagon, or call them at (906) 884-6165. See if you can snag Dave as your tour guide - he seems to be the curator of the lighthouse, and is brimming with lighthouse history as well as local history. The interior of the lighthouse is furnished in 1915 style, and unlike its look-alike at Copper Harbor, you can wander all the rooms of this one. Dave will take you up to the top of the lighthouse for a look out over the river and Lake Superior.
Written August 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elizabeth M
Tomahawk, WI50 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
I drove to Ontonagon specifically to visit the lighthouse. It was not easy to find. I ended up at Ontonagon Township Park, the staff at a snack trailer located there couldn't tell me how to find the lighthouse. I came back into town and did see the Ontonagon Historical Museum which, as it ends up, is where they want you to be because there is a bus that takes you to the lighthouse. However, today they preferred you drive to the lighthouse, park there, and take the bus the short distance to the lighthouse. The parking is near JJ's Bait Shop. Don't ask the man there any questions because Mr. Friendly he's not.
I had 3 young girls as guides, they are learning to become guides so it was very informal but I think they got the basic information across. The living quarters are very much like my McBride's had in Chester, New York so it felt like old home. I grew up with a woodburning/coal kitchen stove, and we had a hand pump for water at both my McBride and Olmstead homesteads. My aunt in NYC had an old icebox still in the 1950's. So, in the kitchen, no surprises. The dining room hutch/dresser is exactly like one my husband and I had in our first apartment.
The woman at the working part of the lighthouse knew a lot about lighthouses, and was able to tell me I could see the actual Fresnel lens back at the museum, it is no longer in the lighthouse. This isn't a particularly tall lighthouse.
I plan to return and spend more time taking photos outside and retake the ones I took inside as they didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped.
It is $5 per adult, and I believe it's $1 for children.
I had 3 young girls as guides, they are learning to become guides so it was very informal but I think they got the basic information across. The living quarters are very much like my McBride's had in Chester, New York so it felt like old home. I grew up with a woodburning/coal kitchen stove, and we had a hand pump for water at both my McBride and Olmstead homesteads. My aunt in NYC had an old icebox still in the 1950's. So, in the kitchen, no surprises. The dining room hutch/dresser is exactly like one my husband and I had in our first apartment.
The woman at the working part of the lighthouse knew a lot about lighthouses, and was able to tell me I could see the actual Fresnel lens back at the museum, it is no longer in the lighthouse. This isn't a particularly tall lighthouse.
I plan to return and spend more time taking photos outside and retake the ones I took inside as they didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped.
It is $5 per adult, and I believe it's $1 for children.
Written June 24, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Allison E
Madison, WI19 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
You need to sign up for the tour at the museum in Ontonagon to see this authentic historical site. They take you in a coach and you get a private tour. The furnishings are original or have been donated by community members from their families. If you like history and lighthouses, this is worthwhile.
Written September 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
What is the fee for the museum? Their website doesn't say. Thank you.
Written June 30, 2016
The museum fee is $3, the lighthouse $5. I have suggested they add the prices to their web site.
Written June 30, 2016
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