HAMLIN TOWNSHIP, MI – This landmark Lake Michigan lighthouse will remain open for tours during a major renovation project scheduled for next summer. A small construction project will soon begin at Big Sable Point Lighthouse, ensuring uninterrupted visitor access during the $450,000 project to restore the exterior of the keeper’s dwelling.
Known for its distinctive black-and-white tower, Big Sable Point Lighthouse is situated on the Lake Michigan shoreline at Ludington State Park. It’s a popular spot, attracting thousands of visitors each year to climb the tower and explore the keeper’s dwelling, despite a 1.8-mile trek each way to reach it.
Work planned for this fall includes repairs to the chimney and the north porch foundation wall of the keeper’s quarters; the north porch will serve as the visitor entrance during 2027. Northern Restoration & Waterproof Systems Inc. is contracted to complete the work, which will take about one week.
“Preserving Big Sable is a significant undertaking, and these projects are part of our long-term commitment to maintaining the lighthouse for future generations,” Greve said. “We are excited to begin this work now and continue that momentum into Big Sable’s 160th anniversary year.”
Big Sable Point Lighthouse is open for 2026 tours and tower climbs through Oct. 25 and will reopen for the 2027 season on May 4. Tower climbs are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for students. Children must be at least 40 inches tall to climb; children may not be carried up the stairs. Footwear with a back around the heel is required to climb.
Next year’s project plans include removing decades-old layers of exterior paint and “organic growth” that has formed between the paint and brick, restoring historic masonry, and repainting with white masonry paint. Removing layers of paint will require a chemical process to avoid further degrading the brick beneath. The work will prevent the building from holding moisture.
The 112-foot tower and original keepers’ dwelling were built in 1867, using Milwaukee “Cream City” brick. In the early 1900s, the tower was encased in metal due to the poor condition of the bricks. The keepers’ dwelling, which was expanded between 1908 and 1914, was first painted in 1942. Today, the paint is cracked and peeling, revealing a layer of green, moss-like growth underneath.
This is Lakeshore Keepers’ largest preservation effort in its 38-year history. Originally named Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association, the organization formed in 1987 to rescue this light. Operating as Lakeshore Keepers, the group now manages five lighthouses from Whitehall to Manistee.
Other upcoming upgrades at Ludington State Park include a $3.65 million project to rebuild Skyline Trail and a $100,000 amphitheater renovation; these projects are fully funded. In 2024 and 2025, the park’s roads were repaved, pedestrian connectivity was improved, and parking areas were reimagined during a $2.6 million project funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse on the Lake Michigan shoreline can be reached by hiking or biking a 1.8-mile sand-and-gravel trail at Ludington State Park. [Justine Lofton]
