Erie Land Lighthouse

The Erie Land Lighthouse was the first lighthouse commissioned on the Great Lakes, built in 1818 to help ships navigate from Lake Erie into the Presque Isle Bay. The building you can tour today is not the original lighthouse. This beacon has been completely rebuilt—twice, in fact.

The first version was a basic, 20-foot-tall wooden structure. It did the job, but it started to lean. So in 1857, a brand-new lighthouse was constructed with stronger materials. Alas, that one also had a glitch: The ground beneath it wasn’t solid and began shifting. So 10 years later, that iteration was demolished. The next (and current) version had some serious upgrades: It was built 200 feet to the east of the soft earth, with a large foundation of oak timbers, crushed limestone, and cement to fully support the round brick tower with sandstone exterior. It safely guided ships until 1880, when it was no longer used for navigation.

But you can climb up to the tower to take in sweeping views of Lake Erie, the bay, and the Presque Isle peninsula.

Take time to explore the surrounding park—it’s an underrated spot to kick back and catch the sun sinking below the iconic lighthouse and Great Lake. Throw the kids in the frame and you have your next holiday card!