Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Northport

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

5500 Lighthouse Point Rd, Northport MI 49670
(231) 386-7195

Field Trips Playground

Grand Traverse Lighthouse

is an old-school Lake Michigan lighthouse at the very tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, now run as a hands‑on little museum with killer lake views and a touch of ghost lore.

It’s tucked inside Leelanau State Park.

*You need a Michigan state park pass or day fee to enter Leelanau State Park, which is separate from the lighthouse admission.

About the Grand Traverse Lighthouse

It’s a classic schoolhouse-style Great Lakes lighthouse with a big red roof and green-framed windows.

It looks like a big white brick house with a little tower on top (very different from the tall, skinny ocean lighthouse style people often think of.)

The lighthouse not in active service today (the Coast Guard replaced it with an automated beacon on a metal tower in the 1970s) so the old building now serves as a museum, offering self-guided tours and special events throughout the year.

What it’s Like to Visit

If you visit the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, here’s what you can expect:

Inside the Lighthouse Museum

Admission is required and includes a self‑guided wander through the lighthouse and exhibits.

Your entry lets you:

Walk through rooms staged like a keeper’s home from the 1920s-30s
Climb the tower for great views of Lake Michigan and the Manitou Passage
Go into the Fog Signal Building to see the Shipwreck and Lake Michigan Aircraft Carrier exhibits, and even drive a little ROV in a pool.

Cost & Hours

2026 Lighthouse admission is about $8 for adults and $3 for kids 6–13; ages 5 and under are free, and members and veterans with ID get in free.
It’s open seasonally, generally 10-4 in spring and fall, 10-5 in summer, with shorter weekend hours in November and special evenings in December; winter is basically closed aside from those events.

*Michigan residents: Check MI Activity Pass for a discount to climb the tower

Outside the Museum

Walk along the rocky shoreline
Explore the state park (picnic tables, playground, campground, other amenities.)

Climbing The Tower At Grand Traverse Lighthouse Dentler — Climbing the tower at Grand Traverse Lighthouse

Field Trips, Tours & Events

Group and School Tours

They do offer guided tours for school groups and tour buses. You have to reserve in advance and pay ahead.

Teachers can get a packet to help tie the visit into lessons, and there’s a kid‑focused treasure hunt inside the lighthouse that works well for field trips or families.

Special Events

They run occasional themed events like “Night at the Light,” where you get an evening or twilight tour and tower climb on timed entry.

In 2026, they are planning