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Whitefish Point Lighthouse

Whitefish Township, United States of America

Whitefish Point Lighthouse

The oldest active lighthouse on Lake Superior when it was automated in 1971. The first light tower, built with stone in 1848 and powered by whale oil, was replaced with the present steel tower during the Lincoln administration in 1861. All vessels entering or leaving Lake Superior must sail past Whi

tefish Point, also known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes", 11 miles outside of town, one of the easternmost points on the Lake Superior coastline. The numerous shipwrecks in the area include the very first ship known to sail on Superior, the sixty-foot trading vessel Invincible, which was lost in 1816. It's also home to the '''Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum''', which exhibits salvaged artifacts from shipwrecks in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve, and the bell from the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a US ship which sank in 1975 in the area (but just across the international boundary into Canada, which is water). Admission to the museum includes access and tours of the former coast guard buildings and an exhibit of a lifesaving boat and equipment.

Listen to the audio guide for Whitefish Point Lighthouse Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

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