Grand Haven Pier Light

History…

The Grand Haven South Pier Lights hold the distinction of being the most photographed of all lights on the Great Lakes. Grand Haven’s first lighthouse was built in 1839 on the beach on the south side of the mouth of the Grand River, but was destroyed by high seas during a storm in 1852. In 1855 a second light and keeper’s house, the Bluff Light, was built on the bluff, east and above the site of the first lighthouse. In 1875, the original fog signal building was constructed at the end of the south pier. In 1905, the south pier was extended and the fog signal building was moved to its end. At that time, the current 52 foot-high conical inner tower light was constructed. The Bluff Light tower was subsequently removed but the keeper’s house is still used as a private residence.

The tower and fog building, each with its own light, are connected along the pier and to the shore by a long catwalk, a remnant of the days when keepers would have to make their way between the two structures despite crashing waves that often washed over the piers. Grand Haven and St. Joseph boast the only remaining two-pier range light systems with both towers and catwalks still intact.

The Grand Haven South Pier Lighthouse is an operating lighthouse at the end of the pier, which is an extension of the Grand Haven boardwalk. Because it is an operating lighthouse, the inside is not open to the public, but visitors can walk out onto the pier and up and around the lighthouse. The pier is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. year round, but weather conditions can make the pier unsafe for pedestrians during winter months, storm conditions and high winds. During summer months, a walk along the pier is a favorite activity for tourists, photographers and local residents alike, with sunset hours being a particularly busy time of day.

Clues…

This box is missing and will be replanted in a new location.