One more place to enjoy near Evanston in Illinois
The Grosse Point Lighthouse was built in 1873 following a series of tragic shipwrecks along the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Chicago. The United States Congress appropriated funds for the lighthouse after the deadly wreck of the Lady Elgin in 1860, which claimed more than 300 lives and remains one of the worst maritime disasters on the Great Lakes. Designed by Orlando Metcalfe Poe, a celebrated engineer who served under General Sherman during the Civil War, the lighthouse stands as a masterwork of 19th-century government engineering and a beloved Evanston landmark.
The lighthouse tower rises 113 feet above the lake, constructed from cream-colored Milwaukee brick with a distinctive Italianate design that sets it apart from more utilitarian Great Lakes lighthouses. Its Second Order Fresnel lens, manufactured in Paris by Barbier and Fenestre, was considered state-of-the-art technology when installed and could project a beam visible for more than 20 miles across open water. The lens was originally fueled by lard oil, then kerosene, before eventually being converted to electricity in the early 20th century. Grosse Point served as an active aid to navigation until 1934 and earned designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse tower during guided tours offered from June through September on weekends. The ascent involves navigating 141 steps and rewards guests with a panoramic view stretching from the Chicago skyline to the south to the Bahá’í House of Worship dome in Wilmette to the north. Knowledgeable docents share stories about the lighthouse keepers, the shipwrecks that motivated its construction, and the technical marvels of the Fresnel lens system during each tour session.
The lighthouse museum occupies the former keeper’s quarters and features exhibits on Great Lakes maritime history, including artifacts recovered from shipwrecks and original lighthouse equipment. One gallery is devoted to the Lady Elgin disaster, with personal belongings, newspaper accounts, and a scale model of the ill-fated steamship. Throughout the summer the grounds host special events including Historical Twilight Tours on Friday evenings, where guides in period costume lead visitors through the lighthouse and gardens by lantern light.
The crown jewel of the complex is the magnificent Second Order Fresnel lens, one of fewer than 30 such lenses still in existence in the United States. Crafted with hundreds of precisely ground glass prisms arranged in a beehive configuration, the lens dazzles visitors with its intricate geometric beauty even when unlit. During special evening programs the lighthouse staff illuminates the lens with a low-wattage bulb, recreating a hint of the brilliant beam that once guided ships through fog and darkness on Lake Michigan.
The keeper’s quarters have been restored to reflect life at the lighthouse during the 1890s, complete with period furniture, kitchen implements, and children’s toys that belonged to the families who lived and worked at Grosse Point. Photographs of the Stanley family, who served as keepers for more than three decades, provide a personal window into the isolation and dedication required of lighthouse service. The parlor features a harmonium that belonged to the keeper’s wife, who reportedly played it to entertain visitors and pass long winter evenings on the shore.
Beyond the lighthouse itself, the immediate area offers several additional points of interest within easy walking distance. The Evanston Art Center, housed in the historic Harley Clarke Mansion just south of the lighthouse along Sheridan Road, presents rotating contemporary art exhibitions in a stunning lakefront setting. The mansion is a fine example of Tudor Revival architecture and features panoramic windows overlooking the lake, making it worth a visit for architecture enthusiasts as well as art lovers. The Evanston Ecology Center, located adjacent to the Ladd Arboretum along the North Shore Channel, offers hands-on exhibits about local wildlife, wetlands restoration, and sustainable gardening practices.
Just north of the lighthouse, the Northwestern University lakefill provides miles of walking and biking trails on a human-made peninsula that extends into Lake Michigan. The paths offer unobstructed views of the lighthouse tower from the north, an angle that photographers prize for capturing the structure against the backdrop of the city skyline. During spring and fall migration seasons, the lakefill is one of the best spots in the greater Chicago area for spotting warblers, hawks, and other migratory birds that follow the lakefront flyway.
The Grosse Point Lighthouse is open for tours from June through September on weekends, with select weekday hours during July and August when visitor demand is highest. June offers comfortable weather with temperatures averaging in the mid-70s Fahrenheit and the added bonus of blooming prairie flowers in the surrounding nature preserve. Fall visits during October and November are worthwhile even though tower tours have ended, as the surrounding trees display brilliant autumn colors and the grounds remain open for self-guided walking tours year-round. The lighthouse is particularly photogenic during the golden hour before sunset, when the cream-colored brick glows warm against the cool blue of Lake Michigan.