Our Port Clinton Lighthouse

Photograph by Sandra Giangrande, September 2021

It’s hard to believe that the summer of 2021 has passed and autumn is upon us! It was a hot, steamy summer, and perfect for enjoying the lighthouse and its lake views and breezes. The crowds we saw here not only spent time on the beach, in the water, walking the grounds, and checking out the town’s shops and restaurants, but they also took advantage of the tours offered at the lighthouse itself. It was a great summer season here at the Port Clinton Lighthouse!

The regular tour season has ended, but two special tour days are planned for you. On Saturday, September 25, the lighthouse will be open for tours, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., during the PCHS All-Class Reunion. Visiting alumni will be able to tour and learn more about the lighthouse. And on Saturday, October 9, we’ll be open for tours from noon until 5 p.m., in conjunction with the Marblehead Lighthouse Festival, an annual joint venture.

Please note that the gift shop will be open during those two days in September and October. If you’re a Keeper, just contact the Conservancy at any time to schedule a tour for family and friends–free of cost, of course.

The pathway around Derby Pond is now mostly paved, accessible to joggers, walkers, cyclists, baby carriages, wheelchairs, strollers and the like. The town and the ODNR are still working to find a contractor to pave the unfinished length of path so that it meets ecological standards. It’ll get done, as has everything else in this wonderful lakeside setting, in good time.

The benches, which have been sponsored by Keepers in memory of loved ones, are awaiting your arrival so that you can enjoy the lake view and people-watching. The landscaping is almost completed, and is beautiful, in keeping with its natural lakefront surroundings.

The Friends of Port Clinton City Parks, the City of Port Clinton and the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy together have worked diligently to build a much-needed restroom facility, planned to be compatible with the designs of the Lighthouse and the Boathouse. Tentatively, it is to be located about forty feet west of the Boathouse ramp. All utilities will be provided by the City of Port Clinton, and the facility is slated to open in the spring of 2022.

All of the improvements to the Lighthouse area have been made possible by members’ contributions, with incredible cooperation among the city and local and not-so-local groups. Those of you who come to visit us each year, now also able to enjoy a beautiful strip of beach along the shoreline, provide us with additional resources and incentive to continue to improve. We thank all of you for your ongoing support. We hope to continue to meet and, hopefully, exceed your expectations. Let us know, when you have a minute!

While we were not able to present the Lighthouse Festival this year, we plan to hold the Festival in August of next year! Please watch this spot for updates and feel free to send us a message through this Web site, as always.
 
The updated 2021 list of Keepers is on the Keepers page (still titled as 2020 Keepers, mysteriously; please bear with us).
 
A new large (21′ x 4′!) permanent sign welcoming you to the Port Clinton Lighthouse is now installed, just east of the 1812 Memorial, and visible from either the east or west on Perry St. Special-event notices will be posted temporarily over the sign when warranted so we all know what’s going on at the Lighthouse and surrounding area!
 
The exterior of our lighthouse can now be lighted with colors for special occasions and holidays. And the flagpole will be better illuminated at night now, so we can see the flag more easily. Again, all courtesy of our generous Keepers!
 
  • Virtual Tour: We’re offering a virtual tour of the Lighthouse! Please click on the Video section above to enjoy it.

Have any of you tried out the model lighthouse plans included above?  Please let us know, possibly with photos, how your model-building goes. It looks like a good, positive challenge for a range of ages, courtesy of a friend of the lighthouse, Marie Blunt. Give it a try!

  • Click on SHOP at the top of the page to do your Lighthouse shopping!  Clair Jeremy, whose grandfather was responsible for saving the Lighthouse in 1952 (it could have been set afire!), is manning the virtual shop. He’ll answer your questions and may share a story or two with you! Remember, too, that the gift shop will be open on September 25th and October 9th, during the special lighthouse tour times.
  • A wide variety of items also is available online. Lilly and Gert’s, on 2nd St., and Unique, on Madison St., in downtown Port Clinton, both have Lighthouse items for sale. All proceeds from your purchases support the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy and its place within our historic community on the Lake Erie waterfront. Please call or send a message with any questions or suggestions.
  • Please continue to check here for information regarding the Lighthouse area development and hours.
  • For those traveling to Port Clinton and wishing to visit the Lighthouse, enter Port Clinton Lighthouse (or 421 E. Perry St.) into your GPS or digital map.                                   
  • WANT TO BE A KEEPER OF THE PORT CLINTON LIGHTHOUSE? Click here for a membership form. Why not join the Keepers of the Port Clinton Lighthouse and get periodic updates, early notice of openings, special deals, and, most importantly, tangibly demonstrate your support? Become a Keeper of the Port Clinton Lighthouse!
  • Click here to see a current list of Keepers.
  • If you are visiting Port Clinton and want your Lighthouse Passport stamped, the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce (call for hours at 419-734-5503), located on Madison St., will be able to stamp it for you Monday through Friday. In addition, Lilly & Gert’s, located on 2nd St. across from the Post Office, will have a stamp available during their shop hours. If you’re an ardent Lighthouse Passport owner with compulsive desires for collection, you can always send us a request for a lighthouse stamp by including a self-addressed stamped envelope.

It’s never too late to contact us, as noted above, for a membership application.

We hope to see you out on our pathways soon, enjoying all that the Port Clinton Lighthouse area affords us!