Welcome to the Port Clinton Lighthouse

Photograph by Geoffrey Mendenhall, Lighthouse and Maritime Festival 2023

Our 6th Annual Lighthouse and Maritime Festival is Saturday, August 17, 2024, from 10 am – 4 pm. Please join us for our annual celebration that includes the United Way Incredible Duck Race, a plein air art show, antique & classic wooden boat show, historic talks, musical entertainment, merchandise & food vendors, activities for kids and so much more!

The Lighthouse is open to the public for tours on Saturdays, from noon until 5 p.m., $3.00 per person, through September 2. Please note that if you’re a Keeper, contact the Conservancy at any time to schedule a tour of the Lighthouse for family and friends—free of cost, of course. A Docent will give you a personal tour if you will simply send an email to [email protected].

Waterworks Park, home to our Lighthouse, offers access to the lake with parking lots and walkways, 24/7. We have sixteen benches placed around the park for visitors to enjoy delightful views of the Lighthouse and the lake. The Friends of Port Clinton City Parks, the City of Port Clinton and the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy have worked together diligently to fund and build a much-needed restroom facility, or “comfort station,” compatible with the designs of the Lighthouse and the Boathouse. The comfort station, with restrooms and shower facility, is open for use as of the conclusion of the Walleye Festival. All utilities are provided by the City of Port Clinton.

The pathway around Derby Pond is fully paved, accessible to joggers, walkers, cyclists, baby carriages, wheelchairs, strollers and the like. The town and the ODNR had the path finished so that it meets ecological standards. 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 beautiful, in keeping with its natural lakefront surroundings.

All of the improvements to the Lighthouse area have been made possible by members’ contributions, with cooperation among the city, local and not-so-local groups. The work provided by volunteers has been invaluable. Those of you who come to visit us each year now are also able to enjoy a beautiful strip of beach along the shoreline, providing us with additional resources and incentive for improvement. We thank all of you for your ongoing support. We hope to continue to meet and, hopefully, exceed your expectations. Please send us your comments!

Please watch this spot for updates and feel free to send us a message through this Web site, as always.
The updated 2023 list of Keepers is on the Keepers page.

Your Keeper Memberships make possible enormous support for the ongoing growth and events at the Port Clinton Lighthouse grounds. Listed here are some of the areas for which the Keepers have contributed substantial help:

–Ongoing maintenance of the Lighthouse, Boathouse, and landscaped area (Perry Street to Lake Erie, Fulton Street to Washington Street).

–The Jeremy and Brand Family Picnic Grove, located in the northeast corner near the large tree. It includes permanent handicapped-accessible tables, movable tables and improved trash receptacles.

–Electricity to the Boathouse.

–Increased insurance coverage and long-term care funds.

–Combined with major support from the Friends of Port Clinton Parks and the City of Port Clinton, the much-needed Comfort Station, with restrooms and shower facilities. If you wish to contribute directly to this special project, please send donations to the Friends of Port Clinton Parks at FPCP, 105 Hayes Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452.

–A more permanent base under the “Lightkeeper” sculpture.

–The Lighthouse Festival, bigger and better every year, with your support. And thanks to all of you, again, for making it so successful!

A large permanent sign welcoming you to the Port Clinton Lighthouse is installed near the 1812 Memorial, and is visible from either the east or west on Perry Street. Special-event notices will continue to be posted temporarily over the sign when warranted so we all know what’s going on at the Lighthouse and surrounding area! The flagpole is better illuminated at night now, so we can see the flag more easily. Again, all courtesy of our generous Keepers!

The Harrison Trail Memorial at the north end of Fulton Street is now maintained as part of the Conservancy’s responsibilities. Our Conservancy and Black Swamp Conservancy are working together to continue site improvement to  both conservancies’ highest standards.

  • 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! The boathouse itself is open  Saturdays and Sundays from noon till 5 p.m. through Labor Day weekend. Lighthouse merchandise is available, as is an historical overview of the area. The electrification process is completed at the boathouse, also, providing cleaning and maintenance convenience.

  • A wide variety of items also is available online.  Unique, on Madison Street in downtown Port Clinton, has 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? Your memberships support all of our events, including the Festival, and, of course, all the development and maintenance of this remarkable lakeside pleasure. 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 Street, will be able to stamp it for you Monday through Friday. 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.

Please plan to visit us this year at the Lighthouse on ever-changing Lake Erie, enjoying the park and surrounding area, including our historic downtown’s shops, restaurants and more! We look forward to welcoming you!