You don’t need to travel all the way to the East Coast to look at breathtaking lighthouses. Often mistaken for a part of Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is home to over 40 lighthouses.

Of these lighthouses, many were built in the 1800’s and serve as a piece of history that tells a lot about industry and life on Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.

For reference, here is a bit of background. Lighthouses are structures that don’t come from American culture but date back thousands of years. They especially began to gain popularity in the early 1700’s because of their efficiency in guiding maritime adventures and warning for storms, dangerous water features and guidance in the nighttime.

When constructed, many lighthouses included living quarters for a lighthouse keeper to keep the light going by filling it with kerosene. It was a hard job that required many hours — if the light was not lit, there could be people in danger.

Today many lighthouses are lit electronically, used as museums and do not require a lighthouse keeper. In 1910, Congress created the Bureau of Lighthouses, but it was soon merged with the United States Coast Guard, where it remains today.

With this vast history of lighthouses in general, ones in the UP are no exception. Although not connected to the larger ocean, the great lakes provided access to trade and economic opportunities with Canada that allowed for natural resources from the UP to be shipped elsewhere.

Today you can go learn about the history and importance of these UP lighthouses at over two-dozen museums, each offering something new. Here are a few that I would recommend.

1. Crisp Point Lighthouse

Just the road getting here is an adventure in itself, but once you reach the top of the lighthouse the journey is worth it. At one time this lighthouse was listed as America’s most endangered lighthouse. Much of its land has been eroded, along with the buildings around it, but the lighthouse and its living quarters remain, plus there is much historical significance to learn here as well.

2. Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

This lighthouse is very unique in the fact that it is a working lighthouse today but is also very dangerous because it is located between two rock cribs. Many shipwrecks happened off the shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and there is even a museum here dedicated to the history of those wrecks. Most likely as an effect of the historical events here, this lighthouse is often regarded as very haunted by locals.

3. Peninsula Point Lighthouse

Definitely not your average lighthouse, it resembles from the outside more of a modern brick home feel, because of a fire that left only the tower part left. But it is a great place to look at wildlife and especially butterflies during the fall migration season.