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Wisconsin Tourism Should Include a Visit to the Wind Point Lighthouse in Wisconsin

Just on the edge of Racine, WI is the little village of Wind Point. It is right on the edge of Lake Michigan. Michigan tourist should include a vacation to this little hamlet and the beautiful Wind Point Light Station. The beauty of the facility and the heritage that surrounds it make for an exciting destination on your vacation.

Visiting the Racine region will provide you many opportunities to see some beautiful views. You may be able to experience the heritage of the region as well as visit a variety of excellent museums, but the one that will definiately focus in your mind for a long time is the visit to the edges of Lake Michigan and the views you will get from the Wind Point Light Station. Take along a picnic lunch to eat on the grounds. Watch the waves break as they roll in from this powerful lake and think about all the boaters that have traversed these waters over the years to haul supplies to the region or to pick up supplies for commerce at distant ports. Enjoy the chance to appreciate the opportunity to see the power, learn of the heritage and appreciate the architecture of the past that constructed this structure in the time before modern cranes and computer generated graphics. It is quite a site.

One of the more popular Wisconsin attractions, the tower itself is closed except for special occasions but the grounds are open to the public everyday from sunrise to 11 p.m. The tower is open during the first Sundays in June, July, August, September, and October. Because of the high demand to see for miles at the top of the lighthouse, reservations are necessary. Light House Tours run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is a ten dollar per person fee.

You will be able to learn about the heritage of this light house when you visit. It was constructed in 1880 and is the oldest and tallest Lighthouse in existance on Lake Michigan. Although it started out with Kerosene-fired lenses it was electrified in 1924 and then modernized in 1964. Since the station towers 110 feet at its focal plane the light is visible for a distance of nineteen miles. Just imagine the thousands of seaman that have been saved from disaster because of this Lighthouse leading the way to safety.

The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The village of Wind Point was given ownership of the property by the National Park Service in 1997. The Coast Guard still operates the lighthouse as a public navigation aid.

Arrive and see this beautiful piece of times past and possibly, take a vacation to tour the other Lighthouses on the Lake. It will make a fantastic Wisconsin vacations for you.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 8:10 am and is filed under Sailing & Cruising. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.