Wind Point Lighthouse stands 108 feet tall on a point of land that juts into Lake Michigan north of Racine, Wisconsin, and it has been lit continuously since November 15, 1880. It was designed by Orlando Metcalfe Poe, a Civil War brigadier general who also designed other Great Lakes lighthouses, and it remains one of the oldest active lighthouses on the lakes.
In 1924, Wind Point became the second lighthouse on the Great Lakes to be electrified. The Coast Guard automated it in 1964 and eventually transferred ownership to the Village of Wind Point in 1997, with the requirement that it be maintained as a historic landmark. Tours started in 1989, and over a thousand people lined up on the first day — which tells you something about how much people wanted to see inside.
The tower is open for tours on the first Sunday of the month, June through October, which requires planning ahead. But the grounds — the walkways to the water, the park surrounding the lighthouse — are open year-round, and they're worth it regardless of season.
I came on a gray September afternoon when Lake Michigan was doing its best impression of an inland sea, which it almost is. The water was dark and textured and the horizon disappeared into haze. Standing at the base of the lighthouse looking out over that water, understanding what this beacon meant to ships navigating that lake in November 1880, makes the structure feel real in a way that historical facts alone don't always accomplish.