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A historic lighthouse in Duluth may be open for tours to the public in two years — if the group that acquired it can raise the funds needed to clean and restore it. 

With a distinctive red roof and white square exterior, the 

Duluth Harbor South Breakwater Outer Light

 was built in 1901. It’s one of two lighthouses that mark the entrance to the Duluth Ship Canal.

Together, the two lighthouses have helped guide ships into the canal and under the Aerial Lift Bridge into the Duluth harbor for over a century. And they both may soon be open to the public. 

The Lake Superior Marine Museum Association

 has been working to acquire the lighthouse on the south pier from the federal government for the past seven years. But it’s a red tape-laden process. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the massive concrete pier that runs more than 1,000 feet from shore to the lighthouse. The U.S. Coast Guard owns and operates a foghorn and the green beacon that still shines from the top of the lighthouse to aid thousand-foot cargo ships and smaller watercraft. 

The museum association finally acquired the deed to the lighthouse earlier this year. 

“Our mission is to preserve the maritime history of the Twin Ports,” said treasurer Al Finlayson. “We've been a partner with the [Lake Superior Maritime] Visitor Center across the canal for 50 years. This fit well with our mission.”

Finlayson hopes to open the lighthouse to public tours by 2027. But it will need a lot of work. It’s covered in pigeon poop, the front door is broken, lead paint is peeling off and asbestos tiles need to be removed. 

But the view from the top deck, reached by climbing a narrow, spiral staircase, is stunning. Lake Superior extends to the horizon and the city of Duluth climbs up the steep hillside. 

The group has contracted with an engineering firm to conduct a report to determine what specific repairs are needed on the historic structure. 

Finlayson anticipates the marine museum association will spend $75,000 out of its own pocket this year, on electrical upgrades, security cameras and other immediate improvements. 

 and writing grants to help defray the costs. 

How soon the lighthouse opens for tours, he said, depends on how quickly they can raise money to pay for the restoration. 

Meanwhile, a different historic preservation nonprofit is moving ahead with plans to renovate the Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Light on the other side of the ship canal. 

St. Paul-based Rethos acquired rights to the lighthouse in 2023

 after the U.S. Coast Guard announced it no longer needed the black and white cylindrical structure that was built in 1910. 

Rethos also encountered paperwork delays, but just last month secured the deed and the keys to the lighthouse, said Amy Thomas, director of real estate at Rethos. 

Thomas said with the help of $15,000 in grants, the group has hired architects to assess the lighthouse’s condition and produce a report detailing the maintenance that will be required. 

“So we know there’s going to be a lot of lead paint. There’s a lot of rust. We want to make the lighthouse safe for people to enter,” Thomas said. 

Rethos also hopes to open the lighthouse to tours, but like the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association, first needs to raise the money to restore the weather-beaten building. 

The groups have discussed partnering together, perhaps with a shared entry fee for tours and hosting events.

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Dan Kraker

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Nonprofit groups have acquired historic lighthouses on either side of the Duluth Ship Canal, and are raising money to restore the iconic structures, with the goal of opening them to public tours. 

Two historic lighthouses in Duluth could be open for tours in the next few years

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