Celebrating 25 years of saving Michigan’s historic lighthouses

National Lighthouse Day, recognized annually on Aug. 7, is a celebration of lighthouses and the commitment and service of those who tended America’s lights for generations. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state in the country, and visiting a lighthouse has become part of the Great Lakes experience from coast to coast to coast. Since 2001, Michigan motorists have been able to show their love for the state’s lighthouses – and directly support their repair and preservation – by selecting a Save Our Lights license plate for their vehicle.

About the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program

In the late 1990s, the federal government signaled an interest to begin divesting itself of hundreds of historic lighthouses across the country. The State of Michigan, recognizing the need to preserve these beloved icons, enacted Public Act 73 of 2000, establishing the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) to help lighthouse stewards restore and repair historic lighthouses. An initial round of lighthouse preservation grants was offered that year.

MLAP grants can fund the creation of preservation planning documents to help inspect these unique buildings and prioritize the work to do, and also fund actual restoration and repair work to features such as roofs, walls, windows, decks, lanterns, and a variety of other needs.

On April 2, 2001, the first Michigan Lighthouses license plate was issued. Revenue generated from the sale of this specialty vehicle license plate has since supported a permanent funding source for the MLAP grant program. The plate was redesigned in 2016 to conform to new Pure Michigan plate standards, and now features our trademark Save Our Lights insignia. In a typical year, more than $100,000 in MLAP matching grants aid preservation efforts and leverage local dollars.

Check out some of these key facts about the impacts of the MLAP program:

• Total MLAP grant dollars awarded: Nearly $3.2 million
• Leveraged grant match dollars: $1.9 million
• Total investment in Michigan’s historic lighthouses: Over $5 million
• Number of MLAP grants awarded to date: 106
• Number of participating lighthouses to date: 41
• Total number of repeat awardees: 28
• Maximum individual MLAP grant award per cycle: $60,000
• Number of Save Our Lights license plates on the road in 2025: 7,427

New This Year: Donate Today!

Today, anyone can support the MLAP grant fund, whether you have a Michigan vehicle or not! Thanks to a partnership with the Michigan Department of Treasury and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, it’s easy to securely donate online to support lighthouse preservation grants. For security purposes, enter Validation Code MxL!2Ap5 to begin the donation process. Donate Today.

Grants that Make an Impact

For 25 years, the MLAP has been a critical source of funding for Michigan’s lighthouse stewards, helping them plan for and execute key rehabilitation efforts. Many lighthouse preservation initiatives are phased, completing individual parts of larger projects one step at a time. Applicants can apply for another MLAP grant after completing a previous one, directly supporting the phased approach. Lighthouse stewards, take note! The 2027 MLAP grant application opens today, with a November 20, 2026, deadline to apply.

More than 40 Michigan lighthouses have received MLAP grants since 2000 (See Map). We catch up with two that have benefitted from MLAP grants throughout the years.

DeTour Reef Light Station, Upper Lake Huron

DeTour Reef lies near the very top of Lake Huron, where several shipping channels come together to pass through a narrow passage between the eastern Upper Peninsula and Drummond Island. In 1931, a new lighthouse was constructed nearly a mile offshore to protect a dangerous shallow. The lighthouse was transferred in 1998 to the non-profit DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society (DRLPS), which sought to restore the light and open it for the public to enjoy. DRLPS was an awardee in the initial round of MLAP grants in 2000, and then received six follow-up grants, representing a cumulative grant investment of nearly $250,000. This funding has been used to waterproof the decks, restore skylights, reconstruct a large deck crane, and restore the original diaphone fog signal to operation, among other projects. Today, DRLPS offers one of the premier “Keeper Stay” opportunities, welcoming overnight guest lightkeepers since 2005.

“The DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society is profoundly grateful to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office for its unwavering support through the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program,” said Jeri Baron Feltner, founding director emerita for the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society. “Their generous grant funding, combined with the expertise and guidance of their dedicated staff, has been extremely instrumental in the restoration, preservation, and long-term stewardship of the historic DeTour Reef Light Station. On behalf of the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society, thank you to SHPO and the citizens of Michigan for helping preserve one of our state's treasured historic beacons.”

Grand Haven South Pier Lights, Lake Michigan

The first lighthouse was lit at the mouth of the Grand River in 1839. The Grand Haven piers were extended and new lighthouses were constructed several times, until 1907 when the present two-light “range” light system known today was completed, where ship captains vertically align the two lighthouse beams to set their course for the harbor. The prominent concrete prow foundation beneath the entrance light, and the steel catwalk, were both added in 1922, signatures of one of Lake Michigan’s most recognized beaches.

Both lights were transferred to city of Grand Haven ownership in 2013, which partnered with the non-profit Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy to study the lighthouses’ conditions and plan for their repair. In 2015, they received their first MLAP grant to create a Historic Structures Report, a technical document which studied the history of changes at the lighthouses and identified existing conditions, culminating in a prioritized list of work. $240,000 in four successive MLAP grants have recreated missing original wood windows, restored the deteriorated concrete prow and steps on the entrance light, and restored the lantern interior, metal fittings, and spiral stair of the inner light. The latest grant awarded in 2026 continues interior repairs and restoration of the entrance light, allowing it to open for the first time ever to the public this summer.

“The Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy in concert with the City of Grand Haven are forever grateful for the partnership we have developed with the MI - SHPO staff in developing our Iconic lighthouses into a destination,” said Dave Karpin, chair of the Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy. “After years of partnering, we have out lighthouse open for interpretation and public tours.”

Michigan’s iconic lighthouses truly offer something for every traveler – from lighthouse enthusiasts and history buffs to curious tourists looking to get out there and experience one of Pure Michigan’s many gems. Travelers interested in exploring Michigan’s lighthouses can learn more here.