PHOTO COURTESY OF MARBLEHEAD LIGHTHOUSE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
This year, the beloved Marblehead Lighthouse on the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula in Ohio is celebrating 200 years of guiding mariners on the waters of Lake Erie. Built in 1822, the 50-foot limestone tower is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the Great Lakes, and the U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate and maintain the lighthouse beacon that now features a new LED light, reports Fremont News Messenger.
To honor its bicentennial, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society are hosting a series of events throughout the summer. “Each year, more than 25,000 people climb to the top of the lighthouse, but we estimate more than 1 million visitors come to the park every year,” said Sarah Wickham, ODNR’s chief of communications, reports the Fremont News Messenger.
The event series kicked off on May 21 with a “Legacy on the Lake: Celebrating 200 Years of the Marblehead Lighthouse” celebration, and invites visitors to join for a host of other exciting events throughout the summer and enjoy spectacular views from the top of the lighthouse, which, along with the land it is situated on, became a state park in 1998, reports Cleveland.com.
Marblehead Lighthouse bicentennial events this summer include:
- Ohio State University Alumni Band concert, June 11
- Moonlight Serenaders Big Band concert, June 18
- 200th Birthday Party, June 22
- Firelands Symphony Orchestra concert, July 2
- Dan May concert, July 16
- Island Song Trio concert, July 30
- Coast Guard Birthday, Aug. 4
- Moonlight Serenaders Big Band concert, Aug. 6
- Fostoria Lake Plains Chorus concert, Aug. 28
To learn more, visit marbleheadlighthouseohio.org/200th.
