Located in: Bailey’s Harbor, Wisconsin
The Cana Island Lighthouse, operated by the Door County Maritime Museum, has stood tall on the shore of Lake Michigan since 1970. This 89-foot light tower on an 8.7-acre island, includes the original home of the lighthouse keeper and his family, and the oil house where the original fuel for the light was stored.
Currently used as an active (now automated) navigational aid under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, and a museum, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
The buildings are made of cream city brick, but the brick of the tower deteriorated quickly because of storms and icy winters. In 1902, a steel cladding was added to the tower to protect it from further deterioration.
The light itself is a third order Fresnel lens made in France. It was originally fueled by lard, later by kerosene, then by acetylene, and now by electricity. When the light first became electric in 1945, it was powered by a 32-volt, 2-kW generator, and batteries that lit a 100-watt bulb. Four bulbs were mounted in a rack to allow for the next bulb to light if the one before it burns out.
The highlight of any Cana Island visit is climbing the 97 cast iron steps of the tower’s spiral staircase to reach the gallery deck. The outside deck delivers a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and the Door County peninsula.
The lighthouse is located on Cana Island, which is connected to the mainland via a rocky channel and causeway. Depending on the lake level, the pathway can be covered with 1–2 feet of Lake Michigan water. The light is approximately 85 feet above the water level, and has a visual range of 17 nautical miles. The tower is 4 feet 8 inches thick at the base.
Major restoration of the Cana Island Lighthouse was made possible through a 2010 Capital Campaign Challenge Grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation in the amount of $600,000. The lighthouse and keeper’s quarters are open for tours May through October.
