New York’s rich maritime history includes many historic lighthouses on all its major coastlines. Along the Seaway Trail, more than two-dozen lighthouses stand guard – several with public museums. Tibbetts Point Lighthouse in Cape Vincent, where Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River meet, contains the only original Fresnel lens operating on Lake Ontario.
Montauk Point Lighthouse Museum in Montauk, Long Island is the oldest lighthouse in New York State, having been authorized by the second congress, under President George Washington, in 1792. Rondout Lighthouse, in Kingston, is part of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. In the Catskills, Hudson Athens Lighthouse, built in 1874 in the Second Empire Style, is an architectural gem. Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region is a historic operational lighthouse built in 1875, offering a large collection of military artifacts in its Veterans Museum & Light Keeper's House, as well as a magnificent view of Lake Erie from its lighthouse observation deck. The Stony Point Lighthouse, part of Stony Point Battlefield State Historic site, was built in 1826 and is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. De-commissioned in 1925, it now stands as a historical reminder of the importance of lighthouses to commerce on the Hudson River.
In Plattsburgh, Bluff Point Lighthouse on Valcour Island, which dates to 1874, was one of the last lighthouses to be staffed on Lake Champlain. It guided ships through the narrow passageway between the island and the New York shore for almost 60 years.
Valcour Island has a rich history. In 1776, an important Revolutionary War battle started near here when an American naval force under Benedict Arnold encountered a large British fleet. While most of... more
In the early 20th century, the existing lighthouse on this site was rebuilt to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain`s discovery of Lake Champlain. The new stone lighthouse, a... more
The Honorary International Peace Garden is located at the Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse, 70 Lighthouse Street in the City of Rochester. The area has been known as the Charlotte area in the northern... more
The Clinton County Historical Association and Museum maintains a regionally and nationally significant collection of more than 30,000 objects, including prints, photographs, paintings, folk art,... more
With its 27-mile range, Dunkirk Lighthouse is one of the most prominent beacons on Lake Erie. Also known as known as Point Gratiot Light, this active lighthouse was established in 1826; the current... more
Constructed in 1858, the Fire Island Lighthouse was once considered the most important light station on the east coast as it was the first landfall for transatlantic ships approaching New York... more
This landmark got its nickname from Hildegarde H. Swift's children's classic The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. The 1880 lighthouse was moved to its present location in 1921 to aid... more