Grosse Pointe Lighthouse

This lighthouse is exactly 1 mile from the furthest point of Northwestern and has its own free parking lot — so NO EXCUSES to not go here. It is on the bank of Lake Michigan. It is beautiful.
The parking lot hours are 6am to 11pm, no exceptions. I saw alot of people walking there pooches. I wandered around the snowy angles of the lighthouse at all times of day. I could not get enough of this guy.
Come see for yourself!

As a fan of lighthouses we decided to stop at Grosse Pointe while traveling to Chicago. We were off season for touring the lighthouse itself, but we greatly enjoyed walking the grounds as well as seeing the gardens. The view of the water from the back of the lighthouse was gorgeous and we enjoyed the serenity of their grounds.

This is a neat little place, very quaint, breezy and scenic. The light house itself is nothing special, but I do have to say there is this shady lawn area that is behind that house that is simply majestic. When we were there, someone took their mother who was in a wheel chair and seemed to have some sort of muscle degenerative problem to sit by the shady lawn behind the light house to enjoy the beach breeze. This tells you how powerful that patch of area is, you overlook a very scenic beach and on a nice sunny day, you won’t get burned if that is one of your concerns because you have tall pillow trees blocking the rays. Million dollar view for free! I do recommend wearing some kind of shoes that is not porous or sandals when walking down the path behind the lighthouse to go to the beach area because you will get sand ALL over your shoes like we did (we wore running shoes).

If you’re ever in the Evanston area, this is a nice place to visit to soak in some local flavor. Unfortunately, the tours weren’t running when I visited here, but that’s ok, I came for the views of the place anyway. :)
The location is beautiful, and if you’re into lighthouses, then this is the e-​ticket ride you’ve been looking for. It’s a classical design with a larger than normal keeper’s house, which is interesting. It is set just a little ways back from the beach, and from what I’ve read, is about 10 stories high. I’d love to take a gander of the view from the top of this place if I get the chance to when I’m back in town. Of the several lighthouses in the Chicago area, this seems to be the nicer of the bunch and it is closer to downtown than the Waukegan Lighthouse (which i had just come from right before this one) if you’re coming from that general direction. The surrounding neighborhoods have been very nicely maintained and showcase some very nice architecture styles and lovely tree-​lined streets that I can tell in the summer months provide beautiful shade along it’s avenues. Whenever I travel from city to city, I love to soak in the feel of the places I go to, and this place does not disappoint! It’s far from the 24 – 7 hustle and bustle from a place like Manhattan, but that’s exactly what makes this place unique. Chi-​town has a nicely diverse feel from downtown to the ‘burbs. And that’s what I enjoy!
That’s all folks!
And as Anthony Bourdain says, «Be a traveler, not a tourist!» Get out there and explore your world! ;-)

Interesting museum about the lighthouse and Lake Michigan’s checkered past. The tour of the lighthouse is worth the time, if you’re not claustrophobic. It gets a little tight in some parts, especially the spiral staircase up to the light.
Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area, check their hours though, they aren’t regular business hours.

Right next to Norhwestern Ill. Univ. this lighthouse can be visited by the public during limited hours. They will take you on a tour of the grounds and the building, then it’s up the swirling stairs to the top of the lighthouse. It’s about 10 stories high. You can learn alot from the tour and of course there’s an amazing view of the lakefront from up there.