Mission Point Light

Mission Point Light is a lighthouse at the tip of Old Mission Peninsula with a square tower attached to a white-painted wooden dwelling house. The site includes several buildings from the period when the tower was in operation and displays equipment typical of that era.

The tower was built in 1870 to guide ships through Grand Traverse Bay but was deactivated in 1933. After its shutdown, the building was preserved and now serves as a museum.

The lighthouse was deeply tied to the lives of local sailors and harbor workers, showing how important such structures were to the community. Visitors can still see today how closely the beacon and the settlement were connected.

The site is best accessed during good weather, as the road to the peninsula's tip is winding. There is parking on-site from which you can walk to the tower.

The lighthouse stands very close to the 45th parallel north, which divides the globe exactly in the middle between the North Pole and the Equator. This geographic position makes the site a special point on the world map.

Location: Grand Traverse County

Inception: 1870

Website: http://terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/oldmission/oldmission.htm

GPS coordinates: 44.99130,-85.47950

Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:04