Light Houses in Chicago

This lighthouse became the official property of the city of Chicago in February of 2009, after the United States Coast Guard decided it was no longer needed as an operating lighthouse. This lighthouse can easily be viewed from the end of the Chicago Navy Pier.

Grosse Point Lighthouse is located just north of Chicago and offers tours of the property on Saturday and Sundays. The lighthouse was built in 1873 by the government to help prevent the many shipwrecks that were occurring on the coast of the city. In 1941 the lighthouse went dark as part of the country's air raid protection program until 1945 when it was reinstated.

An island unto itself, the Wilson Crib Lighthouse is another example of Chicago's lighthouse history. No longer operating, this lighthouse is operated by Chicago Department of Water Management and can only be viewed by boat or plane. This lighthouse is located a little over three miles off the coast of Chicago where Highway 41 and 64 intersect.

The William E. Dever Crib Lighthouse was originally built to protect the water crib beneath from passing ships. A water crib is a structure that sucks up water from below and pumps it to land to be distributed by the Department of Water Management. The lighthouse is now no longer in service and can be viewed by boat tour or from above by plane.

The Four Mile Crib Lighthouse can also be seen by standing on the end of the Chicago Navy Pier, but it is significantly further into the water than most other lighthouses. This means it may be seen better by taking a boat tour or by plane overhead. This lighthouse is no longer in operation, but is still owned by the Chicago Department of Water Management.

The 68th Street Crib Lighthouse is another lighthouse used to protect the underlying crib. You can view this lighthouse from the shore by Jackson Park beach. You can also view it by boat tour or overhead by plane.