OSWEGO – Visitors to the Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival will be able to tour Oswego’s historic and iconic lighthouse for the lowest price available all year. The festival takes place Saturday, May 20. from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the museum at the end of West First Street Pier. Admission to the festival is free of charge. The Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse, present in thousands of photographs, paintings and drawings of the city’s lakefront, will be open for public tours that day, weather permitting, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tours will be available at the deeply discounted price of $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under. When daily tours begin in June, prices will be $30 for adults and $20 for children. Tours are not recommended for children under 5 years old. Visit https://hlwmm.org/pages/oswego-lighthouse-tours to purchase tickets for tours.
“Most people who have seen the lighthouse from the shore don’t know that they can visit the lighthouse,” said Mercedes Niess, H. Lee White Maritime Museum Executive Director. “It’s a terrific tour, full of history and interesting stories of the days when lighthouses were vital to commerce and defense. I urge everyone to consider learning more about Oswego’s maritime past, especially at this one-time-only discounted price.”
Visitors should reserve 60 to 90 minutes for the tour, which includes a boat ride from Wright’s Landing to the lighthouse and back. Boat capacity is limited to six visitors per transit. Other rules include:
- The captain is in charge while underway and can cancel or shorten a trip at his discretion
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Children under 5 years old not recommended
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Children under 12 MUST wear a life jacket during transit
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All children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult
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There are no restrooms at the Lighthouse
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Please arrive at Wright’s Landing 15 minutes prior to departure
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Flat, rubber-soled shoes highly recommended
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No smoking, alcohol, or food is permitted on site
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The lighthouse is not handicap accessible
The Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse opened in 1934, a replacement for lighthouses that had served the harbor for decades. It sits at the end of the west arrowhead breakwater, half a mile from shore, and had to be custom-engineered to withstand the high winds of a Lake Ontario winter. The last human light-keeper left in 1969 when the lantern was automated. It operates to this day as an aid to navigation for huge ocean-going freighters and small pleasure boats alike. The Fresnel lens removed for automation can be seen inside the H. Lee White Maritime Museum along with many other artifacts and stories of Oswego’s rich nautical history.
The tours are offered as part of the Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival, which features onboard and dockside tours of famous ships, including the tug LT-5, which was part of the Normandy invasion of World War II as well as the last commercial fishing vessel on Lake Ontario and an under-construction replica of an 1800’s sailing schooner. The festival also includes the unveiling of a new addition to the museum’s gallery, new boats for sale on display, children’s activities including the Happy Pirates, and more. Visit the festival’s website for more details.
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