Lighthouse Restoration Efforts Win Award
30,000-Plus Visit Mackinaw City Site

Mackinac State Historic Parks has won an Institutional Achievement award for the renovation and reopening of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in Mackinaw City. The award, from the Michigan Museums Association, recognizes exceptional programs, graphic projects, and professional activities of Michigan museums.

In renovating the lighthouse, Mackinac State Historic Parks has repaired the roof and windows of both the light tower and the nearby fog signal house, acquired the original Fresnel lens on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard, completed a historic structure report, and opened the landmark to public tours.

More than 30,000 people visited the restoration project- in-progress between June and October.

Mackinac State Historic Parks has raised $415,000 of an estimated $2.5 million necessary to restore the lighthouse through donations, grants, and revenues from the nearby lighthouse museum store. Other plans for the lighthouse this year include returning a barn to its original location near the light tower and reconstructing a white picket fence that encircled the grounds in the early 20th century.

Restoration is expected to be complete by 2009.