Lighthouse Directories and Lists
The following lists and directories provide extensive information about lighthouses and maritime museums, These are excellent sources for finding historical data, current and historical photos as well as up to date location and access information. The addresses, maps, GPS coordinates and contact information are invaluable tools for visiting lighthouses and related sites.
U.S. & Canadian Lighthouses
These sources are useful for finding information about U.S. lighthouses as well as several that include Canada.
Historic Light Stations (U.S. Coast Guard)
Lighthouses, Lightships, Tenders & Other Aids to Navigation Subjects. If you are researching lighthouses, the career of anyone who served with the Lighthouse Service or the Coast Guard or other related subject matter, documentation is available at a number of different locations. This site is a good place to start.
Lighthouse Directory (U.S. Lighthouses)
Provides an alphabetical listing of over 400 U.S. lighthouses with historical background, directions to locate (including GPS coordinates) and photos.
U.S. Coast Guard Light List
This extensive publication from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security contains a list of all lights, sound signals, buoys, day beacons, and other aids to navigation in the United States.
Lighthouse Friends
An up to date, easy to use site that provides photos (current and historic), directions, GPS coordinates, and history for United States and Canadian lighthouses. The directions are particularly useful in helping you to find you way to hundreds of lighthouses.
They also have an app to help you find lighthouses using your iPhone or Android Phone. Visit their website for more info.
Marine Property Inventories (NPS)
Provides a listing of historic ships, lighthouses, light stations and life-saving stations. Many of the locations are open and accessible to the public. If you're planning a visit, be sure to contact the property before you go, to confirm details. The NPS site also has a listing of Maritime Related National Parks including the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in Massachusetts, Kaloko-Honokōhau National Park in Hawaii and the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, which passes through eleven states on its route from Illinois to Oregon.
Lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes
A comprehensive look at all of the lighthouses on Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Lake Huron compiled by GLLKA Executive Director, Terry Pepper. Extensive historical information, photos, lists of light keepers, directions and contact information are all provided. The site also has a number of informational databases relating to these lighthouses.
New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide
History, photos, bibliographies and accessibility information for the lighthouses of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island complied by lighthouse expert Jeremy D'Entremont.
Michigan Lighthouse Guide
This site provides extensive information about the 129 lighthouses in Michigan as well as a variety of other resources including volunteer keeper programs, museums, tours, and festivals.
U.S. & World Lighthouses
The following sources provide extensive information about lighthouses in the United States as well as many foreign countries. Several concentrate on a single country.
Lighthouses R Us
The focus of this site (as opposed to some other directories) is on maps (via Google's API). It was designed to help people plan trips to see multiple lighthouses. In addition to the map pages, it contains downloadable GPS Point of Interest (POI) files. It includes lighthouses for North and South America as well as a number of other countries around the world.
Lighthouse Directory (University of North Carolina)
An outstanding tool for researching lighthouses. It includes information, photographs and links for more than 8,300 of the world's lighthouses. Basic data for each lighthouse, with links to other reliable information sites are included along with current lighthouse news. Hosted by the University of North Carolina, the site has more than 30,000 links to lighthouse related information and photos.
Lighthouse Digest Lighthouse Explorer Database
The Lighthouse Explorer Database provides information about 8,258 lighthouses from all over the world, including photographs, history, directions, and contact information. Lighthouses are listed alphabetically or find one using the search engine.
World Lighthouses (Marinas.com)
Images, information and interactive maps for lighthouses in the U.S. and around the world. Tides and Weather Conditions. Free Marina Reservations and reviews.
Lighthouses of Australia
The site includes a comprehensive list of lighthouses in each state of Australia, with relevant photos, technical data, history and access information.
Lighthouses of New Zealand
Maritime New Zealand owns and maintains the 23 lighthouses and 74 light beacons that are outside harbor limits in New Zealand. Those within harbor limits are controlled by local authorities. Ultimate responsibility for all maritime navigation aids in New Zealand lies with Maritime New Zealand.
Lighthouses of the Orkney Islands
This is a downloadable Power-Point Show depicting the lighthouses of the Orkney Islands just north of Scotland.
Lighthouses of the United Kingdom
The following guide to UK lighthouses was developed to provide an overview for the lighthouse enthusiast. Information provided in this guide was collected from a number of sources including Trinity House who maintains the operational lighthouses in the UK.
Museums
America Maritime Museums Directory
A listing of the members of the Council of America Maritime Museums. Data is provided on each museum via links to their website and includes exhibits, location and contact information.
Museums with Lighthouse Exhibits
This page provides a list of museums with major lighthouse exhibits around the world.
Maritime Exchange Museum
Dedicated to acquiring, restoring and conserving artifacts related to the USLHS and USLSS and interpreting them for public education and display.
