Live the life of a Victorian-era light keeper at Tawas Point Lighthouse

Tawas Point State Park, along the shores of Lake Huron,
invites vacationers to enjoy the unique experience of
staying in the Tawas Point Lighthouse.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a fresh idea in vacation destinations. The DNR seeks volunteers to spend a week or two between March 1 and Dec. 20 acting as lighthouse keepers for the Tawas Point Lighthouse, located on the grounds of Tawas Point State Park along the shores of Lake Huron in East Tawas.

Volunteer duties include studying the lighthouse’s rich maritime history, leading guests on lighthouse tours and other miscellaneous duties. In exchange for their work contribution, volunteers are able to stay in the newly renovated keeper’s quarters for a cost of $250 per person, per week. The living quarters include two bedrooms, a modern kitchen and bath.

Serving as a lighthouse keeper allows vacationers to enjoy a unique lodging experience with spectacular views, while supporting and preserving a historical landmark.

“I feel blessed to have many memories of folks I met this week,” former keeper Robert Ulrich wrote in the Lighthouse Keeper Journal. “Wonderful program, wonderful facility and wonderful memories.”

The lighthouse keeper program is open to singles and couples 18 years and older. Chuck Allen, supervisor at Tawas Point State Park, suggests that volunteers should be physically able to lead tours through the lighthouse and tower and perform housekeeping duties such as light maintenance or yard work. Applications and detailed information are available at www.michigan.gov/tawaslighthouse.

Dates and prices are effective through 2014. For details, call 989-362-5041 or 989-362-5658.

Tawas Point Lighthouse is one of 11 nationally accredited museums administered by the Michigan Historical Center, an agency within the Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. Located in Tawas Point State Park, off U.S. 23, 2.5 miles southeast of East Tawas, the lighthouse is open for tours from early May to mid-October, every day except Tuesdays.