Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy

Kudos to city officials and maintenance staff for getting the billboard which displays the Port Clinton Lighthouse sign back up quickly after following the wind storm that knocked it down. Way to go!!!

END OF SEASON SALE!!!

We are having an end-of-season close-out sale at the Keeper's Boathouse on Saturday and Sunday, September 20th and 21st. Everything in stock is 25% off the marked price, including clothing, art, and more! The Boathouse will be open from noon until 5pm. This is your chance to find that unique item for someone special for Christmas, a birthday, or just because you want it! Proceeds are for the benefit of the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy.

The first installment of the lighthouse documentary premieres a week from Thursday! Don't miss it!

WBGU-PBS brings Lake Erie’s lighthouse stories to life this fall “Illuminating the Great Lakes: Lighthouses of Lake Erie” premieres Sept. 11, spotlighting Lake Erie’s lighthouse history and preservation efforts.

WBGU-PBS is premiering a new three-part docuseries titled “Illuminating The Great Lakes: Lighthouses of Lake Erie” that explores the history, legacy, and enduring charm of eight of Ohio’s Lake Erie lighthouses and the passionate individuals working to preserve them. The Port Clinton Lighthouse will be one of the lighthouses featured! The series will air at 9 p.m. Thursdays in September, starting September 11 and at 3:30 pm Saturdays, starting Sept. 13.
There are multiple ways to watch:
• on-air (check your channel listing)
• livestream at wbgu.org/live
• on demand using the PBS app or on YouTube.

Lighthouses always have done more than just guide ships through rough waters; they've sparked imagination, stood as symbols of hope, and become quiet keepers of history. This captivating series will include the tale of a lighthouse that mysteriously disappeared, and a ghost cat said to wander through a former caretaker’s cottage turned museum. These stories are just the beginning of what makes the lighthouses along Lake Erie truly special.

The series will include:
Part 1: Beacons of the Past – Sept. 11 & 13
Part 2: Preserving the Light – Sept. 18 & 20
Part 3: Shining Forward – Sept. 25 & 27

In conjunction with the docuseries, WBGU-PBS is hosting an interactive online lighthouse scavenger hunt. The “WBGU-PBS Lighthouse Hunt” is available through the Goosechase app and includes a series of challenges and quizzes to earn points. Upon competition, participants will receive a special “Keep the Light On” sticker. The hunt will run until Sept. 7, 2026.

For more information about the docuseries and the Lighthouse Hunt, visit wbgu.org/lighthouses.

WBGU-PBS Livestream WBGU-PBS Livestream

Our Plein Air Art Contest at the 7th Annual Lighthouse & Maritime Festival was a great success. Pictured from left to right: Julia D'archangelo, Rosemary Schramm, Gayle Mehling, KC Cousins (winner), Hope Burger, Steve Kelley, and judge Sharon Helle. Thanks to you all!

We are proud to announce KC Cousins as the 2025 winner of the Plein Air Art Show sponsored by the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council. KC was one of several area artists who came to the Port Clinton Lighthouse & Maritime Festival to create their own visions of the historic beacon. Her winning portrait will be featured on the official poster for the 2026 festival. Congratulations KC!

After the festival, a front moved in, we got a spattering of rain, and a rainbow to top off the day!

Here are some scenes from our first-ever Cardboard Boat Regatta. There were five entries and dozens of cheering fans all rooting for their favorites. This event will definitely be back next year!

Here are some pics from the 7th Annual Port Clinton Lighthouse & Maritime Festival. More to follow! Please share your own memories of the festival!

Noon at the Port Clinton Lighthouse Festival!

Once common throughout the Great Lakes in the mid-to-late nineteenth century, free-standing wooden pier lights have largely disappeared. Only four remain across the Great Lakes. Join Rich Norgard as he traces the history of the Port Clinton Pier Light, the last such beacon remaining on Lake Erie, from its construction in 1896 up to the present time.