Catch an aerial view of Lake Huron with a tour of the Port Sanilac Lighthouse

PORT SANILAC - People are only a 60-step staircase away from a 360 view of Port Sanilac and its coastline.

The Port Sanilac Lighthouse is open for tours throughout the summer. The tours are given by volunteers from the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum Administrator Dawn Malek said the lighthouse is privately owned, but the owner and museum have a good relationship.

"The view up there is fabulous," Malek said. "The lighthouse is always well maintained and well taken care of."

Tours officially started on July 7 and will run every Friday until Sept. 1. Tours are $5 per person. Children 12 and under get in free. It is located at 81 South Lake St. in Port Sanilac. Closed toed shoes are required to climb the tower.

The public started getting tours of the Port Sanilac Lighthouse by its owner and museum in 2017.

Malek said the Port Sanilac Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in Sanilac County. The lighthouse was originally used in 1886 as a guiding light that stood in the halfway point between the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse and the Harbor Beach Beacon Light. Before the Port Sanilac Lighthouse was built, the 60-mile stretch between these two lighthouses was unlit and unsafe for boats to navigate at night.

The money gained from admission fees is evenly split between the lighthouse's owner and the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum. The money is then used to maintain and preserve the lighthouse.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

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This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Tours available at Port Sanilac Lighthouse