Point Iroquois Lighthouse
Ghosts of shipwrecked sailors, Iroquois warriors, and children reportedly roam this old lighthouse
Paranormal Claims at
Point Iroquois Lighthouse
- A little girl’s apparition has been seen
- Shadow figures of Iroquois warriors have been reported on the property
- Cold spots have been reported throughout the lighthouse
- Ghostly figures of sailors have been seen around the waterline near the lighthouse
Point Iroquois Lighthouse’s History
On the northern shores of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a stark, white lighthouse capped in blood-red roofs watches the waters of Lake Superior. Point Iroquois Lighthouse spent generations guiding ships through the icy currents and towards the nearby Soo Locks before it was retired and became a popular museum.
Though it’s been decades since the lighthouse was last lit, the glow of ghostly apparitions still lingers around Point Iroquois.
From tales of Native American phantoms to shipwrecked spirits, some say this old light station has been a beacon for spirits as well as ships.
Timeline of Point Iroquois Lighthouse's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Point Iroquois Lighthouse through the years
1662
In 1662, long before any lighthouse sat on the shores of Lake Superior, Point Iroquois was the site of a bloody battle between the Iroquois and Ojibwe tribes. The Ojibwe caught the Iroquois by surprise in their camp one morning, and the losses were immense.
It is said that, after this battle, the Iroquois never again ventured that far west of their territory. Centuries later, the US government approved a lighthouse on the site known as Point Iroquois.
1856
The first Point Iroquois Lighthouse was completed in 1856. Its purpose was to aid ships traveling through Lake Superior to St. Mary’s River and was built of wood and rubble stone and standing 45-feet tall. While an impressive navigational aid, the lighthouse quickly ran afoul of government inspectors, who noted poor quality of construction in 1867.
By the end of the 1860s, less than a decade and a half after its construction, inspectors began preparing Point Iroquois Lighthouse for demolition and replacement.
1870
A new Point Iroquois Lighthouse was completed in 1870, including a 65-foot tall tower and an updated keeper’s house in the Cape Cod style. At the time, the property also included three barns, a fog horn building, a boat house, and other outbuildings.
In 1905, a two-floor addition was added to the keeper’s quarters, significantly expanding the living space. In this time, a small school also operated from the grounds, serving children of lightkeepers and nearby families of fishermen.
1963
Point Iroquois Lighthouse served the Michigan shores for over 90 years before being closed in 1963. Since then, the lighthouse has been turned into a historic museum, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The lighthouse’s historic restoration was completed in 1993. Since then, Point Iroquois Lighthouse has greeted thousands of visitors, including those supposedly from the afterlife.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse Ghost Girl
One of Point Iroquois Lighthouse’s oft-reported spirits is that of a little girl. The curious presence of a ghostly child at the lighthouse reportedly stems from a tragic wildlife encounter. Legend has it that a girl was attacked and killed by a bear near the site of the lighthouse in the early 1900s, and her phantom has forever made the old lighthouse a home.
Now, visitors to Point Iroquois Lighthouse report seeing a child-sized apparition floating through the keeper’s quarters and through the lighthouse tower. Others have reported similarly child-sized shadows and dark masses lingering both inside the lighthouse and around the grounds, putting Point Iroquois Lighthouse alongside other locations with children’s spirits.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse’s Native American Spirits
The little girl ghost of Point Iroquois Lighthouse isn’t the only visible specter visitors have reported. Other tourists have claimed to see adult-sized shadow figures in the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters.
Some who have had run-ins with these phantoms claim that they appear to be Native American warriors when seen in detail. This has led many to believe that these spirits around the lighthouse stem from the 1662 Iroquois massacre that the site gets its name from.
Spirits of Shipwrecks at Point Iroquois Lighthouse
Alongside the ghosts of children and Iroquois fighters, shipwrecked spirits are also said to linger around the grounds. Some figure these are ghosts of the 1919 wreck of SS Myron nearby, as some frozen bodies from that wreck later washed up on the shores beside Point Iroquois Lighthouse.
Now, the souls of these shipwrecked sailors are said to wander the lighthouse grounds forever. Some spirits have been seen drifting aimlessly around the property, while others are said to linger near the shoreline where their bodies washed up.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse Museum of Mystery
Now part of the Hiawatha National Forest, Point Iroquois Lighthouse is just one of many attractions in the area that visitors flock to every summer. But Point Iroquois’ aesthetic charm, history, and reported hauntings all keep the lighthouse an especially popular feature of the region.
So, whether you’re looking to research maritime history or mysterious hauntings, a visit to Point Iroquois Lighthouse may be especially illuminating.
