The Two Harbors Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the North Shore of Lake Superior and is now operated as a Private Aid to Navigation by the Lake County Historical Society. It has been a recognizable landmark between Agate and Burlington Bays for over 130 years. The historical society and volunteers recently installed a new modern rotational beacon, replacing a stationary flashing model that was on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard since 2019 when the prior rotational beacon broke beyond repair.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) supported the project with a $4,721 Culture & Tourism grant that helped pay for the replacement of cracked panes of glass in the lens room of the lighthouse tower. Total project investment is estimated at $40,000.

The lighthouse is deeply rooted in the region’s history and industrial development. By 1885 nearly 225,000 tons of iron ore were moving through the docks at Agate Bay. With the growing marine traffic, the Vessel Owners Association and the U.S. Lighthouse Association urged the federal government to establish a lighthouse and fog signal building to improve navigation and safety. Congress then allocated $10,000 for construction of a lighthouse, and it was completed in late 1892.

The lighthouse complex has remained relatively unchanged and in 1984 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historical society began offering tours of the complex in 1988 and took ownership of the lighthouse and complex in 1999 through the legislative efforts of Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar. The ownership transfer enabled the historical society to operate a bed-and-breakfast in the keeper's quarters, which helps fund the preservation of the historic site.

The lighthouse museum is open daily mid-May through mid-October with self-guided experience. The bed-and-breakfast is available year-round, and guests may be lighthouse keeper for an evening.

Project support included the donation of time and money by community volunteers. Leon (Jake) Jacobsen, Tom Koehler, Brad Ronning, Todd Ronning, Joe Zastera and Master Electrician Blake Prince from Co-Op Light and Power were instrumental to the project's success.

Learn more about the Two Harbors Lighthouse.