16th Annual Door County Lighthouse Walk

The 16th annual Door County Lighthouse Walk will make its debut on Friday and Saturday, June 13 and 14. The popular event, which draws lighthouse enthusiasts from throughout the country, has moved from its traditional mid-May dates to the second weekend in June for 2009. As in past years, there are a variety of boat trips in addition to the self-guided mainland tour of five lighthouse sites.

Events kick off Friday night with a Keepers’ Kin dessert social at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay from 4:15 – 8 pm. Relatives of former keepers will be on hand at the dessert social to share stories and memorabilia associated with the lights, and lighthouse historian John Enright will be the evening’s featured speaker. Tickets are $15 and are available at the museum both in advance and on the night of the event.

Two-day Walk tickets are $15 ($5 for youth ages 5-17) and are available at each of the lighthouse locations throughout the weekend. Featured are the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park; Baileys Harbor Range Lights; the Canal Station grounds and Sherwood Point Lighthouse and grounds in the Sturgeon Bay area; as well as Cana Island Lighthouse near Baileys Harbor. Due to inadequate parking, access to Cana will be by shuttle bus from the Baileys Harbor Town Hall.

Advance purchase is advised for a variety of boat tours, many which still have seats available. Limited tickets are available for the new Shoreline Charter Cruise from Sister Bay, which takes place on Friday. Shoreline is also offering a tour on Saturday that will leave Gills Rock and head into Death’s Door passage past both Plum and Pilot Island lights.

The popular Island Clipper tour out of Gills Rock has also tickets remaining on Sunday. The tour heads into Lake Michigan water past St. Martin and Poverty Island lights before stopping at Rock Island and then past Plum and Pilot Islands. The Salmon Depot tour out of Baileys Harbor is also back by popular demand as has multiple departure times Friday through Sunday. The tour heads past Cana Island with a rare close-up view of the Old Baileys Harbor “Birdcage” Lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor.

Two tours out of Sturgeon Bay – the Chicago fireboat Fred A. Busse will offer afternoon cruises Friday through Sunday past Sherwood Point and Canal Station lights. Another tour, The Harbor Lady, is a new tour and will cruise past the two Sturgeon Bay area lights. This tour takes place Friday through Sunday mornings.

Advance tickets for the boat tours and the walking tour are available by calling the Door County Maritime Museum at 920.743.5958 or by visiting http://www.dcmm.org. Shoreline Charter tour sales are being made through the Shoreline office at 920.854.4707. Visit the DCMM website for detailed information and current status of each boat tour.