Location: Big Bay, Michigan
My mom loves lighthouses so when my sister and I had the opportunity to get her a mother’s day/birthday gift to one of the few bed and breakfast lighthouses in Michigan, we took it.
Built in 1893, the Big Bay Lighthouse was intended to fill the gap between the light stations on Granite and Island and the Huron Islands. Located 15 to 18 miles a part, the two lights were invisible from each other, creating a stretch of area with no lights or fog signals.
The lighthouse sits atop a cliff, 60 feet above Lake Superior in Big Bay, Michigan with a tower stretching 60 feet above that. The current owners of told us that it was a requirement of lighthouses on Lake Superior to be at least 120 feet above the water so they could easily be seen from the docks on the ships.
The house was originally built as a duplex, housing the head keeper and his family on one side and the assistant keeper and his family on the other. There was an office on the lower level of the tower and each side had six rooms that consisted of a kitchen, a parlor, a dinning room, and three bedrooms. However, one of the previous owners ended up tearing down the walls that separated the areas opening the lighthouse up and converted it into summer home.
We stayed in the Assistant Beamer’s room. It had all the charm one would expect from a nearly 130 year old lighthouse. A single, small bathroom, a queen sized bed and a beautiful view. Not too mention access to the 60 foot tower at all times, which I took advantage of for sunsets and sunrises.
Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Big Bay Lighthouse and I recommend it for anyone looking to get away from everything for a weekend.