Updated in September 2026, this North Point Lighthouse guide covers ticket prices, opening hours, transport, accessibility and what to see.
North Point Lighthouse is an 1888 lighthouse and museum in Milwaukee’s Lake Park, Wisconsin. It is open only two days a week, so its hours matter more for trip planning than at most museums, and several 2026 dates are closed entirely.
Quick facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Saturdays and Sundays only, 1:00 to 4:00 pm, year-round |
| Ticket prices | $8 ages 12+; $5 for ages 65+, college students and children 5–11; free ages 4 and under |
| Address | 2650 N. Wahl Avenue, in Milwaukee County’s Lake Park, Milwaukee, WI 53211 |
| Nearest transport | About 3 miles north of downtown Milwaukee; on-street parking on Wahl Avenue |
| Typical time needed | 1 to 2 hours |
North Point Lighthouse opening hours
The lighthouse and museum are open to the public Saturdays and Sundays only, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, throughout the year.
In 2026, the site is closed on April 5, July 4, July 25 and 26, and December 26. Lake Park itself, surrounding the lighthouse, stays open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm, so the grounds and exterior can be visited any day even when the museum is closed.
North Point Lighthouse ticket prices
Admission costs $8 for ages 12 and up. Reduced admission of $5 applies to adults 65 and over, college students with ID, and children ages 5 to 11. Children 4 and under enter free, as do active military members with ID and valid museum members.
Group tours cost $10 per person or a $100 minimum, whichever is greater, and require a reservation by phone or email. Education and scout groups pay $8 per person, with visits tailored to curriculum or badge requirements. A 15% discount applies for registered non-profit organizations.
Becoming a lighthouse member grants unlimited free admission year-round plus invitations to monthly lectures, which can be worthwhile for anyone planning more than a couple of visits.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in September 2026. There is no combined city pass covering this attraction; tickets are sold only at the door or through group bookings.
How to get to North Point Lighthouse
The lighthouse is about 3 miles north of downtown Milwaukee, in Lake Park. From the west or south, take I-794 to the Lakefront exit, follow Lincoln Memorial Drive north for 2.2 miles, then turn up E. Water Tower Road and follow Terrace Avenue to Wahl Avenue.
From the north, take the Locust Street exit off I-43, head east toward the park, then turn south on Lake Drive for two blocks to reach Wahl Avenue, where the lighthouse is on the left.
Parking at North Point Lighthouse
On-street parking is available on Wahl Avenue and surrounding streets. There is no general visitor parking on the lighthouse grounds; the small on-site lot is reserved for handicapped access only. For larger events, park at the county lot by Lake Park Bistro, one block north off Newberry Boulevard, and follow the path from the lot’s southeast corner.
How long to spend at North Point Lighthouse
Most visitors need 1 to 2 hours, including the museum galleries and the climb to the top of the tower.
Accessibility at North Point Lighthouse
The museum is handicap accessible, but the tower is not, since reaching the lantern room requires climbing 84 steps and a ladder. The small on-site parking lot is reserved for visitors who need accessible parking.
Inside North Point Lighthouse: what to see
Climbing the 74-foot tower involves 84 spiral steps and a final ladder, rewarding visitors with a 360-degree view over Lake Park, Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee skyline. Climbers must be at least 5 years old and 38 inches tall.
The Keeper’s Quarters, a Queen Anne-style wood-frame home completed in 1888, now serves as the museum’s main gallery, filled with photographs, artefacts and stories from the lighthouse’s history.
On display is the original 1928 Fourth Order Fresnel lens that once guided ships on Lake Michigan, alongside a brass fog bell that operated at the Pierhead Light at the entrance to Milwaukee’s harbour from 1892 to 1962.
A Chadburn ship’s telegraph, recovered from a sunken vessel, illustrates how orders once passed between a ship’s bridge and engine room. Nearby, an exhibit on the lighthouse’s keepers highlights Georgia Stebbins, who tended the light for around three decades and is estimated to have climbed the tower tens of thousands of times.
The lighthouse stands within Lake Park, a 138-acre park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, whose plan for the grounds included the ornamental “Lion Bridges” and steep, wooded ravines nearby.
The present cast-iron and steel tower replaced an 1855 lighthouse that once stood closer to the bluff’s edge; shoreline erosion forced the government to rebuild further inland, and the current structure was first lit in January 1888. It served Milwaukee’s shipping traffic until being decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1994, then restored and reopened as a museum in 2007.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Arrive early in the 1–4 pm window, especially on busy summer and autumn weekends. |
| Crowds | No reservation is taken for individual visits, so tower climbs can involve a short wait. |
| Layout | Combine your visit with a walk through Lake Park’s ravines and Lion Bridges nearby. |
| Entry process | Pay admission at the door; group visits should be booked ahead by phone or email. |
| On-site logistics | Park on Wahl Avenue or nearby streets, since on-site parking is for accessible use only. |
Frequently asked questions about North Point Lighthouse
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is North Point Lighthouse suitable for children? | Yes. Children aged 5 and up who are at least 38 inches tall may climb the tower. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for North Point Lighthouse? | No for individual visits; group tours require a reservation by phone or email. |
| Is North Point Lighthouse open every day? | No. It is open only on Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. |
| Is North Point Lighthouse wheelchair accessible? | The museum is accessible; the tower is not, due to its stairs and ladder. |
| Can you climb the North Point Lighthouse tower? | Yes, via 84 steps and a ladder, for visitors meeting the minimum age and height. |
Things to do near North Point Lighthouse
- Lake Park: the 138-acre Olmsted-designed park surrounding the lighthouse, with ravines and Lion Bridges.
- Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum: an Italian Renaissance-style villa and gardens, a short drive along the lakefront.
- Bradford Beach: a popular Lake Michigan beach, a few minutes south by car.
- Milwaukee Art Museum: the Calatrava-designed lakefront museum, about 3 miles south.
- East Side neighbourhood: shops, cafes and restaurants near the park’s western edge.
Alternative attractions
- Harrington Beach State Park: a quarry lake and Lake Michigan beach, about 35 minutes north.
- Kohler-Andrae State Park: sand dunes and over two miles of Lake Michigan beach, about 50 minutes north.
- Illinois Beach State Park: dunes, wetlands and prairie on the lakeshore, about 50 minutes south.
- Point Beach State Forest: 6 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and a historic lighthouse, about 1.5 hours north.
- Havenwoods State Forest: Milwaukee’s other state property, with prairies and woods, about 20 minutes away.
