Big Bay Point Lighthouse is a bed and breakfast on a cliff above Lake Superior, and the people who sleep there get to climb the tower. The brick keepers’ house and its square tower sit three and a half miles past the village of Big Bay, up County Road 550 from Marquette. The inn lists seven guest rooms, two now retired from service, and five of the seven look out over the lake. The French-made Fresnel lens that first lit this point is back home too, in the library room inside the house.
The station was paid for with $25,000 appropriated on August 18, 1894, and crews built it between May and October of 1896. Its third-order lens went into service on October 20, 1896. The tower and lantern stand nearly 64 feet tall, but the bluffs do the heavy lifting, putting the light’s focal plane 89 feet above Lake Superior. The operator’s own description is “high atop a cliff jutting into the clear, deep water of Lake Superior.”
The first keeper
The first keeper was William H. Prior, transferred from Stannard Rock, a light twenty-five miles out in Lake Superior. His son George worked alongside him and became an official assistant keeper in January 1900. In April 1901 George was hurt in a fall on the steps of the landing crib, and his father took him to the hospital in Marquette on April 18. George died on June 13, 1901.
Prior was despondent after his son’s death. On June 28, 1901, he walked into the woods and did not come back. A hunter found his remains a mile and a half south of the station, and the station log, quoted by Lighthouse Friends, recorded the former keeper as missing for seventeen months, which puts the find in late 1902 by our arithmetic. Michigan’s official tourism site says it came “a year later, in 1902.”
From Army camp to inn
The last keeper left in 1941, the year the light was automated. In 1951 and 1952 the Army leased the station for anti-aircraft artillery training, with large guns on the cliff east of the lighthouse. Lighthouse Friends says one of the soldiers stationed there committed the 1952 killing at the Lumberjack Tavern in Big Bay that became the book and the movie Anatomy of a Murder.
In 1961 the decommissioned lighthouse and thirty-three acres sold by sealed bid to Dr. Jon Pick, a Chicago plastic surgeon, for $40,000. Norman “Buck” Gotschall opened it as a bed and breakfast in 1986. John Gale and Linda and Jeff Gamble bought it in 1992, and Nick Korstad took ownership on May 11, 2018.
Overnight guests, 21 and older, get the tower, more than three acres of lawn and 40 acres of wooded trails. Since 2023 everyone else needs a paid tour, which the operator puts down to strict restrictions in its insurance policy. Tours run by appointment from June to September at $10 a person, ages 10 and up, and go through the keepers’ house to the lantern. That puts the 2026 tour season behind us, though the inn itself stays open through November 5.
Go See It
Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Big Bay
- Hours
- Inn guests and paid tour groups only. Tours by appointment June to September.
- Cost
- Tours $10 per person, ages 10 and up, 5 people max. Room rates by phone, 906-236-4322.
- Season
- Inn open May 8 to Nov 5, 2026. Tours June to September.
- Drive
- From Marquette: 42 min (31.3 mi) via Co Rd 550
From the Bridge: 3 hr 25 min (195 mi) via US-2 W and M-28 W
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Sources, credits, and reporting details
Sources & accountability
How this story was reported
Editorial methodAggregation
Last verifiedOct. 4, 2026
Corrections statusNo material correction note is recorded on this article.
AI assistanceResearched and drafted with AI tools. Reviewed and approved by editor Keegan O’Brien.
Verification note: Sources read and checked Oct. 4, 2026.
Primary sources
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Accommodations — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Seven guest rooms, five with lake views
"You will find sweeping views of Lake Superior with spectacular sunrise and sunset views, from five of our seven guest rooms"
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Accommodations — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Two rooms retired from service
Keeper Dufrain: "This room has been retired from service"; Helper Fleury: "Room has been retired from service". CALCULATED: 7 listed minus 2 retired = 5 in service, matching About Us "The inn has five guest rooms all with private bathrooms."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Accommodations — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Guests climb the tower
"Guests are granted full access to climb the light tower." (Assistant Temple); "Enjoy full access to the lighthouse tower." (Keeper McDonald)
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Accommodations — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Inn takes guests 21 and older
"Big Big Bay Lighthouse is available for guests 21 and older." (sic, operator's typo)
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Contact Us — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Three and a half miles past Big Bay via County Road 550; address and phone
"Take 550 north through the town of Big Bay…We are 3 1/2 miles Past Big Bay." Address: "4674 Country Rd KCB P.O. Box: 3 Big Bay, Michigan 49808" (operator spells 'Country'; home page reads 'County Rd KCB'). Phone: "906-236-4322"
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Fresnel lens made in France, now in the library room
"On October 20, 1896, the tower's third-order fixed Fresnel lens, manufactured in France by Henry-Lepaute, went into service." / "The third-order Fresnel lens used in Big Bay Point Lighthouse was formerly on display at Marquette Maritime Museum but it is now found in the library room inside Big Bay Point Lighthouse."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: $25,000 appropriated August 18, 1894
"$25,000 for its construction was appropriated on August 18, 1894"
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Built May to October 1896
"construction of the station began in May 1896 and was completed the following October"
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Big Bay Point Light — U.S. Coast Guard History Office
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Lit 1896
"In 1896 Big Bay Point Light was lit."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Tower nearly 64 feet; focal plane 89 feet thanks to bluffs
"The tower and lantern room stood nearly sixty-four feet tall, but thanks to the lofty bluffs at the point, the light had a focal plane of eighty-nine feet above Lake Superior."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast (home) — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Operator's cliff description
"high atop a cliff jutting into the clear, deep water of Lake Superior"
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: First keeper William H. Prior, from Stannard Rock
"The first keeper assigned to Big Bay Point was William H. Prior, who was transferred from Stannard Rock Lighthouse, located twenty-five miles out in Lake Superior."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
"Prior's son George acted as assistant and then became an official assistant in January 1900. Just over a year later, George was injured when he fell on the steps of the landing crib. Keeper Prior took him to the hospital in Marquette on April 18, 1901, and his son passed away roughly two months later on June 13."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Prior despondent; walked into woods June 28
"Keeper Prior was despondent after his son's death, and on June 28 he disappeared into the woods with his gun and some strychnine." (method details deliberately omitted from the article, house rule 7)
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson), quoting the station log
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: CORRECTION side B: station log says missing seventeen months; remains found 1.5 miles south
"Mr. Fred Babcock came to the station 12:30 pm. While hunting in the woods one and a half mile south of the station this noon he found a skeleton of a man hanging to a tree. We went to the place with him and found that the clothing and everything tally with the former keeper of this station who has been missing for seventeen months." CALCULATED: June 28, 1901 + 17 months = about November 1902, so the year 1902 agrees; 'a year later' understates by about five months.
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Last keeper left 1941
"Big Bay Point Lighthouse was electrified and the fog signal was discontinued in 1940. The last keeper left the station in 1941, and the light was listed as unwatched."
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Big Bay Point Light — U.S. Coast Guard History Office
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Automated 1941
"The light was automated in 1941." Operator home page agrees: "Although automated in 1941, the romance and lore of the site are undimmed."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
"During 1951 – 1952, the building and land were leased to the U.S. Army. National Guard and Army regulars were stationed at the lighthouse for two-week periods of anti-aircraft artillery training. Large guns were placed on the cliff east of the lighthouse, and planes towed big targets over the lake for target practice. … It was one of the soldiers stationed at the lighthouse who committed the murder upon which the book and movie Anatomy of a Murder are based. The actual murder happened at the Lumberjack Tavern in Big Bay in 1952."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: 1961 sale to Dr. Jon Pick, 33 acres, $40,000
"In 1961, the decommissioned lighthouse and thirty-three acres of land were sold by sealed bid to Dr. Jon Pick, a plastic surgeon from Chicago, for the sum of $40,000."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Gotschall opened B&B 1986
"One of those men was Norman 'Buck' Gotschall, and he opened the lighthouse as a bed-and-breakfast in 1986." Operator About Us agrees: "In 1986, the two story brick building and its adjoining 60-foot-high, square tower were converted into a bed-and-breakfast."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Gale and Gambles, former guests, bought in 1992
"Buck and his partners decided to sell, and in March 1992 the lighthouse was purchased by the fourth set of private owners, three avid preservationists from the Chicago area" / "John Gale, and Linda and Jeff Gamble had been guests at the B&B and fell in love with the lighthouse and the tiny hamlet of Big Bay on their first visit."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – About Us — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Nick Korstad ownership May 11, 2018
"Nick assumed ownership of Big Bay Point Lighthouse on May 11, 2018." Lighthouse Friends: "Nick Korstad purchased Big Bay Lighthouse in 2018 and is running the property as a B&B, as previous owners have done."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – About Us — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: More than three acres of lawn, 40 acres of wooded trails
"more than three acres of lawn, 40 acres of woods with trails are at the disposal of guests."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Public Access/Tours — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Since 2023 closed to public except guests and paid tours (insurance)
"As of 2023, we can no longer allow public to access the property unless they are guests of the Inn or paying for a lighthouse tour; this is due to strict restrictions in our insurance policy."
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast – Public Access/Tours — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Tours by appointment June-September, $10, age 10+, 5 people, house to lantern
"Lighthouse fans are welcome to a guided tour of the lighthouse by appointment June-September." / "Cost: $10 per person" / "Age: 10-years of age and older." / "Tours are limited to 5-people at a time." / "typically last 25 minutes" / "Guided tour through the keepers' house to the lantern area." No 2026-specific tour dates on the page.
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast (home) — Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B (operator)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Inn open May 8 to Nov 5, 2026
"OPEN for the 2026 season. May 8 through Nov 5"
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Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com — Lighthouse Friends (Kraig Anderson)
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: GPS for Go See It
"Latitude: 46.84143, Longitude: -87.6806"
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Google Maps directions, Marquette to Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Big Bay — Google Maps
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Drive time from Marquette
Fastest route read live Oct 4, 2026: 42 min (31.3 mi) via Co Rd 550.
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Google Maps directions, Mackinac Bridge to Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Big Bay — Google Maps
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Drive time from Mackinac Bridge
Fastest route read live Oct 4, 2026: 3 hr 25 min (195 mi) via US-2 W and M-28 W.
Additional reporting
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Do You Dare Stay the Night at Michigan's Most Haunted Lighthouse? — MyNorth (Kara Jarvis)
Published Oct. 16, 2019. Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: April 1901 fall; June 13 death from keeper's log
"In mid-April 1901, tragedy struck when George fell on the steps of the crib cutting the flesh down to the shin bone." / "On June 13, Prior wrote, "1:30 p.m. Keeper summoned to Marquette to bury his son who died this morning.""
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Meet The Keepers Who Remain Within Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses — Pure Michigan / Travel Michigan (michigan.org)
Published Jun. 29, 2017. Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: CORRECTION side A: remains found 'a year later, in 1902'
"It was a year later, in 1902, when a hunter found Prior's skeleton hanging in a nearby tree." Published 2017-06-29, last modified 2026-09-09.
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Big Bay Point Light — Wikipedia
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026.
Supports: Context only: names son 'Edward', citing Wright & Wright
"Red-haired William Prior, who was the first lighthouse keeper at Big Bay Point, was devastated when his son, Edward, died of a leg injury." Station-record sources (Lighthouse Friends, MyNorth, Pure Michigan) all name him George; hhhistory.com gives "George E. Prior". Not used.
Photo and media credits
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Big Bay Point Light Station (media 4058) — Wikimedia Commons / rossograph
Featured image record. Accessed Oct. 4, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Image credit and licence.
Commons file page metadata read Oct 4, 2026: licence CC BY-SA 4.0, author rossograph. Original 4045×2933; uploaded at 2560×1856 (downscaled, not cropped). Placement: featured. Image viewed before use; it shows the place named in the caption.
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Looking north west along the cliff view 2 (media 4059) — Wikimedia Commons / Dennisc2bem
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Supports: Image credit and licence.
Commons file page metadata read Oct 4, 2026: licence CC BY-SA 3.0, author Dennisc2bem. Original 2592×1728; uploaded at 2560×1707 (downscaled, not cropped). Placement: image_2. Image viewed before use; it shows the place named in the caption.
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Looking South east, small building is the old kerosene building (media 4060) — Wikimedia Commons / Dennisc2bem
Accessed Oct. 4, 2026. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Supports: Image credit and licence.
Commons file page metadata read Oct 4, 2026: licence CC BY-SA 3.0, author Dennisc2bem. Original 2081×1557; uploaded at 2081×1557. Placement: image_3. Image viewed before use; it shows the place named in the caption.
