2022 Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting

This annual event commemorates the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, and the total loss of the 29 crew members aboard. It is also a time to remember all lives lost on the Great Lakes.

Visitors will be able to visit the lighthouse, fog signal building, and the visitor centre. Guests will be greeted by guides who will provide historical site and shipwreck information. Visitors can watch a film about the Edmund Fitzgerald in the visitor centre throughout the day, or join a guided tour that explores the history of the Fitzgerald’s final voyage.

The lighthouse will be temporarily closed at 4:30 p.m. while the names of the crew are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell, accompanied by a rendition of the Naval Hymn. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be open for tours again until 6 p.m.

Because the grounds and trails are not lit, bring a flashlight or headlamp. Because the weather is unpredictable, please dress appropriately. Included in the admission price; free for MNHS members.

The ship was christened on June 7, 1958. The Fitzgerald set season haul records on six different occasions during its 17 year run. It set a single load record of 27,402 long tons in 1969. It’s no surprise that the Fitzgerald was dubbed “The Queen of the Great Lakes.”