Split Rock Lighthouse

Split Rock Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse perched on a rugged cliff above Lake Superior on Minnesota’s North Shore, built in 1910 following a disastrous 1905 gale that sank many ships. The octagonal 54-foot tower, originally lit by an oil-vapor lamp with a Fresnel lens visible up to 22 miles, guided mariners for decades before being decommissioned in 1969. The site today — operated by Minnesota Historical Society — is restored to its 1920s form and welcomes visitors to explore the lighthouse, keeper’s houses, fog-signal building and museum exhibits. Its dramatic cliff-top location offers breathtaking views of Lake Superior and makes it one of the most photographed and visited lighthouses in the United States.