West Pierhead Lighthouse in Oswego

Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse is an active aid to navigation that stands at the end of a long breakwater at the mouth of the Oswego River, reaching out into Lake Ontario. The current light was built in 1934 to replace an earlier one from 1880.

Getting there is part of the adventure, since the lighthouse sits far out on the breakwater. The H. Lee White Maritime Museum offers tours to the lighthouse during the summer season, giving visitors a rare chance to get close to a working piece of Great Lakes history.

What to Know

• The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation.
• It was built in 1934 and replaced an earlier light constructed in 1880.
• Tours run through the H. Lee White Maritime Museum in the summer.
• Oswego is a Lake Ontario port city at the mouth of the Oswego River.