Description: The Milwaukee and Kinnickinnic Rivers converge just before they empty into Lake Michigan. In 1857, the entrance to the rivers was shifted to the north, and a pier was built at the new mouth with a light marking its far end. This light served until 1907, when the present cylindrical tower was placed on the pier. The tower was originally outfitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which was then transferred to the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse when it was completed in 1926. The pierhead light was then equipped with a less powerful fifth-order Fresnel lens, which was eventually replaced with a modern beacon.

Location: Located at the end of a pier in the Milwaukee harbor, marking the river entrance.
Latitude: 43.02596
Longitude: -87.89539

For a larger map of Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse, click the lighthouse in the above map or get a map from: Mapquest.

Travel Instructions: From Interstate 43 in Milwaukee, go east on Interstate 794. Take the Lincoln Memorial Drive exit(1F) and go north to Michigan Street. Turn right onto Michigan and then right onto Harbor Drive. Follow Harbor Drive under the interstate to Polk Street. Turn right on Polk, which will end at Erie Street. Turn left on Erie and follow it to the parking lot at its end. From there you can walk to the Milwaukee Pierhead Lighthouse and get a good view of the breakwater light also.

The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard. Grounds open, tower closed.

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See our List of Lighthouses in Wisconsin