Edmund Fitzgerald Commemorative Beacon Lighting

Edmund Fitzgerald Commemorative Beacon Lighting is an annual event to commemorate the sinking of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald and the loss of her 29 crew members on November 10, 1975. It is also a time to reflect on the memory of all lives lost in Great Lakes shipwrecks. The lighthouse, fog signal building and visitor center will be open. Costumed guides will greet visitors and provide historic site and shipwreck information. Throughout the day, visitors can watch two films, the 30-minute "The Edmund Fitzgerald Investigations," and an hour-long film about Great Lakes shipwrecks. At 4:30 p.m., the lighthouse will close temporarily while the names of the crew members are read to the tolling of a ship's bell and the playing of the Naval Hymn. Following the ceremony, the beacon will be lit, and the tower will be opened again to tour. This is the only opportunity each year when visitors can climb the tower after dark and see the lit beacon. The cost is $9 adults, $7 seniors and college students, $6 ages 6-17, and free for ages 5 and under and MNHS members. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. at Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site. For more information, call 218-226-6372 or email to splitrock@mnhs.org.