Lighthouse to allow visitors again for Fitzgerald memorial

BEAVER BAY, Minn. – Visitors will once again be able to attend the annual Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Beacon Lighting at Split Rock Lighthouse on November 10. The event commemorates the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and the loss of all 29 crew members onboard.

The lighthouse did not allow visitors last year due to COVID-19, however people were able able watch the ceremony online.

According to the Split Rock Lighthouse website, the lighthouse, fog signal building, and visitor center will be open with costumed interpreters greeting visitors. At 4:30 p.m. the lighthouse will close while the names of the crew members are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell.

The beacon will then be lit, the the tower will be open for tours. It is recommended that visitors bring a flashlight or headlamp to help navigate the grounds.

Lighthouse officials say this year’s ceremony will be a hybrid, with the lighthouse grounds open to the public and a livestream for those who can’t attend. For more information visit: https://www.mnhs.org/splitrock