Prints for Sale
GPS: Roadside Parking: N 42.87625 / W 78.88377
Directions: From Buffalo (north): Take the Buffalo Skyway (Rt 5) south to Outer Harbor Drive/Fuhrmann Blvd. Take Fuhrmann Blvd North about a half a mile. The entrance to the walkway is at the end of Fuhrmann.
From Erie/Dunkirk (south): You can follow Rt 5 (Lakeshore Rd) north into Buffalo and right to the Outer Harbor.
Use Google Directions.
Parking: Roadside parking is available up and down Fuhrmann Blvd. If roadside lots are full, try Wilkeson Pointe Park. Do not block/enter the Coast Guard base entrance at the north end of Fuhrmann.
Best time to visit: Spring through fall.
Time: A walk to the lighthouse, stopping to read all the signs and see all the artifacts, will take about 30 minutes. Combine this with Times Beach Nature Preserve, Wilkeson Pointe Park, and the Outer Harbor Greenway for an easy half day.
Handicap accessibility: Partial. The pathway from the road to near the base of the lighthouse is paved. Then there are steps preventing further access to the lighthouse and surrounding park.
Pets: Not allowed at all. Do not bring your dog into this property.
Swimming: Not allowed.
Boat launch: None. Use the boat launch at the Erie Basin Marina.
Accommodations: Informational and historic signs, scenic views, tours by appointment. Restrooms can be found to the south in Wilkeson Pointe Park.
Buffalo Parks and Recreation
Phone: (716) 851-9670
For security safety concerns on the lake:
US Coast Guard Exchange
Buffalo Lighthouse Association Lighthouse Keeper
One of the oldest structures on the Great Lakes, the 1833 Buffalo Light is a beautifully resilient monument to Buffalo’s maritime history. Built in 1833, the 61 foot octagonal limestone tower, capped with an 8-window gallery and steel and copper lantern, replaced the original 1818 light, and serviced the bustling north harbor for 81 years before it was decommissioned. Like most traditional lighthouses, it has since been replaced by modern beacons and navigational aids, but its role in Buffalo’s shipping history cannot be understated. Dark for 73 years and rehabilitated in 1962 and then again in 1985, it has stood as a symbol of Buffalo’s waterfront, now ripe for revitalization and tourism.
Lighthouse Point Park is carved out of the Buffalo U. S. Coast Guard station, on the south end of the Buffalo River outlet, at the end of Fuhrmann Blvd. This road, as well as much of the land at the point, began as a series of breakwaters and piers to protect the harbor. Sand and silt deposits piled up after storms and formed solid ground. Later on, landfill was used to extend the property of the Coast Guard base and create a harbor for its ships.
From the road, the park begins where the first lighthouse and keeper’s quarters were built in 1818. Now it’s just a grassy area with an open pavilion and a few historic markers. There are plans to build a visitor center here. The park then takes visitors along the stone pier, originally constructed by private citizens in 1919, and then rebuilt after a storm nearly destroyed it in 1844. Along the way, beautifully designed plaques describe the history of the pier, and boats zip back and forth along the mouth of the Buffalo River. Across the water is the Erie Basin Marina, which gets a lot more visitor traffic than this side does. The path here is narrow, as it runs along the Coast Guard base. Signs are posted to warn people not to trespass.
The path ends at the base of the light, on a jagged and difficult to walk on limestone foundation. The section of the point here is not very large at all, and backing up to get a good view, or photo, of the large tower proves to be difficult. The park surrounding the light has several historic and information markers as well as some artifacts strewn about the property, such as the 1903 Bottle Light from the south harbor in Lackawanna, an anchor, and fog bell. The tower itself is in excellent shape. Tours, which run typically on summer days, will take you up into the tower and into the gallery. It’s a tight fit and the steel stairs are steep, but well worth a look. From the top, you can see the Lackawanna wind farm to the south, and downtown Buffalo to the northeast. If the Light is closed to visitors, the far end of the point is a decent spot to check out more of the Erie Basin Marina pier, the harbor breakwaters, as well as the Buffalo Water Intake and Horseshoe Reef lights.
Visiting the light only takes a few minutes, and with Times Beach Nature Preserve and Wilkeson Point Park within walking distance, you can easily make a day of it. The Buffalo waterfront is changing from its former industrial past to a modern tourist destination, and the re-opening of the historic 1833 Light is easily one of the biggest, and most meaningful steps in its progression.
Difficulty: Easy. Although those who have difficulty keeping balance on uneven ground should avoid walking up the base of the lighthouse. The climb up the lighthouse steps is also a challenge for those afraid of heights.
Distance: The pathway to the lighthouse is about 2,000 ft.
Markings: Signs at the entrance and along the way. This paved path is clearly marked as is Coast Guard property.
Description: This walkway runs along US Coast Guard property, past the base and to a section of the point which has been set aside for public visitation of the Buffalo Light.
From the cul-de-sac at the end of Fuhrmann Blvd head up the paved walking path to the right of the Coast Guard base driveway. To the right is the former location of the first Buffalo lighthouse. This area is now part of the park. There are plans to put a visitor center here.
Continue along the path, reading the historic plaques along the way. The grassy area to the left is Coast Guard property. Do not trespass. Further along, the pathway will pass a few Coast Guard buildings and soon the Buffalo Light will be right in front of you. Climb the few steps to get to the foundation of the Buffalo Light. Feel free to wander about, read the plaques, and take photos. Do not cross over into USCG property or enter the water here.
Continue back the same way you came.
Map: Click here
View Lighthouse Point Park in a larger map
What is considered the worst disaster in Buffalo Harbor history took place on the Buffalo River along this pier on the night of October 21, 1951. The outbound bulk freighter Penobscot collided with the gasoline barge Morania, and exploded, taking 11 lives.
The gasoline barge, containing 800,000 gallons, pulled by the tug boat Dauntless, was turning around lighthouse point and heading north to the Erie Basin. The low barge was dimly lit. The 4,000 ton Penobscot was leaving the River and T-boned the barge, running over it before it could stop. The ships trying to separate sparked the explosion.
USLSS Station #5, Ninth District Coast Guard Station #235
The Buffalo unit performs Search and Rescue, Maritime Law Enforcement, Ice Rescue, and Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security missions.
It is responsible for commercial fishing regulation, container inspections, domestic vessel inspection, drug and alcohol testing, facility inspections, homeland security, foreign vessel boardings, investigations, waterways management (events and traffic), exams (licensing), and response to hazardous material release, oil spills, homeland security issues, maritime incidents, reports of drug and alcohol abuse on watercraft.
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