Birdcage Lighthouse at Bailey's Harbor Wisconsin
Privately owned with no address.  Bailey's Harbor Wisconsin
A short, rubble-stone tower (1852–1869) on Lighthouse (North Point) Island at the mouth of Baileys Harbor, famous for its rare bird-cage lantern—one of only a handful left in the U.S.

Prints & Downloads

Map

Lighthouse keepers

  • David Ward (1853–1854) – first keeper.
  • Michael Green (1854–1855)
  • Newton Bacon (1855–1862)
  • William Mitchell (1862–1863)
  • William (Ormsby) Darling (from 1863) – Civil War veteran later noted for a wartime amputation story.

Location

Location: Lighthouse (North Point) Island at the eastern entrance to Baileys Harbor (approx. 45.055° N, −87.097° W). Best viewed from the Baileys Harbor waterfront (e.g., along Ridges Rd) or by boat/kayak tours; the island itself is not open to the public.
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History

Highlights

  • The “bird-cage” lantern (an open iron framework topped by a domed cap) is exceptionally rare; only a few U.S. lights retain this style, and just three survive on the Great Lakes. 
  • In October 1848, Captain Justice Bailey rode out a storm in the natural inlet, then told Milwaukee businessman Alanson Sweet about the area’s rich limestone and timber—setting off quarrying and, soon after, a lighthouse request.
  • The 1852 site choice and early construction were tied to local quarrying/settlement around Baileys Harbor; the tower stones were taken locally. 
  • The light was short-lived because it didn’t align mariners through the safest channel—hence the 1869 authorization for Cana Island plus the Range Lights to guide vessels precisely into the harbor.

Photography

The lighthouse is best viewed with a long zoom lens at sunset.
​It is possible to utilize a drone to reach the lighthouse.