The two-year project to restore and rebuild one of Door County’s iconic lighthouses and associated buildings on its museum campus culminates June 26 with a grand opening celebration at Eagle Bluff Light Station in Peninsula State Park.
Hosted by the Door County Historical Society, which operates the lighthouse and its museum, the grand opening will feature free tours, family activities, demonstrations, live music, exhibits and opportunities to explore all five historic buildings that now make up the Eagle Bluff campus. A formal presentation will take place at 11 a.m. with representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Door County Historical Society, U.S. Coast Guard, and the office of Gov. Tony Evers.
The celebration is free to attend, but RSVPs are requested for help organizers plan activities and supplies, and a state park sticker is required to enter the park.
The celebration marks the completion of the project begun in 2024 to restore the Eagle Bluff buildings and campus to reflect the lighthouse’s Duclon era, the period from 1883 to 1918 when Capt. William Duclon served as lighthouse keeper and with his wife, Julia, raised their seven sons at Eagle Bluff while maintaining one of Door County’s most important navigational aids.
“This project was about much more than restoring old buildings,” Door County Historical Society executive director Amy Frank said in a news release. “By restoring the lighthouse, oil house and privy and reconstructing the original barn and summer kitchen, we are able to tell a much more complete story. Visitors can now experience Eagle Bluff not only as a workplace that guided ships safely through the waters of Green Bay, but also as a family home where the keeper and his family lived their daily lives.”
The restoration and reconstruction also is designed to transform the historic complex into an immersive museum experience that brings Door County’s maritime history to life, Frank said. Throughout the site, visitors can learn how the lighthouse operated and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges, responsibilities and routines of lighthouse life, helping illustrate the complete story of the station and its role in Door County’s maritime heritage.
“When visitors can walk through the buildings, see how the family lived and understand the work required to keep the light burning, history becomes real,” she said.
Located on a bluff 76 feet above the shore of the bay of Green Bay, the Eagle Bluff light first turned on its beacon Oct. 15, 1868. It was manned by three keepers in 58 years until it saw an automated lamp installed in 1926. Its light still shines today, helping water vessels navigate Strawberry Channel in the bay.
The lighthouse fell into disrepair until the Door County Historical Society got permission from the Wisconsin DNR in 1960 to restore and operate it as a public museum. The four-year restoration project that took place then included hundreds of hours of research and authentic period pieces in its exhibits and was the only restoration undergone at the lighthouse until this most recent project. Today, the Eagle Bluff museum attracts thousands of visitors a year durings its season, which runs from mid-May to mid-October.
The grand opening celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 26 at the restored Eagle Bluff Light Station in Peninsula State Park. For RSVPs or more information, visit doorcountyhistoricalsociety.org/eagle-bluff-lighthouse and click on the link near the top of the page for the grand opening.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Door County lighthouse to hold grand opening after 2-year restoration
Reporting by Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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