Buffalo Main Lighthouse
42.8778° N, 78.8895° W · New York · built 1833[1]
- Tower climbs
- National Register 1984
- Last verified 2026-10
Not an active aid to navigation.
The octagonal limestone tower at the mouth of the Buffalo River has stood since 1833, where the Erie Canal met the Great Lakes. It is the oldest lighthouse in Buffalo still on its original site, and volunteers open it for climbs in season.
History
Buffalo's first lighthouse, one of the first two the United States built on the Great Lakes, was lit in 1818 at the mouth of Buffalo Creek.[2,3] After the Erie Canal opened, the harbour boomed, and in 1833 the present tower replaced it.[4] Built of limestone on a stone molehead, the octagonal tower stands about 60 feet tall, with a cast-iron lantern.[4,2] The National Register lists 1833, 1836 and 1857 as its significant years.[5]
A third-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1857.[4] As the harbour pushed outward behind new breakwaters, the shore light became less important, and it was switched off in 1914.[4] According to the Lighthouse Directory, the third-order Chance Brothers lens used here in its last years went on to serve the outer breakwater light until 1958 and is now displayed at the Buffalo History Museum.[2]
The tower came close to being lost in the 1950s, when the Army Corps of Engineers planned to demolish it during harbour works; public opposition saved it.[2] The Coast Guard, whose station surrounds the point, later leased it to the volunteer Buffalo Lighthouse Association, and it joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.[2,5] In 2010 the Coast Guard agreed to give up part of its land so the public could reach the lighthouse, and the stonework was restored in 2011.[4] A replica third-order lens was installed in 2015 and lit at a ceremony in 2016; it shows a decorative light but is not an official aid.[2]
Wikipedia describes it as the oldest lighthouse still standing in its original location in Buffalo.[4] The association opens the grounds in season and climbs the tower when enough volunteers are on hand.[6]
How to see it
Tower climbs The operator has offered public tower climbs, usually seasonally.
- Best public viewpoint
- The South Pier Promenade at the mouth of the Buffalo River, at the end of Fuhrmann Boulevard; the Erie Basin Marina across the river also faces it.[6]
- Tower climbs
- The volunteer Buffalo Lighthouse Association has opened the site seasonally and opens the tower for climbs when volunteers are available.
- Operator
- Buffalo Lighthouse Association
- Last verified
- Last verified 2026-10
Access details last verified 2026-10. Hours, tours and ownership change. Check the operator before you go. Pier and breakwater lights can be dangerous in wind and waves; obey posted closures and never enter private or Coast Guard property.
Questions people ask
Can you climb the Buffalo Lighthouse?
Sometimes. The Buffalo Lighthouse Association opens the site seasonally and opens the tower when volunteers are available. Check the association before you go.
How old is the Buffalo Main Lighthouse?
The tower dates from 1833. It replaced Buffalo's first light of 1818, one of the first two U.S. lighthouses on the Great Lakes.
Where is the Buffalo Lighthouse?
On the point at the mouth of the Buffalo River, reached by the South Pier Promenade at the end of Fuhrmann Boulevard, beside the Coast Guard station.
Nearby lighthouses
- Buffalo North Breakwater South End Light (the "bottle" light) Grounds open
- Buffalo Harbor Light (Outer Breakwater) View from a boat
- Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse (ruin) Ruin or relocated
- Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Lighthouse View from a boat
- Point Abino Lighthouse No public access
Nearby shipwrecks
Nearby · Sponsored
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Sources
- Wikidata Q4985783: Buffalo Main Light, Wikidata. Accessed .
- Lighthouses of the U.S.: Western New York, Russ Rowlett, The Lighthouse Directory (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Accessed .
- Erie Land Light, Wikipedia. Accessed .
- Buffalo Main Light, Wikipedia. Accessed .
- National Register of Historic Places record 84002383: Buffalo Main LIght, U.S. National Park Service (NPGallery). Accessed .
- Visit | Buffalolighthouse, Buffalo Lighthouse Association. Accessed .
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