Point Abino Lighthouse

History

Mariners had wanted a light at Point Abino since at least 1855, when a U.S. lighthouse inspector wrote that one there would save many lives and much property; the point lies about ten miles across the lake from Buffalo harbour, on the approach many ships took in bad weather.^[2] For decades only buoys marked its shoal. In 1912 a lightship, the Buffalo, was stationed nearby, but she sank with her whole crew in the Great Lakes storm of November 1913.^[2]

Canada's Department of Marine and Fisheries built the present station in 1917 and 1918, citing heavier traffic at the eastern end of the lake.^[3,2] Its designer, William P. Anderson, gave it a late Classical Revival style meant to suit the American-owned summer homes on the point, far more elaborate than most Canadian lighthouses.^[3] A slightly tapered square tower, about 30 metres tall, rises from one end of a flat-roofed base that held the fog horn, and the whole building sits just offshore, linked to the beach and the keeper's cottage by a raised concrete walkway.^[3,4] It carried a third-order Fresnel lens.^[4]

The light was automated in 1988 and replaced by a buoy in 1995.^[2,4] The station was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1998.^[5] Owners of the homes behind it long resisted public access, and in 2001 the Town of Fort Erie agreed to take ownership.^[4] A restoration of about $1.4 million was completed in 2011, and a decorative light, visible only from land, was switched on in May 2017 for the lighthouse's centenary.^[4]

Because the land approach crosses private property, visits have been limited to guided tours. The Point Abino Lighthouse Preservation Society reported that the 2026 tour season was cancelled.^[6]

How to see it

No public access The site is closed to visitors; see it from a distance only.

Best public viewpoint

From the water. The land approach crosses private property, so the station is reached only on guided walking tours registered through the Town of Fort Erie in years when they run.^[6]

Tower climbs

No public tower climbs have been offered, as far as our sources show.

Operator

Town of Fort Erie, with the Point Abino Lighthouse Preservation Society

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 visit the Point Abino Lighthouse?

Only on guided walking tours, because the land approach crosses private property. Tours are registered through the Town of Fort Erie; the preservation society reported the 2026 season was cancelled.

Is the Point Abino light still active?

No. It was replaced by a buoy in 1995. A decorative light shown toward land only was relit in 2017.

Why does Point Abino look so ornate?

Its designer gave it a late Classical Revival style to complement the summer homes on the point. Parks Canada recognised its architecture when it became a National Historic Site in 1998.