Vermont is the only New England state without an ocean coastline, but that hasn’t stopped it from accumulating a fascinating lighthouse history. The state’s lighthouses line the shores of Lake Champlain, the 120-mile freshwater lake that forms Vermont’s western border with New York and served as one of the most important commercial waterways in 19th-century North America. At its peak, Burlington was the third-largest lumber port in the country, and the lights that guided those ships survive today in forms ranging from a Victorian mansion transplanted to a world-class museum to a pair of replica towers standing watch over a revitalized waterfront.
Here’s a guide to Vermont’s best lighthouse experiences, all centered on Lake Champlain.
Colchester Reef Lighthouse at Shelburne Museum
The most accessible and rewarding Vermont lighthouse experience isn’t on the water at all. Colchester Reef Lighthouse was built in 1871 on a dangerous reef about seven miles northwest of Burlington, where it guided lumber ships for over 60 years before being decommissioned in 1933. In 1952, Electra Havemeyer Webb, the founder of the Shelburne Museum, purchased the lighthouse and arranged for it to be dismantled piece by piece, barged across the lake, and reassembled on the museum’s grounds seven miles south of Burlington. The move was completed in 1956.
The lighthouse is a striking French Second Empire structure with a mansard roof and scrolled window frames, designed by Albert R. Dow, a University of Vermont engineering graduate who won a national Lighthouse Service design competition. Inside, the restored keeper’s quarters offer exhibits on Lake Champlain maritime history and 19th-century lighthouse life. It’s one of the few Vermont lighthouses where you can actually step inside.
The Shelburne Museum itself is one of New England’s great cultural institutions, often described as “New England’s Smithsonian,” with 39 historic structures on its grounds including the fully restored side-wheel steamboat Ticonderoga, which sits just steps from the lighthouse. Admission to the museum includes the lighthouse. The museum is open seasonally; check the Shelburne Museum website for current hours and pricing before visiting.
Best for: Families, history enthusiasts, anyone who wants to go inside a lighthouse, travelers combining a museum day with a broader Burlington visit.
Burlington Breakwater Lighthouses
Burlington’s waterfront is anchored by two lighthouses standing at either end of a nearly mile-long stone breakwater that has protected the harbor since the 1850s. The 46-foot North Light and the 26-foot South Light are historically faithful replicas, built in 2003 to replace the utilitarian steel skeleton towers that had stood since the original wooden structures succumbed to fire, ice, and storms over the decades. They’re not historic originals, but they’re handsome structures that do real navigational work and give the Burlington waterfront a sense of its maritime past.
Both lighthouses are best seen from Burlington’s Waterfront Park, where the boardwalk along Lake Champlain offers clear views across the harbor. The North Light is visible near the city’s fishing pier, while the South Light sits near Perkins Pier at the waterfront’s southern end. Neither lighthouse is open to visitors, but the surrounding Waterfront Park is one of the most pleasant urban lakefronts in New England, with a seven-mile bike path, public boat launches, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and regular summer events. The views of the Adirondacks across the lake are exceptional.
The Burlington-Port Kent ferry (Lake Champlain Ferries) passes directly by the North Breakwater Light on its one-hour crossing to New York, making it one of the most effortless lighthouse viewing experiences in New England.
Best for: Burlington day-trippers, cyclists, anyone taking the Lake Champlain ferry, visitors who want lakefront scenery without a boat rental.
Juniper Island Lighthouse
About three miles offshore from Burlington’s waterfront sits Juniper Island, home to one of Lake Champlain’s oldest active lighthouses. The original light here dates to 1826, established to guide vessels into the growing port at Burlington, and the island served for decades as the depot for all lighthouse supplies and buoys on Lake Champlain. The current structure is privately owned and not open to the public, but Juniper Island Light is visible on narrated cruises departing from Burlington and makes a fine focal point for a harbor sail.
Best for: Cruise passengers, photographers, anyone wanting a sense of the lake’s working maritime history.
Windmill Point Lighthouse (Alburgh)
At Vermont’s northern tip, where the lake narrows near the Canadian border, Windmill Point Lighthouse stands on a point that has strategic significance stretching back centuries. The site was the location of one of the earliest European settlements in Vermont, and the point has Revolutionary War significance: the British ship Thunderer sank off Windmill Point in 1777 carrying soldiers defeated at the Battle of Saratoga, and Benedict Arnold anchored his fleet here before the pivotal Battle of Valcour Island in 1776. The current lighthouse was built in 1858 and has been reactivated as a private aid to navigation. The surrounding area is a quiet corner of the state, worth the drive for lighthouse enthusiasts who want to get off the beaten path.
Windmill Point is privately owned and not regularly open to the public, but the exterior can be viewed from the road and the grounds are occasionally accessible during organized open house events, such as the annual Lighthouses of Lake Champlain tour run by Adirondack Architectural Heritage.
Best for: Dedicated lighthouse hunters, travelers exploring the Champlain Islands region near the Canadian border.
Seeing the Lighthouses by Boat
A harbor cruise is the best way to see Burlington’s cluster of lake lighthouses together, and several operators make it easy.
Spirit of Ethan Allen runs scenic narrated cruises from Burlington’s waterfront that pass the Burlington Breakwater lights and Juniper Island Light. The large tour boat accommodates up to 350 passengers and operates multiple daily cruises in summer. It’s the most straightforward lighthouse-viewing option for casual visitors.
Whistling Man Schooner Co. offers two-hour sailing excursions on classic wooden sloops from the Burlington waterfront, passing the Breakwater lights. For a more intimate experience than the larger tour boats, their schooners Friend Ship and Wild Rose are a strong option, with capacity for 6 to 12 passengers.
Lake Champlain Ferries run car and passenger ferries between Burlington and Port Kent, New York, passing directly by the North Breakwater Light. The crossing takes about an hour and is one of the most scenic ferry rides in New England even without the lighthouse as a draw.
Planning Your Vermont Lighthouse Visit
Best time to visit: Late May through October. Shelburne Museum operates seasonally, and the Burlington waterfront cruises run primarily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The ferry operates year-round.
Building a day around Burlington: The Burlington waterfront, Shelburne Museum, and Church Street Marketplace combine well into a full day. Start at Shelburne Museum in the morning (allow two to three hours), drive north to Burlington for a waterfront walk and afternoon cruise, and finish with dinner on Church Street. The drive between Shelburne and Burlington is about 10 minutes.
Note on Vermont lighthouse CPT pages: Vermont’s lighthouses are not yet covered by individual detail pages on this site. For a full directory of Lake Champlain lights on both the Vermont and New York shores, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes is an excellent resource.
Vermont’s lighthouse story is a freshwater one, quieter than the Atlantic drama of Maine or Cape Cod, but no less historically rich. The 19th-century lumber trade that made Burlington a major North American port has left behind a cluster of lake lights worth an entire day of exploration. For lighthouses on the ocean, the neighboring New Hampshire lighthouses guide covers Portsmouth Harbor and the Isles of Shoals, while the Massachusetts lighthouse guide and Rhode Island lighthouse guide and Connecticut lighthouse guide cover the full southern New England coast. For the broadest overview of the region, start with the New England lighthouse guide.
