Dunkirk Lighthouse — Attraction in City of Dunkirk

I approached this lighthouse expecting some untold story or behind-the-scenes footage of a film released in 2017 that I had confused with a movie set and titled a century earlier, only to find myself even more confused than ever I could have fathomed.

What is a lighthouse after all? The first known lighthouse hails from Egypt, a father-son passion project carried out by forced laborers. As is wont with father-son passion projects, it was destroyed by marauders and earthquakes and carried with it the legacy of being the first single point of light that men en masse have charged toward to save themselves only to discover the treachery of an existence taxed by the question of whether they are only cogs in a machine or to discover that the light was in fact just a trick of the mind of a cog that prefers to roll freely on grassy pastures but cannot due to the advent of organized agriculture on the earth, which was doing just fine up until then. This was followed closely by organized religion.

That said, the Dunkirk Lighthouse was a lovely place to settle in for a sandwich and a bouquet of curly fries. It stands on the edge of a pointy piece of land, far from the roar of private helicopters waiting to take one to the next location in a way most convenient for one and comically inconvenient for everyone else except perhaps a very excited pilot and his daughter who would admire nearly any mechanically inclined vocation her father would pursue.

But I am not his daughter, nor am I her father, nor will I ever be either. Ghosts or naught, Publicity Agent who entrusted me with the passage of an encoded message that threatens to shift the international power of balance be dammed, I am here to hang out near bodies of water and present my findings to the people.

So, here at the lighthouse I took the extreme and carefully choreographed path of throwing caution and the message in a bottle to the wind, and I decided instead to interview the gulls in the area, several of whom had been following me down the coast. They immediately fled and, for the eighty-first time, took my sandwich with them. I was comforted by a sympathetic walleye who turned a bit hardass as he gave his advice:

Sometimes, too often, we start to lean on The things we hate, just long enough to stand On our own until we find that under Our feet lie miles of ruins that we'd planned To forget, to seal up in that far gaze Of eternity and fight to keep safe As long as someone remembers how they Ever dared to touch our heels, much less chafe Our egos and let us regret what brings Us closer to the love of those...

I have never left a single google review for any place in my life but I need someone to see this: I’m not from Dunkirk I was just visiting for the day checking out the shore and going for a walk around the neighborhood and saw the lighthouse on my map and thought it would be nice to check out. I walked over to it, gates were unlocked and the sign at the entrance says to walk the property is “free” with no explanation as to what the scare quotes mean like a donation would be appreciated or anything like that and “last tour starts at 3” nothing about the actual hours of the place. I got there at about 6:30 and started my way toward the lighthouse. One of the people that works there, an older gentleman, was coming out of the main building, I smiled and nodded. I took some pictures of the lighthouse, used the restroom and walked the grounds. Allie told I was there maybe 15 minutes. I get back over to find the worker had LOCKED THE GATE. I couldn’t help but just bust out laughing at the sheer a-holeishness and cowardice for someone to not be able to use their big boy words and say to someone “hey we’re closed, I’m closing this up” would have been no problem and I would have left! Just really confused. I was able to successfully jump the fence and get out of there but I could not ever recommend this place to anyone. I’m truly sorry if you have a miserable life, man I was just trying to enjoy...

We toured the Dunkirk Lighthouse and it was such a unique experience. The lighthouse itself dates back to 1875 and has such a rich history — it was even moved back from the water because of erosion, which is incredible to see in person. The museum is filled with antiques, shipwreck stories, and military history, and you really get a feel for what life was like for the lighthouse keepers and their families who lived there.

The tour guides were knowledgeable and welcoming, and there’s something special about standing in a place that has literally guided people to safety for generations. My son even got to ring the bell (which was a highlight for both of us, bells really are healers!). It’s educational, family-friendly, and one of those hidden gems that makes you appreciate Lake Erie’s history even more.

Highly recommend for anyone who loves history, lighthouses, or just a grand view...