A lighthouse need not stand at the water’s edge to tell a maritime story. In downtown Oscoda, this red steel tower rises from a small garden beside the street. Its open framework, ladder, and compact beacon make its practical design easy to read. Once a working pierhead light, it now preserves a connection between the town and the river that shaped it.
Quick Facts
| Location | Downtown Oscoda, Iosco County, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Present setting | Beside US-23 / Huron Street, in front of Huron Shores Artisan Hall |
| Original waterway | Au Sable River entrance, Lake Huron |
| Station established | 1873 |
| Surviving tower | 1912 |
| Tower height | Approximately 33 feet |
| Construction | Open steel frame above an enclosed equipment housing |
| Status | Inactive historic light; removed from the pier in 1957 |
| Ownership | Oscoda Township |
| Visitor access | Exterior grounds open; tower closed |
History & Description
A light was established at the Au Sable River’s north pier in 1873, helping ships find the entrance from Lake Huron. The river mouth served a lumbering community whose trade depended on water transportation. That first light stood in a wooden tower.
The surviving steel tower replaced the wooden structure in 1912. An acetylene light flashed red from its upper platform; electrification followed in 1940. The narrow, braced framework above an equipment housing reflects a different approach from the familiar masonry lighthouse: a compact working structure built around the beacon.
Removed from the pier in 1957, the tower spent years at the Oscoda Yacht Club. Local efforts kept it in the community, and the Downtown Development Authority acquired it in 2016. Restoration and repainting followed in 2017. In October 2018 it was installed beside Huron Shores Artisan Hall.
Today the approximately 33-foot tower is a preserved historic light rather than an operating harbor beacon. Its red finish, crossed steel braces, and broad platform make it an easily recognized landmark. The change of setting is part of its story: an object once used for navigation now cared for as a piece of local memory.
Historical references: Au Sable Pierhead history · University of North Carolina Lighthouse Directory.
Visitor Information
This is a short exterior sightseeing stop in town. Look for the historic red tower on land, rather than at the end of the modern river piers.
- Find the tower
- Beside US-23 / Huron Street, between Michigan Avenue and River Road, in front of Huron Shores Artisan Hall in downtown Oscoda. Open the location in Google Maps →
- Access
- The grounds are listed as open; the tower is closed. Plan to admire and photograph the exterior, rather than climb the ladder or enter the housing.
- Photography
- Keep the entire beacon and steel frame in view. The landscaped planting offers several angles, while a wider photograph records the tower’s present street setting.
- Two different Au Sables
- This Lake Huron pierhead tower is separate from Au Sable Point Lighthouse at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior.
Location and exterior-access details checked October 11, 2026 against the historic lighthouse directories. Follow posted site notices when visiting.
Photo Gallery
Three photographs by Todd. Select a photograph to view it larger.
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