Established in 1833, the Buffalo Main Lighthouse overlooks the mouth of the Buffalo River where it flows into Lake Erie. Its 18-metre-tall octagonal tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and forms part of an outdoor museum on the grounds of the United States Coast Guard Station.

Join a guided tour to learn about the history of the Buffalo Main Lighthouse, which replaced an 1818 lighthouse that originally stood along the shores of Lake Erie. Hear about its role in the growth of the city following the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825.

Constructed from limestone and cast iron, the lighthouse served until 1914 and is best viewed from the Erie Basin Marina just across the Buffalo River. Its third-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1857 and can be viewed in the Buffalo History Museum within Delaware Park.

Getting there

The Buffalo Main Lighthouse is a 10-minute drive from the Buffalo, NY Exchange Street railway station, which connects to destinations across New York by train. Buffalo Niagara International Airport is 25 minutes’ drive from the lighthouse and has flights to cities across the United States.