Dunkirk Lighthouse & Veterans Park Museum
Dunkirk Lighthouse & Veterans Park Museum is a lighthouse in New York, at a modelled elevation of 177 m. Arab Hill stands 640 m to the southeast, 16 miles off. The nearest named place is Dedicated to Corporal Cyrus W. James, a historic site less than a tenth of a mile away. Great Lakes Seaway Trail passes 0.6 miles off. 118 named places lie within 25 miles, 11 of them named summits.
The story
The Dunkirk Lighthouse, also known as the Point Gratiot Light, is an active lighthouse located at Point Gratiot on Lake Erie in New York state. The lighthouse was established in 1826 and the current tower was first lit in 1875. The lighthouse was automated in 1960 and is still operational. The foundation is made out of dressed stone and the lighthouse is made out of rubblestone encased in brick. The tower is square-shaped with the upper two thirds in white and the lower third left natural and the lantern housing in red. The original lens is a third order Fresnel lens installed in 1857 in the original 1826 light and is still in operation. Its being still in use makes it a rarity. Only 70 such lenses are operational in the United States, 16 being on the Great Lakes of which two are in New York. At the entrance to the park property is the South Buffalo North Side Light, formerly located in Buffalo Harbor. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Point Gratiot Lighthouse Complex in 1979.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1826.
Wikidata Q5315389, matched on coordinates and name (65 m apart).
What the record says
- Built
- 1875
What to expect
How to reach it
- 0.6 mi off the Great Lakes Seaway Trail, National
Overlooks nearby
- Cliff top · 21 mi
118 named places within 25 miles
- Point Gratiot Park: 0.3 mi
- Memorial Park: 0.9 mi
- Washington Park: 1.5 mi
- Dog Park: 2.1 mi
- Athletic Fields: 2.6 mi
- Cedar Beach: 0.2 mi
- Point Gratiot Beach: 0.5 mi
- Wright Park Beach: 1.8 mi
- Cassadaga Beach: 10.5 mi
- Hanover Town Beach: 12.2 mi
- Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area: 10.4 mi
- College Lodge Forest: 10.9 mi
- Kabob Wildlife Management Area: 15.1 mi
- Stockton State Forest: 15.1 mi
- Hatch Creek State Forest: 18.9 mi
- Dibble Hill: 11.4 mi
- Pope Hill: 12.2 mi
- Luce Hill: 12.5 mi
- Round Top Hill: 12.8 mi
- Boutwell Hill: 15.6 mi
- Dedicated to Corporal Cyrus W. James: 0.0 mi
- Large Anchor: 0.0 mi
- The Lighthouse Service: 0.0 mi
- On September 26, 1812: 0.0 mi
- Jenn Suhr Olympic Flag Pole: 3.9 mi
- Dunkirk Historical Museum: 1.4 mi
- D R Barker Museum: 3.8 mi
- Barcelona Harbor museum: 16.2 mi
- McClurg Museum: 16.4 mi
- Grape Discovery Center: 17.7 mi
- Veterans Museum & Light Keeper's House: 0.0 mi
- Dunkirk Light: 0.0 mi
- South Buffalo North Side Light: 0.0 mi
- Dunkirk City Pier: 0.9 mi
- Lake Shore Savings Clock Tower: 2.9 mi
- Graycliff: 24.6 mi
- Palestine Park: 20.3 mi
- Discovery Garden: 20.6 mi
- Ong-Gwe-Ohn-Weh: 0.8 mi
- Melissa's Spring: 24.3 mi
- Ensminger Falls: 24.6 mi
- Chautauqua Lake Rest Area: 24.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Dunkirk Lighthouse & Veterans Park Museum. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arab Hill | SE 146° | 640 m | 15.8 mi |
| Boutwell Hill | SE 143° | 635 m | 15.6 mi |
| Pickup Hill | SE 142° | 630 m | 19.0 mi |
| Luce Hill | SSE 151° | 605 m | 12.5 mi |
| South Hill | SE 138° | 591 m | 15.6 mi |
| Dibble Hill | SE 139° | 579 m | 11.4 mi |
| Round Top Hill | SE 126° | 512 m | 12.8 mi |
| Harris Hill | SSE 160° | 509 m | 23.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:22 | 18:53 | 19:30 |
| June solstice | 05:41 | 20:16 | 20:59 |
| September equinox | 07:05 | 18:39 | 19:17 |
| December solstice | 07:45 | 16:02 | 16:48 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 25 | 26 | 33 | 44 | 57 | 67 | 71 | 70 | 63 | 52 | 41 | 32 |
| Precip in | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Dunkirk, 2 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/1073002886
Day trips start here
- Cattaraugus · 27 mi
- Jamestown · 28 mi
- Randolph · 30 mi
Take the scenic way to Dunkirk Lighthouse & Veterans Park Museum.
Byway plans around your taste, mapped places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.