How Visitors Will Be Impacted By Work Underway On Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse

As the weather starts to warm up, Minnesota's North Shore will become an increasingly popular destination for visitors from around the region and beyond.

Snowmelt fueling the North Shore's waterfalls and the eventual warmer-weather camping and hiking seasons will bring people to places all along Minnesota's Lake Superior shoreline, including Split Rock Lighthouse, a popular stop for many.

If you have plans to pay a visit to Split Rock Lighthouse this spring or early summer, you'll want to be aware of some work now underway that might impact your stop. That said, it'll still be worth visiting during this work.

What work is being done at Split Rock Lighthouse this spring?

In early March, the Minnesota Historical Society announced that preservation and restoration work are underway on the lighthouse.

The MNHS, which operates the lighthouse, nearby buildings, and visitor center separate from the surrounding state park (which is managed by the Minnesota DNR) shared that work got underway on March 2 and is expected to last into early summer.

READ MORE: Escape The Crowds On This Scenic, Family-Friendly North Shore Waterfalls Hike

The work being done is to "help protect this historic structure from the harsh conditions along Lake Superior’s shoreline".

Specific things being done during this project include replacing damaged masonry on the lighthouse as well as the installation of a new moisture monitoring system inside the lighthouse to help maintain lower humidity levels, which will help in protecting and preserving the lighthouse well into the future.

How will this work impact visitors to Split Rock Lighthouse?

The first thing of note right now is that you'll see scaffolding around the lighthouse structure to allow for work to be done.

One of the most obvious impacts it will have is that it will hinder clear photo opportunities of the lighthouse, which is temporarily wrapped in this scaffolding as work is done.

In addition, there will be temporary closures in and around the lighthouse during the course of this work. One example is a weeklong closure of public access to the observation deck near the lighthouse, which will last from March 16 through March 20.

The Minnesota Historical Society is considering these impacts on visitors and trying to accommodate them during the work. How are they doing this?

An example is during the March observation deck closure, they are waiving admission during that March 16-20 window. This is something they have done in the past during other work projects, and it is likely they might do it as warranted through the rest of this project.

How long will this Split Rock Lighthouse restoration project last?

The Minnesota Historical Society says work is expected to last into the early to mid-summer months. They say scaffolding will stay in place through at least late June as crews complete the project.

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The good news is that visitors will still be welcome to check out open facilities during this project, and the adjacent Split Rock Lighthouse State Park also has some great things to see and do, including iconic views of the lighthouse and Lake Superior from along hiking trails and the Lake Superior shoreline.