Even thought the Old Kenosha Lighthouse dates back to 1866, it was actually the third lighthouse built on this site. Situated on a bluff overlooking Pike Creek, the old Kenosha Light Station was the first navigational beam seen by Wisconsin bound mariners leaving Chicago. Built of Cream-City brick, the lighthouse utilized a fourth order Fresnel lens, perched on top of a 55 foot tower. Its tenure lasted 40 years, when it was replaced by the Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse. With no particular use other than displaying storm warning flags, the old lighthouse languished.
   Highlighting one of many lighthouse restoration success stories in the Great Lakes area, the Old Kenosha Lighthouse (Southport Light) was rescued by the Kenosha Historical Society with assistance from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. The light station has been returned to its former splendor, now doubling as the Southport Light Station Museum. Here, the keeper's residence and tower are open on weekends from May through September. This is a popular stop on Simmons Island, and a weekend crowd usually gathers to wait patiently for a turn to climb to the lantern room. Historic harbor maps, lighthouse bric-a-brac, story boards and 1908 period furnishings fill the downstairs keeper's quarters-museum. From Simmons Island Park, you may ride a streetcar for a quarter, enjoy a picnic lunch, and view the North Pier Lighthouse and its day markers.

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