The Port Clinton Lighthouse has been quite colorful this winter, with a variety of colored lights dazzling the folks who wander Waterworks Park in Port Clinton after dark. (Photo by D’Arcy Egan)

Visitors can discover Ohio’s amazing heritage through Sunday, Sept. 18, as historic buildings and fascinating places across the state continue to open their doors for tours and events as part of the Ohio History Connection’s annual event.

Admission to all Ohio Open Doors events is free. A list of the statewide events and activities is available at ohiohistory.org/opendoors.

The Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy will shine brightly in Ohio Open Doors with informative lecture tours of the historic Port Clinton Lighthouse on Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon to 2 p.m.

“Ohio Open Doors shares stories of important landmarks and interesting sites right in our backyards, highlighting the history and unique nature of some of Ohio’s most treasured places,” said Amanda Schraner Terrell, Director of the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office.

The Ohio History Connection created Ohio Open Doors in 2016 to promote and inspire pride in Ohio’s heritage and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The Port Clinton Lighthouse was placed in operation in 1896 at the end of the west pier of the Portage River. The light served as the town’s primary navigational aid for 56 years, until removed by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1952.

Now fully restored and under the ownership of the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy, the Port Clinton Lighthouse is historically important as the last remaining free-standing timber-frame pier light on Lake Erie, one of only four remaining on the Great Lakes. These types of pier lights were some of the first built on the lakes and were common during the 19th century.

Ohio Open Doors also has other local events still on the schedule in Ottawa County. They are:

Thursday, Sept. 15

Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library from 1-3 p.m.: Marblehead Walking Tour, Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library, 710 W. Main St., Marblehead. The 1.5-mile walking tour is full of interesting facts and stories about the small coastal town.

Saturday, Sept. 17

Lakeside Heritage Society from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Heritage Hall Museum Open House, located at 238 Maple Ave., Lakeside. Visit the Heritage Hall Museum, explore the exhibits featuring the history of Lakeside Chautauqua, the Lakeside & Marblehead Railroad and Johnson’s Island. Marblehead Peninsula Branch Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Clemons Cemetery Walking Tour, located at 91 E. Main St., Marblehead. Educational walk will showcase the cemetery restoration process and preservation with a balance of oral history of its interred.