Ever Wanted to Live in a Michigan Lighthouse? Now’s Your Chance

If you’ve ever stood on a Michigan shoreline, stared out at the water, and thought, “Honestly? I could live here and wave at strangers for a while,” congratulations. This one’s for you.

Michigan is officially accepting applications for its next Tawas Point Lighthouse keepers, which means regular people (yes, you) can live inside a lighthouse for two full weeks and pretend you’ve accidentally stepped into a cozy maritime novel.

The lighthouse sits inside Tawas Point State Park, on the east side of the state, just above the Thumb. It’s quiet. It’s scenic. It’s very “I turned my phone on airplane mode and forgot about email.” And for a short window each year, it’s also home to volunteer keepers who help keep the place running.

Here’s the catch: You have to apply as a group of four. Which makes this either the perfect excuse to finally plan that long-overdue friends’ getaway, a surprisingly wholesome bachelor or bachelorette experience, or a dream solution for anyone who has friends who refuse to split a hotel room but would absolutely split a lighthouse.

As a lighthouse keeper, your job won’t be strenuous. Keepers are asked to greet visitors, lead tours, and help with basic facility maintenance. Think less “hauling nets in a storm”, and more “answering questions and making sure things don’t fall apart on your watch.” You’ll also need to be at least 18 years old, and capable of climbing 85 steps.

The official on the clock time commitment is about 30 hours per week, which leaves plenty of time to actually enjoy where you are. You can walk the beach, watch the sun come up over Lake Huron, or just sit outside and listen to waves instead of traffic. Or just argue about where to eat like usual, but with a better view.

And because this is always the next question: no, this is not a paid gig. In fact, it’s the opposite. It costs $250 per person for the full two-week stay. But before you balk at that, do the math: Two weeks of lodging in a state park, inside a literal lighthouse, for $250? That’s cheaper than one weekend at a halfway decent hotel (and way more interesting when people ask what you did this summer.)

Applications are open now, and spots will go fast. There’s also no backup list for “people who suddenly realized they want to live in a lighthouse after telling everyone about it.”

So if you’ve got three friends who can commit, can climb some stairs, and don’t mind greeting strangers with a smile, this might be your sign.