Plenty of America's lighthouses no longer guide ships, but a surprising number have found a second life as holiday rentals. A round-up from TravelAwaits spotlights nine of the best lighthouse Airbnbs in the United States — real keeper's quarters, lantern towers and lighthouse-inspired homes where you get big water views, total privacy and a built-in slice of maritime history.
The picks span the country. Want to bring the whole extended family? The Beachfront Lighthouse on Texas's Bolivar Peninsula sleeps 14 across five bedrooms, with a bedroom tucked into the top of the tower, a hot tub, fire pit and a private stretch of Crystal Beach with no neighbours in sight. For something quieter, the one-bedroom Lighthouse at Hunkerdown Hollow sits on a private island in Douglas Lake near Sevierville, Tennessee, at the foot of the Smokies — the lake is a Bassmaster Top 100 fishery and draws around 200 bird species, and hosts offer efoil surfing lessons.
History buffs have strong options too. The 1850s Eagle River Lighthouse on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula was built in 1855, decommissioned in 1909 and restored with its cobbled walls and wood trim intact, plus a modern kitchen, sunroom and wraparound deck on Lake Superior. The Historic Selkirk Lighthouse in Pulaski, New York, dates to 1838 and is still operational, guiding boats into Salmon River Harbor; it sleeps up to eight and hosts run tours of how the light works. Cove Point in Lusby, Maryland has been running continuously since 1828 — the state's oldest — and a stay in the six-bedroom keeper's house includes tickets to the Calvert Marine Museum.
New England charm comes via Wings Neck Lighthouse in Pocasset, Massachusetts, a former keeper's home on Cape Cod completed in 1849, with 360-degree Atlantic views and a lantern room you can visit. Bristol Ferry Lighthouse in Rhode Island lets you climb (via ladder) to the old lantern room for seats overlooking Narragansett Bay.
Two outliers round out the list: Hammarstrom House in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin — a Master Craftsman home with a two-level lighthouse on top and panoramic Green Bay views, kayaks, paddleboards and a game shed included — and the most remote option, Sitka Lighthouse in Alaska, which occupies its own one-acre island and is reachable only by boat (transfer included). It was built in 1983 by a local veterinarian, still registered with the Coast Guard, and now sports a glass sunroom, hot tub and high-end linens.
Why it matters: lighthouse stays solve several holiday problems at once. They're usually on prime waterfront land, so views come standard; many are isolated enough that you're effectively renting privacy; and they double as a history lesson, with on-site museums, tours and keeper-era details. They suit families needing space (Texas, New York, Maryland), couples after something unusual (Tennessee, Alaska), and anyone who's ever wondered what it'd be like to live in one. Book early — these are one-of-a-kind listings with limited dates, not room categories you can add on a whim.
