Lighthouses & Other Navigational Aids

Of the many major navigational aids built in Boston Harbor, only a few still remain in what is now the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park: Boston Light, Nixes Mate Daybeacon, Long Island Head Light, and Graves Light.

Another major navigational aid, Minot’s Ledge Light, is not actually in Boston Harbor but is part of the historical lore associated with navigational aids in the harbor. In addition, there are several non-extant aids that contribute to understanding park resources: Narrows (Bug) Light, Lovells Buoy Station, Deer Island Light, Boston Auxiliary Light, Boston Lightship, Spectacle Island Range Lights, Broad Sound channel Inner Range Lights, and Lovells Island Range Lights.

 
 

Lighthouses and Navigational Aids

  • An island with a white lighthouse during a sunset
    Boston Light

    Learn more about the historic lighthouse on Little Brewster.

  • A large black and white cone-shaped marker on top of a brick stand on a tiny island.
    Nixes Mate

    Pirate lore surrounds this black and white marker which has guided boat traffic for a century.

  • View of the rocky island looking up from the water with the grey lighthouse on the right
    Graves Light

    Built in 1905, Graves Light is located in the outer northeast corner of the Boston Harbor.

  • A white lighthouse sticks out among trees
    Long Island Light

    Long Island Head Light helps guide ships crossing the Broad Sound Channel.

 

 

Historic Navigational Aids

  • A lighthouse on posts above the water, making it look like a bug
    Narrows (Bug) Light

    Narrows Light stood 35 feet above water with its wooden hexagonal structure on seven iron stilts, resembling a large bug.

  • Sepia image of a shore with a cropping of white houses, with a prominent wharf in front
    Lovells Buoy Station

    Although not used for navigation, the station stocked replacements for bell, whistle, and other types of buoys used in Boston Harbor.

  • Round, short, metal buoy lighthouse next to a small cropping of rocks in water.
    Deer Island Light

    Deer Island Light sat 500 yards south of Deer Island Point on the north side of the entrance to inner Boston Harbor.

  • A colored postcard showing a white and brown lighthouse on metal frame above calm water
    Boston Auxiliary Light

    As the first range light in the harbor, Boston Auxiliary Light guided ships leaving Boston through Nantasket Roads.

  • Boston Lightship

    This ship anchored southeast of Boston Light in 84-feet deep water where no lighthouse could feasibly be built.

  • A white octagonal lighthouse next to two small white houses on an open grass area.
    Spectacle Island Range Lights

    Two tapered octagonal wooden towers on the northeast part of Spectacle Island operated from 1897 to 1913.

  • View from the ocean of two twin white lighthouses near a large white house on an island.
    Broad Sound Channel Inner Range Lights

    The opening of the Broad Sound Channel in 1900 necessitated these new range lights to guide ships.

  • Black and white photo of a light station on a rocky beach.
    Lovells Island Range Lights

    Constructed on the north end of the island in 1903, the Lovells Island Range Lights served as beacons for vessels in the South Channel.

Last updated: November 21, 2025

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park
21 Second Ave
Charlestown, MA 02129

Phone:

617 819-3587
This is the phone number for the Boston Harbor Islands Welcome Center on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It is only checked while the Welcome Center is operational. During the off-season, please contact us via email.

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