The short answer
The atlas holds a lighthouse postcard for almost every coast it covers — from Lake Superior's Split Rock to Cape Lookout's black-and-white diamond on the North Carolina shore. The cards below are some of the best for collectors: each one shows a real, recognizable lighthouse, and each links to the place page where you can find the card and see what else is filed nearby.
Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota
Perched on a cliff above Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse was built after the great storm of 1905 wrecked ships along the North Shore. Its light went dark in 1969 and the tower is now one of Minnesota's most photographed landmarks — and one of its most popular postcards.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse, North Carolina
Cape Lookout wears a black-and-white diamond pattern unique among American lighthouses. It stands on a wild stretch of the Outer Banks reachable only by boat, which makes its postcard the easiest way to keep the view.
Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey
At the southern tip of New Jersey, Cape May Lighthouse has guided ships since 1859. The current tower replaced earlier lights lost to the shifting coast, and visitors still climb its 199 steps to the gallery.
Marblehead Lighthouse, Ohio
Marblehead Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the American Great Lakes, first lit in 1822. Its limestone tower on Lake Erie has become the symbol of Ohio's lake shore.
Hunting Island Lighthouse, South Carolina
The cast-iron, black-and-white Hunting Island Lighthouse was built in 1875 and moved inland in 1889 as the shore eroded. It stands in Hunting Island State Park, where visitors can climb to the top for a view of the lowcountry coast.
Point Judith Lighthouse, Rhode Island
Point Judith Lighthouse marks the entrance to Narragansett Bay and has warned mariners off the rocky Rhode Island shore since the 1850s. Its octagonal stone tower is a familiar sight on postcards from the Ocean State.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is the last screw-pile lighthouse still on its original site in the Chesapeake Bay. The hexagonal wooden house on stilts is a National Historic Landmark and a favorite of Bay collectors.
Barnegat Lighthouse, New Jersey
Nicknamed Old Barney, Barnegat Lighthouse rises 172 feet at the north end of Long Beach Island. Built in 1859 on the site of an earlier tower, it is one of the most recognized lighthouses on the East Coast.
Cape Disappointment, Washington
At the mouth of the Columbia River, Cape Disappointment holds two lighthouses and some of the most dramatic surf on the Pacific coast. Its headland light has guided ships into the river since 1856.
St. Simons Island, Georgia
The lighthouse at St. Simons Island has marked the entrance to the island's harbor since 1872, after the original 1810 tower was lost to the Civil War. Its red-and-white tower rises above the oaks of the island's village.
How many lighthouses does the atlas have?
Lighthouse cards are filed under the coasts where the real towers stand — from our lighthouse guide you can follow the full collection, and each state page holds the towers on its own shore.