Restoration work begins at Split Rock Lighthouse; tours continue with safety restrictions

The Minnesota Historical Society has launched a major restoration at Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, with crews moved onto the cliffside complex and construction activity underway while tours continue under safety restrictions. MNHS framed the project as one that will "improve accessibility and provide visitors with an enhanced experience at the historic site."

MNHS’s April 18, 2025 press release set a schedule for construction to begin May 5 and continue through late October, and it said the initial phase, "anticipated to run through May 21," would offer free admission limited to the Visitor Center, gift shop, and exhibits while "historic buildings, including the lighthouse, will not be accessible during this initial phase." A contemporaneous report noted work crews moved onto the site and that scaffolding "will go up around the lighthouse later this month." The North Shore Journal later reported the week of May 23rd that workers completed the initial phase and that, after that work, "during regular admission hours, 10 am–6 pm daily, visitors now have access to the lighthouse grounds, museum, visitor center, and fog signal building."

The 2025 rehabilitation includes multiple preservation and accessibility tasks: replacing damaged masonry on the more-than-century-old structure, installing sensors to monitor real-time moisture data inside the buildings, erecting scaffolding around the lighthouse, and replacing the ramp into the restored Keeper’s House with a permanent accessible sloped walkway. MNHS also said the project will improve pathways and "restore historic circulation patterns within the historic core," and that "after restoration is completed, guests will have access to a better view of where the historic hoist and derrick system was located" with a new extended platform offering views of the lighthouse, coastline, and Lake Superior.

Visitor access has been phased around safety requirements. Earlier seasonal offerings included March and April Hard Hat Tours for visitors to enter historic buildings, while North Shore Journal and site materials set regular operating hours at 10:00 am to 6:00 pm during peak season. Keeper’s Tour options vary by source: North Shore Journal reports a guided Keeper’s Tour that "runs at 9 AM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through October 20th," with tickets "only available online and must be purchased by 11:59 pm the evening prior"; northshoreexplorermn lists Keeper’s Tours as a 60-minute guided experience "May 22 – October 20, 2025" that "leaves before the site opens." Late-fall and winter schedules include a Grounds Pass at $8 and a private Keeper’s Tour offered at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays starting October 26 at $25, reduced to $20 for MNHS members, with children aged 4 and under "are can participate for free."

Preservation work is driven by environmental risk: MNHS warned that "Humidity creates challenging conditions for historic preservation," and moisture-monitoring sensors are a central part of the current scope. The history of repairs at Split Rock stretches back decades; Kraus-Anderson’s archival material cites 1991 window restorations that replaced mid-century metallic frames with oak to match original windows and notes Split Rock’s 2011 designation as a National Historic Landmark, calling the site "one of the most visited historic sites in Minnesota, and one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world."

For media or detailed schedule questions, MNHS provided contacts in its April 18, 2025 release: Nick Jungheim, 651-259-3060, nick.jungheim@mnhs.org, and Allison Ortiz, 651-259-3051, allison.ortiz@mnhs.org. MNHS and local reports caution that "ongoing construction at the site may impact offerings, and programs are subject to change," and visitors should check Split Rock Lighthouse’s website and social media channels for updates. Several operational details remain to be confirmed publicly, including the contractor performing the 2025 work, exact scaffolding dates, and Hard Hat Tour pricing and PPE procedures; MNHS’s stated timeline remains that work will continue through late October to balance preservation needs with phased public access.