This otherworldly frozen lighthouse looks like an ice castle fit for a Disney princess
If you ever wanted to recreate Elsa singing “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen, then do we have the place for you. During the winter months, St. Joseph Lighthouse on Lake Michigan morphs into a magical ice palace. While the lighthouse is picturesque in the spring, summer, and fall, it becomes truly spectacular to see during freezing weather conditions in the winter.
The current lighthouse was built in 1859 in St. Joseph, Michigan as the St. Joseph Lighthouse (or St. Joe Lighthouse as it’s affectionally known) website states. On the website, you’re also able to view a livestream of the lighthouse in the Michigan beach town.
Currently, the lighthouse is in the news because of a storm that occurred on December 15th, 2016. Photographer Joshua Nowicki shared a video on his Facebook page of the most recent storm that hit the lighthouse and turned it into a legitimate ice castle. (Seriously, we’ll sing “Let It Go” once we stop singing the theme from Ice Castles.)
Watching the icy tower stand tall as the waves hit is so completely stunning.
Of course, other photographers haven’t passed up on the opportunity to document this gorgeous phenomenon. Tom Gill’s photos of St. Joseph were featured by the Weather Channel in 2014.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKV6V7E1U4E?feature=oembed
Thomas Nighswander has also shared photos of the lighthouse. According to his Instagram post, the lighthouse didn’t get covered in ice in 2015 due to weather conditions.
Because the photos and videos of this lighthouse are so gorgeous, we had hoped the ice and waves weren’t causing damage to the structure. However, a news report from the Michigan and Indiana radio station 95.3 MNC did note that the lighthouse was finished being restored in June 2016. The damage had been caused by weather and waves and the restoration was funded by $2 million in private donations.
As lighthouses are built to sustain the fierce weather, we hope those restorations will keep St. Joseph Lighthouse standing so others can see its beauty for years to come. And so you can go visit to make your dream of singing “Let It Go” near (not in, obviously) a real ice palace like a Disney princess a reality.
