The first New Canal light was a simple wooden tower, erected at the end of a long jetty which protected the entrance of the newly completed canal that terminated near where the Superdome stands today. That first tower was replaced by a one-story, cottage-type lighthouse in 1855.

When the Southern Yacht Club (longtime New Canal neighbors of the lighthouse) erected a new, two-story clubhouse at the end of the 1870s, it necessitated that the lighthouse be raised. A three-story lighthouse, the third on site, was completed in 1890. By the early 1900s several land-building projects occurred along the lakefront and a reclamation project placed the lighthouse on dry land.

This third reiteration of the lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, and a replica has since been built. The Pontchartrain Conservancy took over the property in 2006 and now operates the New Canal Lighthouse Museum and Education Center. Visit to check out the center's interactive and informative displays depicting the history of the lighthouse and the New Basin Canal, the ecology of Lake Pontchartrain, and the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the surrounding area! The area also features nearby restaurants, parking, benches, and a wonderful walking, running, and biking path right along the lake's edge.

The description above was copied from or heavily based on Swim Guide, with permission.

More Information

• Swim Guide - Weather and water quality for New Canal Lighthouse and 8,000 other beaches.