Located in Ottawa County, Ohio, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is a lighthouse. It lies in or next to Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Port Clinton, about 19.0 km (11.8 mi) away (Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is a 352-foot (107 m) tall column and U.S. national memorial in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, built to commemorate the Battle of Lake Erie that took place near South Bass Island. One of the largest naval engagements of the War of 1812, the battle saw American Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry lead a United States Navy squadron to victory over a smaller Royal Navy force under Robert Heriot Barclay. Located on an isthmus on the island, the memorial also celebrates the lasting peace between Britain, Canada, and the United States that followed the war.From the Wikipedia article “Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:44 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 57° ENE | 9:10 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 121° ESE | 5:05 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:38 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 3:39 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.11 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 62% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 56 | 59 | 71 | 69 | 83 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88 | 82 | 70 | 60 |
| Low °F | -9 | -3 | 2 | 25 | 32 | 44 | 53 | 56 | 45 | 37 | 18 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lighthouse
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
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Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.