Along the Mississippi coast stand sentinels of an earlier age: historic lighthouses that once guided ships through dangerous waters and that now stand as landmarks, each with a story of storms weathered and vessels guided safely home. Together they form a heritage worth seeking out.

The lighthouses embody the coast's deep relationship with the water, a relationship of both dependence and danger. In the era before modern navigation, these beacons were essential, their lights warning mariners of hazards and marking safe passage. That they still stand, after generations of hurricanes, is a testament to their builders and their keepers.

Several have become cherished landmarks and points of local pride, their images bound up with the identity of the communities near them. Preserving them requires ongoing effort, as the same storms they were built to warn against threaten their survival, but their guardians persist.

For visitors, the lighthouses offer a tangible link to the coast's maritime past and a series of scenic and evocative destinations. Standing at the base of a historic lighthouse, gazing out at the Gulf it has watched over for generations, a traveler feels the weight of the coast's long history with the sea. The beacons no longer guide ships as they once did, but they still draw people to the water's edge, keeping watch.