The Autumn/Winter issue of FLASH: The Magazine of the Sodus Bay Historical Society has been mailed to all current members and is available for sale online. The issue includes part two of Rosa Fox's interview with Harold Teeple about growing up on the east side of Sodus Bay, a review by Karen Shughart of Susan Peterson Gateley's book Legends and Lore of Lake Ontario, information about our preservation efforts, and an examination of Viking explorers--plus much more. Don't miss out! Become a member today to start receiving this full-color magazine.
This brand-new book in Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History Series is now available. Thanks to a generous donor, 100% of the sale price will benefit the Sodus Bay Lighthouse, so order your copy today! Author Rosa Fox will be signing books at the Sodus Bay Lighthouse on July 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Great Sodus Bay graces the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Known as Bay of the Cayugas to early French explorers and Assorodus (Silvery Waters) to Native American Indians, Sodus Bay is bountiful in beauty and history. Host to many creative souls, entrepreneurs, and seekers of nature, relaxation, and recreation, Great Sodus Bay has captured the hearts of all who visit. The images in this volume provide a tour of the communities and commercial developments, as well as historic lighthouses, vintage boats, and architecture. Take a nostalgic look at Great Sodus Bay from 1890 to 1930—an era of newfound popularity as Sodus Bay developed into a destination resort.
This brand-new book in Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History Series is now available. Thanks to a generous donor, 100% of the sale price will benefit the Sodus Bay Lighthouse, so order your copy today! Author Rosa Fox will be signing books at the Sodus Bay Lighthouse on July 3, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Great Sodus Bay graces the southern shore of Lake Ontario. Known as Bay of the Cayugas to early French explorers and Assorodus (Silvery Waters) to Native American Indians, Sodus Bay is bountiful in beauty and history. Host to many creative souls, entrepreneurs, and seekers of nature, relaxation, and recreation, Great Sodus Bay has captured the hearts of all who visit. The images in this volume provide a tour of the communities and commercial developments, as well as historic lighthouses, vintage boats, and architecture. Take a nostalgic look at Great Sodus Bay from 1890 to 1930—an era of newfound popularity as Sodus Bay developed into a destination resort.
The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum, located at 7606 North Ontario Street in Sodus Point, is opening for its 32nd season at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 1.
Built in 1870, the beautiful, historic lighthouse was used to guide ships on Lake Ontario to safe harbor in Sodus Bay. Use of the light was discontinued in 1901, having been made redundant by an outer light on the bay’s west pier. The building now houses a museum, operated by the Sodus Bay Historical Society. Exhibitions focus on local and maritime history and include displays about lighthouse keepers’ tools, railroads and trolleys, the Erie Canal, and the War of 1812.
Visitors can stroll through gardens on the bluff overlooking Lake Ontario, shop in the museum’s store, and climb the 52-step spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse tower for breathtaking, panoramic views of Lake Ontario and Sodus Point.
The museum has planned many exciting events for 2016, including several in May:
Thank You, Mom!
To celebrate Mother’s Day, all mothers visiting the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum on Sunday, May 8, will receive a free gift with paid admission.
United Way Day of Caring: "And So It Grows!"
This year, the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum is participating in the United Way Day of Caring on Thursday, May 12. This national program emphasizes the benefits of volunteering in communities across the country. Projects for the day include cleaning out and mulching garden beds, painting, staining, and cleaning. To sign up and help us maintain our beautiful lighthouse, call Noreen at (315) 483-0775.
"History Alive!" Presentation: "Churches of Sodus and Huron"
The museum’s “History Alive!” Lecture Series begins on Wednesday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sodus Point Village Hall (8356 Bay Street, Sodus Point). Loreen Jorgensen will present “Churches of Sodus and Huron.” How many churches are there in the Town of Huron? Where is the oldest church in the Town of Sodus? Which denomination is the most prevalent in these two Wayne County towns? Find out fascinating facts about the buildings that have served as spiritual centers around the Sodus Bay area and the people involved with them throughout history.This free program is made possible by our generous Lighthouse Events Sponsors.
Memorial Day & Blue Star Museums Program
The Museum will be open on Memorial Day (Monday, May 30). All visitors wearing red, white, and blue will receive a free postcard with admission. This is also the start the Blue Star Museums program, administered by the National Endowment for the Arts. Active-duty military personnel and up to five family members receive free admission at hundreds of museums around the United States, including the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum. This program runs until Labor Day.
The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for students (grades K-12). Preschool children and Sodus Bay Historical Society members are free. For more information, including a full list of upcoming events for 2016, click on our "Events" tab at the top of this page or call (315) 483-4936.
The Sodus Bay Lighthouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Columbus Day (Monday, October 12). If you're looking for something to do, stop by to tour our great museum and climb to the top of the lighthouse tower. Browse our gift shop and take advantage of our October sale, offering 15% off all books and clothing items. Remember . . . time is short. The museum closes for the season on Saturday, October 31. We hope to see you soon!
Join us Sunday, September 6, for the final concert of our 2015 Summer Concert season. Starlight Orchestra will be playing all your Big Band favorites (Miller, Dorsey, Goodman, Barnett, Ellington) with great vocal and instrumental soloists. This is one of the premier big bands in Western New York!
This FREE concert begins at 2 p.m. Refreshments are available. Bring your own seating. Additional parking is available on Bay Street, across from the Sodus Point Fire Department with shuttle bus service to the lighthouse.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast from Hots Point this Labor Day weekend and support the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum! Friday, September 4, 7-11 a.m. Saturday, September 5 through Monday, September 7, 7-10:30 a.m.
We are so excited to work with Hots Point on this fund-raiser. You can choose from 6 different breakfast meals, Hots Point will donate $1 of every breakfast meal to the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum. Hots Point is located at 8482 Greig Street, Sodus Point, NY. To see the breakfast menu CLICK HERE and HERE!
Many thanks to Hots Point for being a wonderful supporter of our lighthouse!
This Sunday, revisit musical hits of the 1970s with Fever--The Wrath of Polyester, a Nik Entertainment show band. Break out your bellbottoms, fringed vests, peace signs, and platform shoes and come to the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum. This FREE concert will be held from 2-4 p.m. on the lighthouse lawn, 7606 North Ontario Street, Sodus Point. Refreshments are for sale at our concession stand. Additional parking is available at the corner of North Ontario and Bay streets, with a free shuttle bus to drop you at the museum. Call (315) 483-4936 for more information.
History Alive! The Canal That Never Was: The Story of the Erie and Sodus Canals
A FREE presentation by Russell Andrews
Wednesday, July 15, 6:30 p.m. at the Sodus Point Village Hall, 8356 Bay Street, Sodus Point, NY
Learn about the history of New York State's greatest engineering feat--the Erie Canal. This waterway created a worldwide market for New York's agricultural and manufactured goods, bringing an influx of wealth to upstate canal towns and making New York the Empire State. Plans were made to connect Sodus Bay to the Erie Canal, thereby creating a shipping port. Find out why this never happened.
Russell Andrews is Chair of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum, located at 7606 North Ontario Street in Sodus Point, is opening for its 31st season at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 1.
Built in 1870, the beautiful, historic lighthouse was used to guide ships on Lake Ontario to safe harbor in Sodus Bay. Use of the light was discontinued in 1901, having been made redundant by an outer light on the bay’s west pier. The building now houses a museum, operated by the Sodus Bay Historical Society. Exhibitions focus on local and maritime history and include displays about lighthouse keepers’ tools, railroads and trolleys, the Erie Canal, and the War of 1812.
Visitors can stroll through gardens on the bluff overlooking Lake Ontario, shop in the museum’s store, and climb the 52-step spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse tower for breathtaking, panoramic views of Lake Ontario and Sodus Point.
The museum has planned many exciting events for 2015, including several in May:
Thank You, Mom!
To celebrate Mother’s Day, all mothers visiting the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum on Sunday, May 10, will receive a free gift with paid admission.
History Alive! Presentation
The museum’s “History Alive!” Lecture Series begins on Wednesday, May 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sodus Point Village Hall (8356 Bay Street, Sodus Point). Rob Edelman will present “From Rosie the Riveter to Harriet the Happy Homemaker: Women on Screen During and After World War II.” Using film clips from 1940s and 1950s movies, Mr. Edelman will show how women’s roles in society changed as a result of the war. This free program is made possible by a grant from the New York Council for the Humanities with additional support from the Lighthouse Events Sponsors.
Memorial Day & Blue Star Museums Program
The Museum will be open on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25), which is also the start the Blue Star Museums program, administered by the National Endowment for the Arts. Active-duty military personnel and up to five family members receive free admission at hundreds of museums around the United States, including the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum. This program runs until Labor Day.
The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for students (grades K-12). Preschool children and Sodus Bay Historical Society members are free. For more information, including a full list of upcoming events for 2015, click on our "Events" tab at the top of this page or call (315) 483-4936.
Who Said Working for a Historical Society Is Boring?
Join Us and Have Fun This Summer! The Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum has a part-time position available for the 2015 season!
After three years as our Visitor Support Specialist, Ali Duncan has moved to Florida. (Yes, she missed our brutal winter!) We wish her all the best and hope she will visit Sodus Point soon.
As a result, we now have a part-time position open at the museum, and we need your help filling it! If you or someone you know would love to work at our beautiful museum, greeting members and visitors, helping to run our gift shop, giving tours about Sodus Bay history, and coordinating events, contact Joe O'Toole by telephone at (315) 483-4936 or by e-mail to joe@sodusbaylighthouse.org.
We are planning to fill this position in April, since the museum season begins May 1st, so time is of the essence. Feel free to share this information with anyone you know! Thanks for your help. We hope to see you at the lighthouse soon!
Our December Newsletter is now available electronically on our website! Click on the "News" tab from our main menu to start enjoying it now. (A paper copy will be mailed to Sodus Bay Historical Society members this week.)
Our September Newsletter is now available electronically on our website! Click on the "News" tab from our main menu to start enjoying it now. (A paper copy will be mailed to Sodus Bay Historical Society members this week.)
Join us Sunday, August 31, for the final concert of our 2014 Summer Concert season. Starlight Orchestra will be playing all your Big Band favorites (Miller, Dorsey, Goodman, Barnett, Ellington) with great vocal and instrumental soloists. This is one of the premier big bands in Western New York!
This FREE concert begins at 2 p.m. Refreshments are available. Bring your own seating. Additional parking is available on Bay Street, across from the Sodus Point Fire Department with shuttle bus service to the lighthouse.
If you are planning to join us for our Annual Meeting and/or our Annual Dinner, please note that due to expected inclement weather, the meeting and dinner have been moved to the Sodus Point Fire Hall, 8364 Bay Street, Sodus Point, NY. For questions, please phone the Lighthouse Museum at (315) 483-4936. Thanks! We hope to see you there!
The Annual Meeting of the Sodus Bay Historical Society will be held on Wednesday, August 20, at 5 p.m. Our Annual Dinner will immediately follow the meeting at 6 p.m.
It is sure to be a wonderful evening under a tent on our Lighthouse bluff. The Italian dinner is being catered by Proietti's of Webster, New York. For details or to register, click on "Events" at the top of our website, then select "Annual Meeting & Dinner."
All are welcome to attend both our meeting (which is free) and our dinner (which costs $35). As always, thank you for your support. We hope to see you there!
What does the Town of Sodus have to do with a state holiday in Texas? Check out our newest historical article about our local connection to Juneteenth to find out.
Click on the "History" tab at the top of our website, then select "Juneteenth" to read all about it!
Father's Day is upon us! What should you give Dad on his special day? A visit to the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum, of course!
All fathers who visit the museum on Sunday, June 15, will receive a free sticker or postcard (up to $1.00 value) with paid admission. Fathers who are Sodus Bay Historical Society members receive FREE admission AND a sticker or postcard!
Dad would love to see and hear the history of the lighthouse and Sodus Bay area--then maybe have a beer or snack at one of our great waterfront restaurants. This is much better than a tie!
Our June Newsletter is now available electronically on our website! Click on the "News" tab from our main menu to start enjoying it now. (A paper copy will be mailed to Sodus Bay Historical Society members this week.)
Welcome to the new Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum website! Our communications committee has worked very hard for several months to develop our new look and a website with new features. Special thanks go to Maxine Appleby, Matt Clingerman, Janine Fogarty, Betty Ingerson, Joe O'Toole, Shelley Usiatynski, and Chuck Willette.
You can now join us as a new member, renew your existing membership, or make a donation online! You can also shop for clothing, books, maps, and souvenirs in our museum gift shop; they all make great gifts!
We have tried to organize the site so it is easier for you to find the information you need, if you're planning a visit to our beautiful lighthouse, if you want to attend one of our events (such as our ever-popular Summer Concert Series), or if you want to say "I do" while having your wedding in our lighthouse gardens.
We will be adding more content to the site over time, so be sure to check back regularly. We also welcome your comments.
Thanks for visiting our new website. We hope you enjoy it and we hope you can visit the Sodus Bay Lighthouse Museum soon!
