For over a century, lighthouses have guided ships to safe passage throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Today, more than a dozen of Maryland’s historic lighthouses remain active. Many are open for tours—and one even hosts overnight stays.

Drum Point Lighthouse is one of the state’s three remaining screwpile lighthouses. This hexagonal, cottage-like structure was built in the 1850s at the mouth of the Patuxent River. After it was decommissioned in the 1960s, the beacon was later moved to the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons. The restored relic, furnished in early-20th-century style, welcomes visitors year-round (weather permitting) to peruse the keeper’s quarters and climb spiral stairs to inspect its original light, a Fresnel lens of the fourth order.

Built in 1828, Cove Point Lighthouse graces the shore in nearby Lusby. Its 40-foot-tall light tower is flanked by a keeper’s house, which was expanded over the years to accommodate several keepers and their families. Though the light was automated in 1986, the buildings have been restored and the seven-acre grounds are open for tours on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from May through September. For true history buffs, the keeper’s cottage can be rented for overnight stays sleeping up to 16 guests. Search for Cove Point Lighthouse on Airbnb or call 410-474-5370. Proceeds support the Calvert Marine Museum.

For more information on Maryland lighthouses, go to visitmaryland.org.