Rentals

Lighthouse Facility Rentals

Imagine a sunset wedding ceremony, lawn games at a memorable corporate retreat, or a family reunion for the books on lush green lawns at the edge of Lake Pontchartrain. The charming and historic New Canal Lighthouse has been lovingly restored to host unforgettable events your guests will enjoy.

This New Orleans event venue is like no other, its outdoor space can accommodate 500+ guests and is perfect for social distancing, weddings and birthday parties.

Story of the Lighthouse

The New Canal Lighthouse isn’t really “new” at all. It was first established in 1838 at the north end of the New Basin Canal which ran from Lake Pontchartrain to the Uptown or "American" section of the city which today is known as the New Orleans Central Business District. During this time period, a record number of five female lighthouse keepers presided over the New Canal Lighthouse, one of the first non-clerical U.S. government jobs that were open to women.

The canal was filled in about 1950, but the lighthouse remained on a jetty extending into the lake on a half-mile-long stretch of the canal that was left and is still used as a small boat and yachting harbor. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as the New Canal Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was heavily damaged during the 2005 hurricane season by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The first floor had collapsed and its cupola had fallen off. In 2006, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation signed a lease with the United States Coast Guard to repair the damaged lighthouse.

Reconstruction of the lighthouse began in February 2012 and was completed in 2013. It is now operated as the New Canal Lighthouse Museum and Education Center by Pontchartrain Conservancy (formerly Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation). The museum's exhibits include the history of the lighthouse, the environment and ecology of the Pontchartrain Basin, a Fresnel lens that was believed to have been in the lighthouse in the early 1900s, the work of the Foundation, and area history and recreation. Events held at The Lighthouse benefit Pontchartrain Conservancy’s mission of environmental sustainability and stewardship through scientific research, education, and advocacy.