Always wanted a lighthouse? US is giving some away, selling others at auction

The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light stands in Keweenaw Bay in Chassell, Michigan. Photo: AP

Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America's shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.

The aim of the programme run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old.