Last Updated on October 8, 2023
There is something very intriguing about lighthouses in Florida and specifically Florida historic lighthouses.
With their towering shapes, rich history, and unique stories of dedicated light keepers trudging up steep, winding steps to keep the light burning to protect/warn ships, lighthouses are aesthetically pleasing and serve a great purpose.
Check out our list of Florida historic lighthouses!
Florida’s Historic Lighthouses
Lighthouses have played a critical role in Florida’s history. These beacons of light have made it possible to explore, settle and develop Florida’s 1350 miles of coastline (second only to Alaska, which has the longest ocean coastline).
29 Remaining Lighthouses in Florida
List of Florida Lighthouses. Click on a lighthouse name below for information on that specific lighthouse:
| Alligator Reef Florida Keys Website More Info | Amelia Island Fernandina Beach Website More Info | American Shoal Florida Keys Website More Info | Anclote Key Tarpon Springs Website More Info | Port Boca Grande Boca Grande Website More Info |
| Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral Website More Info | Cape Florida Key Biscayne Website More Info | Cape St. George St. George Island Website More Info | Cape San Blas Port St. Joe Website More Info | Carysfort Reef Key Largo Website More Info |
| Cedar Keys Seahorse Key Website More Info | Crooked River Carabelle Website More Info | Egmont Key St. Petersburg Website More Info | Fowey Rocks Key Biscayne Website More Info | Garden Key Ft. Jefferson Dry Tortugas Website More Info |
| Gasparilla Island Gasparilla Island Website More Info | Hillsboro Inlet Hillsboro Beach Website More Info | Jupiter Inlet Jupiter Website More Info | Key West Key West Website More Info | Loggerhead Key Loggerhead Key Website More Info |
| Mayport Mayport Website More Info | Pensacola Pensacola Website More Info | Ponce de Leon Inlet Ponce de Leon Inlet Website More Info | St. Augustine St. Augustine Website More Info | St. Johns River Jacksonville Website More Info |
| St. Marks St. Marks Website More Info | Sand Key Key West Website More Info | Sanibel Island Sanibel Website More Info | Sombrero Key Marathon Website More Info |
6 Ways YOU Can Help Preserve + Protect Lighthouses in Florida
1. Consider making a charitable gift. Philanthropic gifts from individuals play an essential role in funding preservation efforts.
2. Join FLA as a Member to learn about Florida’s lighthouses & maritime history and get more involved in preservation efforts.
3. Volunteer to serve on a committee.
4. Visit one of Florida’s lighthouses.
5. Shop Amazon Smile–they donate to FLA with every purchase you make!
6. Advocate for the preservation of Florida’s remaining lighthouses.
For more information on FLA (Florida Lighthouse Association), please visit their official website.
For tourist info on lighthouses in Florida, be sure to visit Lighthouse Friends.
Spotlight Story: The 147-Year-Old St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine Lighthouse, with its huge lens atop a tower of spiraling black and white stripes, enhances our continuing love affair with these maritime treasures.
When the first Spanish settlers arrived in St. Augustine, a wooden sentry watchtower was built on the Matanzas Inlet to serve as a lookout for hostile ships. This lookout became the first tower on U.S. soil to aid navigators, which became a predecessor for the lighthouses we know today and specifically lighthouses in Florida.
Centuries later, during the 1700s a new coquina tower was built at the same location, later becoming the first official St. Augustine Lighthouse.
After more than a century of service, it collapsed into the sea. Construction began on a new tower in 1871, which is the current St. Augustine lighthouse still standing after 147 years.
A journey up the St. Augustine Lighthouse is well worth the 219 steps that take you to the top of the tower 165 feet high. The payoff is the surrounding vista and ocean view of the Atlantic.
It’s hard to fathom a lighthouse keeper carrying heavy buckets of kerosene up hundreds of steps to keep the light burning each day.
St. Augustine Lighthouse Address: 100 Red Cox Dr., St. Augustine, FL 32080
General Admission Day Passes:
- Adults: $14.95
- Seniors (60+): $12.95
- Children (Age 12 or under and 44″ or taller): $12.95
- Make sure to use code LH15 for 15% off your General Admission Tickets ONLY. Available for online orders ONLY.
Included with your General Admission Day Pass:
- Daily Demos – Explore lightkeeper duties and daily life, sailing, wooden boatbuilding, and underwater archaeology during your visit. See the Daily Demo Schedule to customize your visit.
- Maritime Hammock Scavenger Hunt – Grab a scavenger hunt card pack at the entrance to the Maritime Hammock trails and add a fun experience to your walk in the natural area of the historic site. Search for animals that live in this coastal habitat and learn about plants’ medicinal and historic uses. These activities are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.
- PLUS: Shipyard Play Area • Breathtaking 360º Views • Shipwreck Artifacts Revealed • 1876 Keepers’ House Exhibits • Maritime Hammock Nature Trails • Tin Pickle, Local Gedunk (WWII Themed Eatery)
Tours
- GHOST TALES – Hear the histories and hauntings of the St. Augustine Lighthouse in this one (1) hour guided tour of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. A guide will lead you through the Lightkeepers’ House, grounds, and to the base of the Lighthouse tower sharing the ghost tales of the Lighthouse. $17.50
- DARK OF THE MOON GHOST TOUR – All ghosts no gimmicks! This is the ONLY ghost tour that gets you INSIDE the tower at night! $25.00
- SUNSET/MOONRISE TOUR – Enjoy breathtaking views of the sunset and full moon rise with champagne and hors d’oeuvres on top of the tower! $40.00
St. Augustine Lighthouse – Know Before You Go:
- For their safety, children must be at least 44 inches tall to climb the tower and must be able to do so under their own power.
- Carrying children in the tower is prohibited. Children under the height requirement have free admission and one accompanying adult gets in at half price.
- All public restrooms are handicap accessible, as are several exhibit areas.
- There is a “View from the Top” video in the wheelchair-accessible Maritime Center for those unable to climb.
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