List of Florida Lighthouses
You’re in luck if you’re planning a Florida vacation and love lighthouses! This list of Florida lighthouses has 23 of lighthouses for you to see. So, no matter where you visit in Florida, you can check out a lighthouse in person.
Before we get to the list of Florida lighthouses, let’s talk about how you will get around in Florida. Unless you drive yourself, you’ll need a rental car! If you decide to rent a car during your Florida vacation, I recommend renting a car from Discount USA Car Rental.
Discount USA Car Rental offers the lowest rates through all the major companies, and you don’t pay anything you pick up your car.
23 Lighthouses in Florida
Now, let’s get to the list of lighthouses in Florida. Here they are, in no particular order.
If you like this list of lighthouses in Florida, you might also enjoy The Ultimate List of Florida Birds.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
This lighthouse can be found on Anastasia Island, a barrier island off the Atlantic Coast of Florida.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse was constructed in 1874 and was the second lighthouse in this location. The original St. Augustine lighthouse was deemed unsafe due to storm surge and beach erosion in 1871. However, the new lighthouse is still considered the oldest structure in the state when it comes to lighthouses.
The original Fresnel lens (1st order Fresnel lens) is still in place at this lighthouse.
When you finish checking out the lighthouse, you must head to the Maritime Museum. This museum was added once the property became part of the National Register of Historic Places. Inside the museum are more than 19,000 objects on display.
Make sure to check out things to do in St. Augustine with Kids.
Address: 81 Lighthouse Ave.
Key West Lighthouse
One of the shortest lighthouses in the Sunshine State is the Key West Lighthouse. This was the very first lighthouse in the state to give public tours. You won’t find this lighthouse on the coast. Instead, it is on the mainland and offers the island’s best view.
There is an admission fee for visiting this lighthouse. For more things to do in Key West, check out The 40 best places to eat in Key West Florida and 35 Things to Do in Key West with Kids.
Address: 938 Whitehead St.
Port Boca Grande Lighthouse
The Boca Grande Lighthouse does not have a traditional lighthouse tower. Instead of a tower, the light sits on the house’s roof. This lighthouse sits directly on the beach of a barrier island.
Address: 880 Belcher Rd.
Gasparilla Island Lighthouse
The Gasparilla Island Lighthouse hasn’t always had its location on Gasparilla Island. Instead, the lighthouse was constructed in Delaware before being moved to Florida’s coast. You can’t enter the lighthouse but you can wander along the grounds and take pictures. This lighthouse is near the Boca Grande Lighthouse, so plan to see both in a single day.
Address: 220 Gulf Blvd.
Egmont Key Lighthouse
This lighthouse was constructed back in 1848. At the time, it was the only lighthouse on the Gulf of Mexico between St. Marks and Key West. Unfortunately, a hurricane almost destroyed the original lighthouse.
A second hurricane a few weeks later created even more damage. A new lighthouse tower was constructed in 1958 to replace the one that had been destroyed.
This is a lighthouse you can only reach by boat or ferry. It is located on an island near St. Petersburg on the west coast of Florida.
Address: Egmont Key State Park
St. Marks Lighthouse
This is a lighthouse on the Florida Panhandle with 80 steps leading to the top of the tower.
When you are finished exploring the lighthouse, wander around the grounds. Since the lighthouse is within St. Mark’s National Refuge, you will see plenty of wildlife.
Address: 1255 Lighthouse Rd.
Cape Florida Lighthouse
This is the oldest lighthouse in Miami-Dade County. It is located in Key Biscayne, south of Miami.
The current lighthouse replaced one that was destroyed during the Second Seminole War. This lighthouse has been recently restored and offers spectacular views of the city’s skyline.
Don’t leave until you have explored the museum within the keeper’s house and the gift shop.
Address: 1200 Crandon Blvd. – Inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
The United States Air Force owns the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. The very first Cape Canaveral Air Force Station lighthouse was constructed from bricks. However, an iron structure was built in 1868.
The lantern installed at that time was the First Order Fresnel Lens.
It is best to visit this lighthouse when you are spending time at Kennedy Space Center. Check out 33 fantastic things to do in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for even more ideas.
Address: 670 Nisbet Dr.
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse
This lighthouse in Pompano Beach is only open four times each year.
Address: 907C Hillsboro Mile
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
Jupiter Lighthouse is one of the best lighthouses to see in Florida. When you are finished seeing the lighthouse tower, you can wander around the natural area. You will discover hiking trails and lots of wildlife. There is also a pioneer house and history museum to explore.
Address: 500 Captain Armours Way
Anclote Key Lighthouse
This Florida lighthouse can be found within Anclote National Wildlife Refuge. You will discover there are a couple of Florida lighthouses within wildlife refuges. There are 138 steps to the top of the skeletal metal tower.
Address: 1 Causeway Blvd.
Amelia Island Lighthouse
This is one of the lighthouses with black lanterns that most people think about when they hear the word lighthouse. Unfortunately, you cannot go inside this lighthouse.
Fun Fact: Amelia Island Lighthouse is the only one in the state that is the original structure and has never needed to be rebuilt.
Address: 215 Lighthouse Circle
Dry Tortugas Lighthouse
There are two lighthouses within Dry Tortugas National Park. The first lighthouse was Tortugas Harbor Lighthouse. That lighthouse is also known as Garden Key Light. You will find this lighthouse at Fort Jefferson.
The Tortugas Harbor Lighthouse never seemed to work properly. That led to numerous shipwrecks, as well as navigational problems. The result was a new lighthouse being constructed in 1858.
The new lighthouse is the Dry Tortugas Lighthouse or the Loggerhead Light and is located on Loggerhead Key.
You can only visit these lighthouses by taking a private boat or ferry to the park. It means traveling over open water for approximately 60 nautical miles to experience part of Florida’s historFlorida’ss: 40001 State Road 9336 – This is the address for Dry Tortugas National Park.
Check out 30 things to do from Miami to Key West to learn more about Dry Tortugas National Park.
Pensacola Lighthouse
Pensacola Lighthouse can be found at the Naval Air Station. The Naval Air Station is located on the Florida Panhandle, with miles of coastline.
This is one of Florida’s lighthouses that has been completely restored. You will want to visit this lighthouse for extraordinary views of Pensacola Bay. But, of course, the lighthouse and the display rooms are just as fascinating.
For more things to do in this part of Florida, check out A Guide to Crab Island in Destin, Florida, 32 things to do in Destin Florida, and the 20 best things to do in Navarre with kids.
Address: 2081 Radford Blvd.
Crooked River Lighthouse
One hundred thirty-eight steps lead to the top of this lighthouse’s square pyramidal skeletal tower. No one is allowed to climb those steps anymore. Instead, you can look up towards the top of this lighthouse from the ground.
Address: 1975 Highway 98 W.
Cape St. George Lighthouse
The original Cape St. George Lighthouse was destroyed by erosion. The locals saved as many of the bricks as they could. They then used those bricks to rebuild the lighthouse in its current location.
This is one of the historic lighthouses in the state that does not light the lantern from May through October. During this time, sea turtles arrive to nest. The artificial light of the lantern takes them off course since they usually travel by the light of the moon.
Address: 2B E. Gulf Beach Dr.
Cape San Blas Lighthouse
The Cape San Blas Lighthouse has been moved multiple times due to natural disasters. After the first three lighthouses at this location were destroyed by hurricanes or erosion. The first lighthouse road trip with the fourth structure took place in 1918. It was then moved again in 2014 to its current location in Port St. Joe. Thankfully, its current square pyramidal skeletal tower design has helped it withstand even the harshest hurricanes.
Another lighthouse in this area was St. Joseph Point Light. It was directly across from the entrance to St. Joseph Bay.
Address: 200 Miss Zola’s Dr.
Cedar Keys Lighthouse
Cedar Keys is the smallest lighthouse in Florida. This lighthouse is also known asthe Seahorse Key lighthouse.
Address: Seahorse Key Lighthouse Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge
Alligator Reef Lighthouse
The Alligator Reef light can still be seen out on the open waters. The US Coast Guard keeps this lighthouse operational. Unfortunately, no one can visit this lighthouse, but you can take pictures of it from a nearby island.
Address: 80401 Old Highway
Sanibel Lighthouse
Sanibel Lighthouse was not one you could ever climb. However, that didn’t make this lighthouse on Sanibel Island less worthy of a visit. Unfortunately, this lighthouse was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2023.
The good news is the Florida Lighthouse Association is working hard to ensure this lighthouse is restored. Hopefully, we will be able to revisit it someday soon!
We have a blog post with the best things to do in Sanibel and Captiva, but please remember South Florida has been hit by multiple hurricanes so check to see what is open.
Carysfort Lighthouse
Carysfort Lighthouse is one of the few lighthouses in Florida attached to coral reefs in the waters of the Florida Keys. These lighthouses are typically called screw-pile lighthouses. If you are a lighthouse lover, you’ll want to see it.
This lighthouse was constructed in 1852. It was used for navigational purposes until the beacon was turned off in 2015.
Key Largo Lighthouse
The Key Largo Lighthouse is no longer a working lighthouse. The building was destroyed before being rebuilt and used as guest rooms.
Currently, this lighthouse is unoccupied, and the light no longer shines. Maybe good news if anyone is interested in purchasing a lighthouse in Florida?
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse
The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse was constructed during the 1880s. The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse is Florida’s tallest lighthouse. It is near New Smyrna Beach, which is to the south of Daytona Beach.
Check out our list of The 25 Best East Florida Beaches to learn more about the beaches in the area.
This is the only lighthouse in the state to be listed as a National Historic Landmark. The original buildings that were used as keeper’s quarters are still there. Lighthouse lovers will enjoy looking at the exhibit filled with different-sized Fresnel lenses.
Address: 4931 S. Peninsula Dr.
List of Florida Lighthouses
I hope you enjoyed this list of lighthouses in Florida. How many of these Florida lighthouses have you seen, or do you plan to see in the future? Make sure to let me know in the comments.
If you like this post, you might also enjoy the best state parks near Orlando and the best place to find shark teeth in Florida.
If you like lists (like this list of Florida’s lighthouses), you may also enjoy the 10 best places to see sea turtles in Florida and the 20 Best Shelling Beaches in Florida.
About Florida Travel With Kids
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