55 Best Sights in USA

The Isle au Haut Lighthouse is best seen from the water, where the Isle au Haut mailboat passes within a hundred feet of the tower. Built in 1907 as the Robinson Point Fog Station, its purpose was to guide the New England ground fishing fleet into safe harbor during northeast storms. As the most modern of the 60 lighthouses along the Maine Coast, it introduced architectural advancements unseen in other stations and featured a behemoth 42-inch fog bell hanging over the water. In 1934, as a cost-saving measure during the Great Depression, the keeper’s house was sold off. The lighthouse tower ownership was transferred from the federal government to the town in 1998. Lighthouse restoration was completed in 2025, and it continues to serve as a registered aid to navigation.

For the best view in town, climb the 88 steps to the top of this 1847 lighthouse. The 92-foot structure has a Fresnel lens, which was installed in the 1860s at a cost of $1 million. The keeper lived in the adjacent 1887 clapboard house, which now exhibits vintage photographs, ship models, nautical charts, and artifacts from all along Key West's reefs. A kids' room is stocked with books and toys.

Hike in the state preserve in Cutler (Cutler Coast Public Land) for views of this 1876 cast-iron lighthouse, which faces the ocean on 15-acre Little River Island fronting Cutler Harbor. Better yet, boat or kayak over: the island is open to the public 9 am–sunset. A wooden walkway leads from the boat ramp, and rock-clad shores and trails through pine woods await visitors. Friends of Little River Lighthouse offers overnight stays from June through September in the charming 1888 Victorian-style keeper’s house; check the website for details.

Getting a close-up look at this squat stone lighthouse, which was automated in 1959, requires a ½-mile, slightly steep uphill walk from the island's ferry dock. The tower is open sporadically throughout the summer for short tours. In the former keeper's quarters, the small Monhegan Museum of Art & History provides a peek into island life past and present. It also exhibits works by artists with a connection to this special place.

Moved 350 feet back from its perch at cliff's edge in 1996, this much-photographed red-and-white lighthouse tops the bluff where the Three Sisters Lighthouses once stood. (The Sisters themselves can be seen in a little landlocked park surrounded by trees; they're reached by paved walkways off Nauset Light Beach's parking lot.) How the lighthouses got there is a long story. In 1838 three brick lighthouses were built 150 feet apart on the bluffs in Eastham overlooking a particularly dangerous area of shoals (shifting underwater sandbars). In 1892, after the eroding cliff dropped the towers into the ocean, they were replaced with three wooden towers. In 1918, two were moved away, as was the third in 1923. Eventually the National Park Service acquired the Three Sisters and brought them together in the inland park, where they would be safe. Lectures on and guided tours of the lighthouses (free, donations accepted) are conducted Sunday mid-May–October, as well as Wednesday from June--September.

This imposing lighthouse has spectacular views from its base of the nearby Elizabeth Islands and of Martha's Vineyard, across Vineyard Sound. The 42-foot cast-iron tower, lined with brick, was built in 1876 with a stationary light. It shines red to indicate dangerous waters or white for safe passage. Friends of Nobska Light, a nonprofit group, has carefully restored the structure, converting the lighthouse keeper's house into a museum. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk for sightseeing, though parking is very limited. Best to arrive by bike along the scenic bike path.  Tower tours are offered Tuesday and Thursday from 10--12:15 in season. 

Built in 1823, Ocracoke's 77-foot tower is the second-oldest operating lighthouse in the United States. (Sandy Hook, New Jersey, has the oldest.) It was first fueled by whale oil, then kerosene, and finally electricity. The lighthouse is built entirely of brick, 5 feet thick at the base and 2 feet thick at the top, with a white finish once achieved with a blend of unslaked lime, glue, rice, salt, and powdered fish. Although it's not open to the public for climbing, the grounds are accessible year-round.

This museum occupies a stone citadel with an attached lighthouse tower originally built in 1823 and rebuilt on higher ground 17 years later. Climb to the top of the tower for a spectacular view of Long Island Sound and three states. Six rooms of exhibits depict the maritime and agricultural history of the small coastal town.

Perched on an 80-foot promontory at the southern entrance to Rockland harbor, this white-brick tower built in 1852 provides broad views of Penobscot Bay. When volunteers are available, visitors may climb the tower to the small, glass-enclosed space at the top that houses the Fresnel lens, installed in 1856. In the 1930s, a light keeper's springer spaniel learned to pull the rope to ring the fog bell, and is said to have thereby saved vessels entering the harbor in poor visibility. A stone near the bell marks the dog's grave. In the small museum and gift shop, you can pick up a copy of a children's book that tells the story. The American Lighthouse Foundation is headquartered in the keeper's house.

If you're heading out to Perdido Key, consider making prior arrangements to stop along the way for a visit to the Pensacola Lighthouse, which offers gorgeous views of the bay and Gulf. As the lighthouse is on the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, access for civilians might only be available via a shuttle-bus tour that requires advance reservations and proper identification. Entry requirements are subject to change, however, so check ahead. Wear supportive shoes; it’s 177 steps to the top. Note, too, that climbers must be at least seven years old and 44 inches tall. Museum exhibits here highlight things such as lighthouse keeping and the Coast Guard.

If you think traversing craggy, twisting Highway 1 is tough, imagine trying to navigate a boat up the rocky coastline (piedras blancas means "white rocks" in Spanish) near San Simeon before lighthouses were built. Captains must have cheered wildly when the beam began to shine here in 1875. Try to time a visit to include the 9:45 am tour held on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday year-round, as well as on Monday and Friday in summer. Do not meet your guide at the gate to the lighthouse—you'll miss the tour. Meet instead at the former Piedras Blancas Motel, 1½ miles north of the light station.

At 115 feet tall, it's impossible to miss this impressive lighthouse that is about halfway between Pescadero and the southern edge of San Mateo County. The lighthouse dates back to 1872, helping boats navigate through the ever-present local fog. The original lens is no longer used, but the Coast Guard still uses a much more modern LED light here to help guide those at sea.

From the Port of Galilee, it's a short drive to this 1857 lighthouse and a beautiful ocean view. Because the lighthouse is an active Coast Guard Station, only the grounds are open to the public. At times when the grounds are closed, head back out Ocean Road and watch for a tiny white sign on the left for the Fisherman's Memorial. A dirt road drive leads to this elevated park, from which you'll have a spectacular view of the 65-foot lighthouse, as well as to Camp Cronin, a quiet beach and fishing area.

At this 1855 structure, the West Coast's oldest continuously operating lighthouse, you can learn about the lighting and foghorn operations and wander through a small museum containing U.S. Coast Guard memorabilia.

You can stroll along the beach, which is very picturesque thanks to Point Robinson Lighthouse. The lighthouse is typically open to the public from noon to four on Sunday during the summer; call to arrange a tour or rent out one of the historic beachfront Keepers' Quarters (two multi-bedroom houses) by the week. If you're lucky, you might even see an orca swim surprisingly close to the shore. The park has a gift shop that's open on weekends in the summer.

Docents lead hikes along scenic Pecho Coast Trail (3½ miles round-trip) to see the historic 1890 lighthouse and its rare Fresnel lens. If you'd prefer a lift out to the lighthouse, join a shuttle tour. Hikes and tours require reservations.

At the southern tip of the barrier island that includes Daytona Beach is the sleepy town of Ponce Inlet, with a small marina, a few bars, and casual seafood restaurants. Boardwalks traverse delicate dunes and provide easy access to the beach, although storms have caused serious erosion. Marking this spot is the bright-red, century-old Ponce de León Inlet Light Station, a National Historic Monument and museum, the tallest lighthouse in the state and the third tallest in the country. Climb to the top of the 175-foot lighthouse tower for a bird's-eye view of Ponce Inlet.

Sheffield Island is a prime spot for a picnic and some bird-watching; the lighthouse, built in 1868, has 10 rooms on four levels that you can explore. A ferry departs from the Sheffield Island Dock on N. Water Street for the 3-hour excursion, including 1½ hours on the island. Clambakes are held Tuesday evenings June–August. 

The small museum is housed inside an 1875 redbrick lighthouse with striking architectural details. The lighthouse, which was moved back 300 feet from the eroded clay cliffs of Mohegan Bluffs, is a National Historic Landmark. Tower tours are offered during the summer.

It's unusual to find a lighthouse tucked into a residential neighborhood. This 1874 version replaced an earlier one built when the city was founded in 1565. Although its beacon no longer guides ships, it does draw thousands of visitors each year, in part because it has a reputation for being haunted.

The visitor center has a museum featuring an exhibit called Wrecked, which displays artifacts from an 1872 British loyalist shipwreck discovered off the shores of St. Augustine. You can also see exhibits on the U.S. Coast Guard, historic boatbuilding, maritime archaeology, and the life of a lighthouse keeper—whose work involved far more than light housekeeping.

You have to climb 219 steps to reach the top, 140 feet up, but the wonderful view and fresh ocean breeze are well worth it. Children must be at least 44 inches tall to make the ascent. The museum also conducts evening Dark of the Moon Paranormal tours ($25) and one-hour Lighthouse Keeper's tours ($19.95) for a history lesson and behind-the-scenes look at the keeper's role.

One of only five surviving lighthouses in Georgia, the St. Simons Lighthouse has become a symbol of the island. It's been in use since 1872; a predecessor was blown up to prevent its capture by Union troops in the Civil War. The St. Simons Lighthouse Museum, occupying two stories of the lightkeeper's dwelling, tells of the history of the island, the lighthouse, and James Gould, the first lightkeeper of the original lighthouse. The keeper's second-floor quarters contain a parlor, kitchen, and two bedrooms furnished with period pieces, including beds with rope mattress suspension. The last climb of the lighthouse is at 4:30.

 Considered one of North America's most beautifully renovated lighthouses, the Tybee Light Station has been guiding Savannah River mariners since 1736. It's not the first lighthouse built on this site; the original was constructed on orders of General James Oglethorpe in 1732. You can walk up 178 steps for amazing views at the top. The lightkeeper's cottage houses a small theater showing a video about the lighthouse. The nearby museum is in a gun battery constructed for the Spanish-American War.

A tiny museum at this 1856 lighthouse contains the original Fresnel light, letters and journals from lighthouse keepers, documentation of famous local shipwrecks, and photographs of the hurricane of 1938 and 19th- and early-20th-century sailing vessels off Watch Hill. Parking is for the handicapped and senior citizens only; everyone else must walk down the peninsula along a private road off Larkin Road.

The 42-foot stone lighthouse and attached two-story keeper’s house are on the 35-acre, uninhabited Wood Island off the coast of Biddeford. The island is closed to the public except for two-hour guided tours hosted by Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse. Tours are offered in July and August, and reservations are required. Boats leave from Vine’s Landing in Biddeford Pool.

The state's oldest wooden lighthouse was only in commission for three years (1871–74), because it was determined that it was built in the wrong location. Today the well-restored lighthouse with a candy-apple-red top shines a steady white light from dusk to dawn. Open to the public, it's the only Oregon lighthouse with living quarters attached.