Page Updated: November 09, 2023
Key West Lighthouse
Key West FL
Rebuilt and reactivated in 1848 after its destruction in the Great Hurricane of 1846, and with an addition of 20 feet tacked on 1895, the Key West Lighthouse rises 100 feet on the tallest point on the isle of Key West.
On construction, none of the surrounding houses or trees existed.
Its brick walls are 4.5-feet thick at the base tapering to 2.5 feet as the walls rise.
As with most of the surviving lighthouses in the U.S., there is no elevator. Visitors must climb just 88 iron steps to the observation deck!
From it’s height, visitors can see the entire island of Key West and see 7 to 8 miles out across the ocean.
Admission to the Keeper’s Quarters Cottage Museum is included with Lighthouse admission the fee. The home is small and quaint with pieces of historical relevance dispersed throughout.
Lighthouse grounds also include a scale model of the Sombrero Key Lighthouse along with its First Order Fresnel Lens.
Loved the visit to this lighthouse. Great place to learn a little history about lighthouse structures and the Florida Keys and its coral reef. Climbing the tower may be challenging, but the spectacular 360° views of the island are worth every iron step.
scenes from Key West Lighthouse
-b&b
Fort Zachary Taylor
Key West Shipwreck Museum
