Maritime Heritage Program
Home > Maritime Property Inventories > Lighthouses & Light Stations
Historic Lighthouses and Light Stations
Few images are as evocative as a lighthouse standing sentry on a rocky shore, the guardian of mariners and passengers as they navigate the formidable currents, fierce storms, and shifting shoals of America's coastal and inland waterways. Since the establishment of the first lighthouse in America at Boston Harbor in 1716, lighthouses have played a critical role in providing safe passage for all maritime activities. Although their form and appearance vary according to region or the body of water they guard, the lighthouse remains one of the most recognizable images of the maritime world.
Click on a highlighted state on the map or the list below to find historic lighthouses and light stations.
Some of these lighthouses welcome visitors. Please contact a site directly to find out if it is open to the public.
For up to date information about historic lighthouses and light stations in the U.S please visit:
The National Park Service's 1994 Inventory of Historic Light Stations is available online as a PDF document.
American Shoal Light in the Florida Keys. |
Alabama | Alaska | California | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Illinois | Indiana | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Texas | Vermont | Virginia | Virgin Islands | Washington | Windward Passage (Caribbean) | Wisconsin