ATTRACTIONS
L I G H T I N G
the way
Canaveral tower has guided seafarers for more than two centuries
he Cape Canaveral
Lighthouse is one of
the oldest lights on the Florida
coast. The original structure was
built in 1848 and stood 65 feet tall.
It was abandoned a year later during
a Seminole Indian uprising. When the
threat passed, the blinking white light
was put back in operation until the Civil
War, when it was ordered darkened by
the Confederate government.
In 1868, a 151-foot tower was built out
of cast iron and bricks and is the same
black and white striped tower that
stands today, but in a different location.
Because of erosion concerns, the tower
was painstakingly disassembled in the
late 1880s and moved inland, by a muledrawn
rail system, over a mile to its
current location. It was relighted in 1894.
There are 179 steps on a twisting
interior stairwell that leads to the top
where visitors can get a closeup view of
the light and a panoramic view of the
Space Coast.
The light was originally fueled with oil,
then kerosene, and finally converted
to electricity in 1931. The light emits a
signature dual flash every 20 seconds,
visible as much as 18 miles out at sea.
Today, even in this age of GPS and
satellite navigation, the tower still serves
as an aid to navigation through the
treacherous shoals of the Port Canaveral
Inlet. The tower is maintained and
operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, and is
on the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base,
not far from the rocket launch complex.
Access is controlled by the 45th Space
Wing at Patrick Air Force Base.
The operation of the light is automated
and no longer manned by lightkeepers.
The tower is supported by the Cape
Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation,
which raised funds to restore and
convert the old lightkeeper home into a
museum. The museum is open for tours,
but the lighthouse and museum are on
the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base,
which is currently not permitting non-
U.S. residents to come onto its property.
The museum features historical items
and educational displays that detail the
history of the light and lightkeepers.
The foundation hopes to build two
other cottages at the site, to replicate
32: SPACE COAST LIVING | SPACECOASTLIVING.COM
the homes of assistant lightkeepers.
Information about the foundation can
be found at canaverallight.org.
Story by Fred Mays, Contributing Writer
Visitors to the Canaveral
Lighthouse Museum will find
displays from the lighthouse's
nearly 180 years of history,
including the uniform once
worn by lightkeepers.
FRED MAYS
T
IF YOU GO:
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
Location: Canaveral Space Force Base;
tour pickup location:
670 Nisbet Drive, Cape Canaveral
Admission: $57.95 for adults, $47.95
for teenagers and $39.95 for children
Tours: Must be made two days in
advance and can be booked online
at canaverallighthouse.tours
or by calling 321.307.2900
/SPACECOASTLIVING.COM
/canaverallight.org