Top 10 Lighthouses to Visit on Long Island and in New Jersey
Find out the best lighthouses in NY and NJ to explore with your crew this spring.
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Distance from NYC: About a 1-hour, 15-minute drive
The lighthouse was scheduled for demolition in the 1980s, but a nonprofit group saved it from being torn down. It’s just a short boat ride from Huntington’s Goldstar Battalion Beach to the lighthouse. Once there, you’ll get a guided, educational tour as you take in the lighthouse and Huntington Harbor.
Why we like it: All tour proceeds go to the ongoing restoration and preservation of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse.
2. Horton Point Lighthouse
Distance from NYC: About a 2-hour drive
This lighthouse was built in 1857 and is one of the seven historic lighthouses in Southold Township. The 58-foot tower was repaired inside and out, reopened, and relit in a 1990 restoration project.
Why we like it: Combine your lighthouse trip with a visit to any of the villages in Southold Township. Greenport, for example, boasts restaurants, ice cream shops, and fun stores.
3. Bug Light
Distance from NYC: About a 2-hour drive
Formerly called Long Beach Bar Light Station, it’s one of a few offshore U.S. lighthouses that allows visitors. It was lit in 1871, it burnt down in 1963, and In 1990, it was fully restored. The East End Seaport Museum holds trips via boat.
Why we like it: The 2-hour cruise to Bug Light is narrated by the great-grandson of the last keeper of the lighthouse.
4. Montauk Lighthouse
Distance from NYC: About a 2-hour, 40-minute drive
Located on the eastern tip of Long Island, this is the oldest lighthouse in the state and the fourth oldest in the U.S. It was commissioned by President George Washington in 1792 and finished 4 years later. At the top, you’ll find a Long Island map with small models of many lighthouses, on which kids can push buttons to light up each lighthouse.
Why we like it: Daredevils and the adventurous will have fun in the narrow stairwell. (Kids shorter than 41 inches can’t climb the lighthouse).
5. Fire Island Lighthouse
Field 5, Robert Moses Causeway, Bay Shore
Distance from NYC: About a 1-hour, 20-minute drive
It’s Long Island’s tallest lighthouse at 168 feet tall. It was one of the first landmarks that visitors saw when traveling from Europe on a ship. It’s 182 steps to the top, but you can only climb to the lower balcony and service room. (Note that kids must be at least 42 inches to climb the tower).
Why we like it: You can’t get here by car, but kids will likely love taking a ferry to get there.
