Looking to spend a summer afternoon touring a local historic lighthouse? Here are a few in Monmouth and Ocean counties, offering various walk-throughs, event spaces and picturesque views.
SEA GIRT LIGHTHOUSE
The Sea Girt Lighthouse located at 9 Ocean Ave. North is open for the season with self- and group-guided tours available Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m.
The lighthouse is open every Sunday between early April and late November – with the exception of holiday weekends including Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day – and will officially close again for the winter season on Sunday, Nov. 24.
The Sea Girt Lighthouse flashed its first beam on Dec. 10, 1896. The beacon, which could be seen 15 miles offshore, safely guided boaters along their path and contributed to the state’s economic growth over the years. It was decommissioned during World War II.
Now, the lighthouse is open to the public for nearly 200 days out of the year.
Today, the building provides a meeting place for town-wide organizations including an artist club, fishing club, class reunions, personal gatherings and special events such as the Moonlight Tour. This season, the lighthouse will present a slew of new exhibits and will welcome the public to come and enjoy the history and the views.
Every August, the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee hosts a membership fundraiser, a two-hour cocktail party with catered food and refreshments, that assists in raising funds towards the historic preservation and upkeep of the building, including its facade and windows.
For additional information, call 732-974-0514, or write to the Sea Girt Lighthouse Citizens Committee, P.O. Box 83. Donations from those who choose to contribute are always welcome.
SANDY HOOK LIGHTHOUSE
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse, located at 84 Mercer Road in the Highlands, just one-and-a-half miles inland from the tip of Sandy Hook, is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States.
“A committee of prominent New York citizens was authorized to establish the lottery and purchase “a small quantity of land” at the tip of Sandy Hook to build a lighthouse,” states the National Park Service website.
The National Park Service offers tours of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse on a seasonal basis open to the public on weekends between May 1 and Oct. 31 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and Nov. 1 through April 30 from 1 and 3:30 p.m.
For all tours, visitors must be joined by a park ranger to climb the 95 stairs and a nine-rung ladder to the top of the lighthouse. All attendees must be at least 48 inches tall.
Visitors must sign up in person at the Sandy Hook Visitor Center, the day of the tour.
For further information and updates, contact the visitor center at 732-872-5970, located at the Gateway National Recreation Area in the Highlands.
TWIN LIGHTS STATE HISTORIC SITE
The Twin Lights State Historic Site, also known as the Navesink Twin Lights, located at 2 Light House Road in the Highlands, is now open and available for tours, its museum and a tower climb.
Visitors can choose between either a self-tour admission or a private tour. The self-tour offers sights of all open areas and exhibits, with museums and grounds free of charge. The parking lot gate and grounds open at 9 a.m. and close promptly at 4:30 p.m.
For a private tour of the grounds, it is advised that attendees visit the New Jersey Parks Historian on site a few days ahead of time, if possible.
Private tours cost $12 per person ages 12 and above and $2 per child ages 5 to 12. This also includes a tower climb fee, which can be paid in cash or check only.
The property also allows for spacing for events, including serene views, adequate picnic areas and an auditorium that can hold 40 people at tables, as well as the museum and exhibit.
It is recommended that one schedules their private tour at least three days in advance by either calling 732-872-1814 or by visiting twinlightslighthouse.org. More information can be found at the aforementioned contacts.
BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE STATE PARK
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, located at 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light, offers visitors a scenic view of the Barnegat Bay, Island Beach State Park and Long Beach Island from the top.
The lighthouse, free of charge prior to Memorial Day, is open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (weather permitting) from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Visitors can also watch the views from the top without climbing the 217 steps thanks to four cameras that transmit live images of the view to a display in the nearby Interpretive Center. The Interpretive Center is open between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
According to the NJ.gov website, “Illuminated on January 1, 2009 — exactly 150 years to the day that it was originally lit in 1859 — the beloved Barnegat Lighthouse is shining again! The new light creates a single beam that is visible for up to 22 nautical miles and is once again a formal aid to navigation.”
Further noting that, “In 1927, the original lens was removed, and was replaced by a lightship anchored off the coast of Barnegat Light. The original lens is still on display at the nearby Barnegat Light Historical Society’s Schoolhouse Museum.”
For questions or more information, call 609-494-2016 from Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or email parks@dep.nj.gov.
 6x10 4c.jpg)
