ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — It’s an institution. A beacon of light.
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The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is celebrating 150 years.
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First opened on Oct. 15, 1874, the lighthouse has endured a rich history. The Maritime Museum said that beginning in 1789, the U.S. Lighthouse Service eventually built one large navigational beacon (lighthouse), every sixty miles, on every coast of America. The purpose was to ensure the safety of ships to stay well offshore in deeper water.
“From its earliest days of operation, the Lighthouse keepers and their families welcomed visitors to the site,” Klassen said. “Today, our staff hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and as nearby as a block away. People are just naturally attracted to our iconic black-and-white striped tower. We are happy to share with them the spectacular view from its top. Of course, we’re also proud to show them the latest underwater discoveries made by our marine archeologists and give them a sense of what it was like to live and work at this lighthouse over the past 150 years.”
The lighthouse’s birthday celebration will kick off on Mon., Oct. 14 through Fri., Oct. 18. Throughout the year, new learning activities, community events, and commemorative store merchandise will be featured at the Lighthouse Museum.
“This is truly a momentous anniversary to celebrate,” Amy Klassen, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum said. “Not only does it give us an ideal opportunity to reflect on the Lighthouse’s impressive past, it also provides us with a starting point for creating an even more vibrant future for this iconic structure.”
Stay tuned as part of the anniversary celebrations will include several new exhibits to be unveiled.
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