Gulf Coast Lighthouses
[ | FL | AL | MS | LA | TX | MAP | ]

Florida: Gulf Coast

1. Anclote Key Lighthouse

1. Location: Anclote Key Preserve State Park, Pasco County, FL
2. Coordinates: 28°10'01.0"N 82°50'40.0"W (28.1669, -82.8444)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: An 1887 skeletal cast-iron tower built to mark the Anclote Keys, a group of small islands. It was deactivated in 1952 but was restored and relit in 2003.
5. Viewing Information: Located in a state park accessible only by private boat or a local ferry service. The tower is periodically opened for climbs by the Friends of Anclote Key.

2. Boca Grande Pass Entrance Rear Range Light

1. Location: Gasparilla Island, Lee County, FL
2. Coordinates: 26°44'03.0"N 82°15'57.0"W (26.7342, -82.2658)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 105-foot skeletal tower built in 1927. It was deactivated for a period but was restored and relit in 1986. It is a separate structure from the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse.
5. Viewing Information: The grounds are open, and visitors can walk to the base of the lighthouse. The tower is not open for climbing.

3. Cape San Blas Light

1. Location: Port St. Joe, Gulf County, FL
2. Coordinates: 29°42'48.7"N 85°18'49.9"W (29.7135, -85.3139) (Current Location)
3. Status: Deactivated. Relocated.
4. History: The current 1885 skeletal tower is the fourth lighthouse at Cape San Blas. Due to relentless erosion, it was moved inland multiple times. In 2014, it was dismantled and moved from its last location on Eglin Air Force Base to a public park in Port St. Joe.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse has been fully restored and is open to the public for climbs in its new home in George Core Park.

4. Cape St. George Light

1. Location: St. George Island, Franklin County, FL
2. Coordinates: 29°39'46.3"N 84°51'48.4"W (29.6629, -84.8634)
3. Status: Deactivated. Reconstructed.
4. History: The 1852 brick tower stood for 153 years before collapsing into the Gulf in 2005 due to erosion. Volunteers salvaged the bricks, and the lighthouse was faithfully reconstructed in the center of St. George Island.
5. Viewing Information: The reconstructed tower and a museum in the replica keeper's house are open to the public for climbs.

5. Crooked River Light

1. Location: Carrabelle, Franklin County, FL
2. Coordinates: 29°50'02.0"N 84°40'37.0"W (29.8339, -84.6769)
3. Status: Active (Private Aid).
4. History: An 1895 skeletal tower built to replace the destroyed Dog Island lighthouse. Deactivated in 1995, it was saved and restored by a local preservation society.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse and keeper's house museum are open for climbs on a regular schedule.

6. Egmont Key Light

1. Location: Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, Hillsborough County, FL
2. Coordinates: 27°36'03.0"N 82°45'38.0"W (27.6008, -82.7606)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 87-foot brick tower was built in 1858, replacing an 1848 original that was damaged by a hurricane. It marks the entrance to Tampa Bay.
5. Viewing Information: The island is accessible only by ferry or private boat. The grounds around the lighthouse are open, but the tower itself is not open to the public.

7. Pensacola Lighthouse

1. Location: Naval Air Station Pensacola, Escambia County, FL
2. Coordinates: 30°20'46.2"N 87°18'29.6"W (30.3462, -87.3082)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 150-foot tower was built in 1859. It is famous for being located on an active naval air station and is reputed to be one of the most haunted lighthouses in America.
5. Viewing Information: Located on a military base, requiring ID for access. The lighthouse and museum are open daily for climbs.

8. Port Boca Grande Lighthouse

1. Location: Gasparilla Island, Lee County, FL
2. Coordinates: 26°43'02.0"N 82°15'37.0"W (26.7172, -82.2603)
3. Status: Active. Museum.
4. History: A house-type screw-pile lighthouse built in 1890. It was deactivated but restored and relit in 1986. It now serves as a museum.
5. Viewing Information: Located within Gasparilla Island State Park. The lighthouse and museum are open to the public seasonally.

9. Sanibel Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Sanibel, Lee County, FL
2. Coordinates: 26°27'09.8"N 82°00'51.5"W (26.4527, -82.0143)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: An 1884 skeletal tower, one of the first of its kind built on the Gulf Coast. It was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022, but has been restored and was relit in 2023.
5. Viewing Information: The grounds and surrounding beach are public. The lighthouse itself is not open for climbing.

10. St. Marks Lighthouse

1. Location: St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Wakulla County, FL
2. Coordinates: 30°04'16.6"N 84°10'43.0"W (30.0713, -84.1786)
3. Status: Active (Private Aid).
4. History: The current 82-foot tower was completed in 1842. It has survived numerous hurricanes and the Civil War. Deactivated in 2016, it was restored and relit in 2019.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse is a centerpiece of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The grounds are open, and the tower is occasionally opened for climbs.

[ Back to Top ]

Alabama

1. Middle Bay Light

1. Location: Mobile Bay, Baldwin County, AL
2. Coordinates: 30°26'18.0"N 88°00'30.0"W (30.4383, -88.0083)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: A unique 1885 hexagonal cottage-style screw-pile lighthouse built to mark the middle of Mobile Bay. It was deactivated in 1967 and is a beloved, though endangered, local landmark.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It stands isolated in the bay and can only be viewed by boat.

2. Mobile Point Lighthouse (Fort Morgan)

1. Location: Fort Morgan, Baldwin County, AL
2. Coordinates: 30°13'41.0"N 88°01'30.0"W (30.2281, -88.0250)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: The current 1835 brick tower replaced an earlier one. It was damaged during the Civil War Battle of Mobile Bay. A skeletal tower replaced it in the 1960s, which has also been removed. Only the historic brick tower remains.
5. Viewing Information: Located within the Fort Morgan State Historic Site. The tower can be viewed by visitors to the fort.

3. Sand Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Off Dauphin Island, Mobile County, AL
2. Coordinates: 30°11'15.4"N 88°03'04.0"W (30.1876, -88.0511)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: The current 132-foot brick tower was built in 1873. Like its neighbor at Morris Island, SC, erosion has left the tower standing isolated offshore. The island it once stood on has completely washed away.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It can be viewed distantly from Fort Morgan or Dauphin Island, but is best seen by boat.

[ Back to Top ]

Mississippi

1. Biloxi Lighthouse

1. Location: Biloxi, Harrison County, MS
2. Coordinates: 30°23'45.0"N 88°53'32.0"W (30.3958, -88.8922)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 64-foot cast-iron tower erected in 1848. It is notable for having had a number of female keepers. The lighthouse famously stands in the median of a major highway, U.S. 90. It survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
5. Viewing Information: A major city landmark. The lighthouse is open for guided tours daily.

2. Round Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Pascagoula, Jackson County, MS
2. Coordinates: 30°21'52.4"N 88°34'30.1"W (30.3646, -88.5750) (Current Location)
3. Status: Deactivated. Relocated.
4. History: The 1859 brick lighthouse originally stood on Round Island. After years of erosion and damage from hurricanes, it was disassembled in 2010 and moved to the foot of the Pascagoula River bridge on the mainland, where it has been restored.
5. Viewing Information: The relocated lighthouse is fully accessible for viewing and is open for climbs on certain days.

3. Ship Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Gulf Islands National Seashore, Harrison County, MS
2. Coordinates: 30°12'44.0"N 88°57'57.0"W (30.2122, -88.9658)
3. Status: Deactivated. Replica.
4. History: The original 1886 wooden lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969. In 1999, a replica was built on the grounds of the Fort Massachusetts historic site on Ship Island, but it too was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The current structure is a post-Katrina replica.
5. Viewing Information: Ship Island is accessible by seasonal passenger ferry from Gulfport. Visitors can view the lighthouse replica.

[ Back to Top ]

Louisiana

1. Chandeleur Island Light

1. Location: Chandeleur Islands, St. Bernard Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 30°02'52.0"N 88°52'39.0"W (30.0478, -88.8775)
3. Status: Destroyed.
4. History: The 1896 skeletal tower was the second lighthouse on the island. The remote station was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Only a few foundation pilings remain.
5. Viewing Information: Nothing remains to be seen.

2. New Canal Lighthouse

1. Location: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 30°01'36.0"N 90°05'50.0"W (30.0267, -90.0972)
3. Status: Active. Reconstructed.
4. History: The 1890 dwelling-style lighthouse was heavily damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation salvaged the lantern and rebuilt the lighthouse, which reopened in 2013 as a museum and education center.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse is open to the public with regular hours for tours and climbs.

3. Pass A L'Outre Light

1. Location: Mississippi River Delta, Plaquemines Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 29°11'31.0"N 89°02'34.0"W (29.1919, -89.0428)
3. Status: Abandoned. In ruins.
4. History: An 1855 brick tower built to mark a major shipping channel at the mouth of the Mississippi. The channel shifted, and the lighthouse was abandoned in 1930. It now stands as an isolated, crumbling ruin.
5. Viewing Information: Can only be reached by private boat, and the structure is dangerous.

4. Port Pontchartrain Light

1. Location: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 30°02'22.0"N 90°02'20.0"W (30.0394, -90.0389)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: Built in 1855, this lighthouse stood near the site of a popular amusement park. It was deactivated in 1929 and now stands derelict on the grounds of a private university.
5. Viewing Information: Located on the campus of the University of New Orleans but is in a state of disrepair and is not accessible.

5. Sabine Pass Lighthouse

1. Location: Sabine Pass, Cameron Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 29°43'01.0"N 93°51'00.0"W (29.7169, -93.8500)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: An 1857 brick tower built to mark the entrance to the Sabine River from the Gulf. Its unique buttresses were added to stabilize the tower. It was deactivated in 1952.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse is on remote, swampy private land and is not accessible. It can be viewed from a distance from the Texas side of the Sabine Pass.

6. South Pass Lighthouse

1. Location: Mississippi River Delta, Plaquemines Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 29°09'23.0"N 89°09'22.0"W (29.1564, -89.1561)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: An 1881 skeletal tower, it is one of the most important lights on the Gulf Coast, marking the primary shipping channel into the Mississippi River.
5. Viewing Information: Located on an active Coast Guard station in a very remote area. It is not accessible to the public.

7. Tchefuncte River Range Lights

1. Location: Madisonville, St. Tammany Parish, LA
2. Coordinates: 30°22'45.0"N 90°10'02.0"W (30.3792, -90.1672)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: An 1837 brick tower, rebuilt in 1868 after being damaged in the Civil War. It marks the entrance to the Tchefuncte River from Lake Pontchartrain.
5. Viewing Information: Located on the grounds of the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse & Museum. Best viewed by boat.

[ Back to Top ]

Texas

1. Aransas Pass Light (Lydia Ann)

1. Location: Aransas Pass, Aransas County, TX
2. Coordinates: 27°51'54.0"N 97°03'21.0"W (27.8650, -97.0558)
3. Status: Deactivated. Privately owned.
4. History: An 1857 brick tower painted brown to distinguish it. It was deactivated in 1952 when the channel shifted. It is now part of a private estate.
5. Viewing Information: Private property. It can only be viewed by boat tours from Port Aransas.

2. Bolivar Point Lighthouse

1. Location: Port Bolivar, Galveston County, TX
2. Coordinates: 29°21'58.0"N 94°46'00.0"W (29.3661, -94.7667)
3. Status: Deactivated. Privately owned.
4. History: The current 1872 cast-iron tower replaced an earlier one destroyed during the Civil War. It famously sheltered over 100 people during the devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane. It was deactivated in 1933.
5. Viewing Information: Private property and not open to the public. It can be viewed well from the Bolivar-Galveston ferry.

3. Halfmoon Reef Light

1. Location: Port Lavaca, Calhoun County, TX
2. Coordinates: 28°38'07.2"N 96°35'25.4"W (28.6353, -96.5904)
3. Status: Deactivated. Relocated.
4. History: An 1858 wooden, hexagonal screw-pile lighthouse that originally stood in Matagorda Bay. It was relocated to the Port Lavaca waterfront in 1979.
5. Viewing Information: Fully accessible for exterior viewing in a public park in Port Lavaca.

4. Matagorda Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Matagorda Island, Calhoun County, TX
2. Coordinates: 28°20'12.0"N 96°25'30.0"W (28.3367, -96.4250)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: The 1852 cast-iron tower was moved inland in 1873 due to erosion. It was deactivated in 1995 but was restored and relit as a private aid in 2000.
5. Viewing Information: Located in a very remote State Wildlife Management Area, accessible only by private boat.

5. Point Isabel Lighthouse

1. Location: Port Isabel, Cameron County, TX
2. Coordinates: 26°04'34.0"N 97°12'26.0"W (26.0761, -97.2072)
3. Status: Deactivated. State Historic Site.
4. History: An 1853 brick tower that was used as an observation post by both sides during the Civil War. It was deactivated in 1905.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse is the centerpiece of the Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site and is open to the public for climbs.

6. Texas City Dike Light

1. Location: Texas City, Galveston County, TX
2. Coordinates: 29°21'33.0"N 94°52'17.0"W (29.3592, -94.8714)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: A small lighthouse built in 1905 on the Texas City Dike. It was rendered obsolete and is now in poor condition.
5. Viewing Information: Can be viewed from the Texas City Dike, a popular fishing spot.

Gulf Coast Lighthouses
[ | FL | AL | MS | LA | TX | MAP | ]

[ Back to Top ]