The Barnegat Lighthouse at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is once again opened to visitors after a $1.3 million renovation.
Situated on the northern tip of Long Beach Island in Ocean County, the top of the Lighthouse offers visitors views of the island to the south, the bay waters to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
According to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, the Lighthouse was regarded as one of the most crucial “change of course” points for coastal vessels. It began warning vessels on New Year’s Day in 1859. Bound to and from New York along the New Jersey coastline, vessels depended on the Barnegat Lighthouse to avoid the shoals extending from the shoreline. Swift currents, shifting sandbars and offshore shoals challenged even the most experienced sailor. The Lighthouse also assisted the military in World War II as a watchtower.
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park was deemed a New Jersey State Park in 1951 and the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The park is a maritime site on the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail.
Renovations included a new coat of paint, repairs to the lantern’s steel platform, roof restorations and window replacements. Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park donated a beacon lantern and security fencing around the Lighthouse.
For the first time since 2022, the Lighthouse is open to visitors daily 9am to 3pm. Admission to the state park has been waived by Governor Phil Murphy through an executive order. For more information, click here.