Lighthouses are scattered all over New York, each one a piece of history waiting to be discovered. Visiting these historic landmarks is like stepping back in time. New York, with its position on two Great Lakes and several large bodies of water, such as the St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers and the Atlantic Ocean, relied on these lighthouses in the early days of water navigation. While not all lighthouses on our list are historical, they are all surrounded by beautiful scenery.
I haven’t visited all of these Lighthouses… yet. I am working my way through this list (hopefully, just like you!) FYI- This list only includes lighthouses you can reach by land or easily see from the shore. There are a few private lighthouses on the list. Please respect the owners and DO NOT trespass.
I have provided GPS locations to all the Lighthouses (The name of the Lighthouse is a Google map link.) Happy exploring!
If you are really serious about lighthouse hunting, The United States Lighthouse Society has a passport that you can purchase and get stamped at the lighthouses you visit.
Visit their website for more information.
Buffalo/Niagara Region
Barcelona Lighthouse – 8234 E Lake Rd, Westfield, NY
First Lit: 1829
Height: 40Feet
Note Worthy: It stands over Lake Erie and can be seen all the way across the Lake in Canada. The Barcelona Lighthouse was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Open to the Public
More Information
Dunkirk Light – 1 Point Dr N, Dunkirk, NY
First Lit: Former lighthouse 1826, Current Lighthouse 1875
Height: 61 Feet
Buffalo Main Light – 1 Fuhrmann Boulevard, Buffalo, NY
First Lit: 1833
Height: 60 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is located on the United States Coast Guard Station grounds and is part of an outdoor museum.
Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Light
First Lit: 1903
Height: 43.5 Feet
Note Worthy: Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Fort Niagara Light – Fort Niagara State Park, Scott Ave, Youngstown, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1782, Current Lighthouse 1872
Height: 91 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse has a live web at the top of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is open for free, and self-guided tours are from noon to 3 p.m. mid-July through mid-October.
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Thirty Mile Point Light – 9691 Lower Lake Rd, Barker, NY
First Lit: 1876
Height: 71 Feet
Note Worthy: The lighthouse at Golden Hill State Park is named Thirty Mile Point because it is located 30 miles east of the Niagara River. It was built in 1875 and decommissioned in 1958. Interestingly, it is the only Lake Ontario lighthouse featured in the 1995 Stamp Collection, “Lighthouses of the Great Lakes.”
Not only can you tour Thirty Mile Point, but you can also spend the night.
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Olcott Light – 5867 Ontario St, Burt, NY
First Lit: 1873
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is a replica. The original lighthouse fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1963.
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Oak Orchard Light – 14357 Ontario St, Kent, NY
First Lit: 1871
Height: 32 Feet
Note Worthy: This is a replica, built in 2010. The original lighthouse, which had fallen into disrepair over time, was destroyed in a storm in 1916.
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Finger Lakes Region
Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse – 70 Lighthouse St, Rochester, NY
First Lit: 1822
Height: 40 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario. The lighthouse is open for tours.
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Braddock Point Light – Braddock Point Light, 18 Clearview Ave, Hilton, NY
First Lit: 1896
Height: 55 Feet
This lighthouse is private and not open to the public.
Sodus Bay Lighthouse – 7606 North Ontario Street, Sodus Point, New York
First Lit: Former Lighthouse – 1825, Current Lighthouse – 1871
Height: 70 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is a museum and open to the public for tours.
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Sodus Outer Light – Breakwater, Sodus Point, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1858, Current Lighthouse 1938
Height: 51 Feet
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Myers Point Lighthouse – Myers Marine Park, #1, Lansing, NY 14882
First Lit: 1998
Height: 25 Feet
Note Worthy: This is a tiny lighthouse, but its position on Cayuga Lake is breathtaking.
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Central Region
Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse – Located in Oswego Harbor
First Lit: 1934
Height: 57 Feet
Note Worthy: You can reach this lighthouse by walking along the breaker wall or by boat. There are boat tours that offer people an opportunity to tour the inside of the lighthouse.
Brewerton Range Rear Lighthouse – 792 County Rte 37, Central Square, NY
First Lit: 1917
Height: 85 Feet
Frenchman Island Lighthouse – Frenchman’s Island in Oneida Lake
First Lit: 1918
Height: 105 Feet
Note Worthy: Okay… I know I said that I was only adding lighthouses to this list that you could easily see from shore, but this one is actually kind of neat and on my must-visit list. This is an abandoned lighthouse on an island in the middle of Oneida Lake.
Verona Beach Lighthouse – 6765 Forest Ave, Verona, NY
First Lit: 1917
Height: 85 Feet
Thousand Island Region
Selkirk (Salmon River) Lighthouse – 5 Lake Rd Ext, Pulaski, NY
First Lit: 1838
Height: 50 Feet
Note Worthy: The Selkirk Lighthouse is a unique structure. It is one of only four birdcage-type lighthouses remaining in the world and the sole one located in New York State. You can also stay the night at this historic lighthouse.
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Stony Point Lighthouse – 3415 Light House Rd, Henderson, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1839, Current Lighthouse 1869
Height: 58 Feet
This lighthouse is private and not open to the public.
Tibbets Point Lighthouse – 33435 County Rd 6, Cape Vincent, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1827, Current Lighthouse 1854
Height: 69 Feet
Note Worthy: The grounds are open to the public, but the tower is off-limits as it is still in active service and used for navigation.
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Cape Vincent Breakwater Lighthouse – 1964 NY-12E, Cape Vincent, NY
First Lit: 1904
Height: 25 Feet
Note Worthy: The only surviving tower of this two-towered lighthouse is no longer in the water; it now welcomes visitors to the Town of Cape Vincent.
Sunken Rock Lighthouse – Bush Island St. Lawrence River, Alexandria Bay, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1847, Current Lighthouse 1882
Height: 30 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is solar-powered.
Ogdensburg Harbor Lighthouse – Van Rensselaer Point, 22 Albany Ave, Ogdensburg, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1834, Current Lighthouse 1900
Height: 65 Feet
This lighthouse is private and not open to the public.
Adirondack Region
Champlain Memorial Lighthouse – 784 Bridge Rd, Crown Point, NY
First Lit: 1912
Height: 55 Feet
Note Worthy: This former lighthouse is now a memorial for Samuel de Champlain, and the exploration of Lake Champlain.
Cumberland Head Lighthouse – Layman Lane, Plattsburgh, NY
First Lit: 1868
Height: 49 Feet
This lighthouse is private and not open to the public.
Hudson Valley Region
Saugerties Light – 168 Lighthouse Dr, Saugerties, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1835, Current Lighthouse 1867
Height: 42 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is located at the end of a fantastic trail. This is a truly picturesque nature preserve where portions of the path are sand-covered, and there are places along the trail where you can walk out onto sandy beaches. You need to pay attention to the tide when visiting here. Parts of the trail leading to the Lighthouse may be submerged in tidal water twice a day. The trail will be covered if the tide is higher than 4 feet.
Lighthouse tours are available on Sundays (Memorial Day – Labor Day). You can also stay overnight at Saugerties Lighthouse.
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The Little Red Lighthouse (Jeffrey’s Hook) – Fort Washington Park, Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1889, Current Lighthouse 1921
Height: 40 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse was the subject of a popular children’s book, The Little Red Lighthouse and The Great Gray Bridge, written byHildegarde Swiftand illustrated byLynd Ward. This lighthouse was so beloved that when the Coast Guard proposed tearing it down, the public responded and petitioned to save it.
Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse – Tarrytown Light-Kingsland Point Path, Sleepy Hollow, NY
First Lit: 1883
Height: 56 Feet
Note Worthy: This is a unique lighthouse for the Hudson River. It is a “spark plug” style lighthouse with living quarters. This lighthouse is open to the public for tours.
Stony Point Lighthouse – 46 Battlefield Rd, Stony Point, NY
First Lit: 1826
Height: 58 Feet
Note Worthy: This is the oldest lighthouse on the Hudson River. It is located at the Stony Point Battlefield and is open to the public.
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1839, Current Lighthouse 1872
Height: 52 Feet
Note Worthy: This is the only surviving wooden lighthouse on the Hudson River. The lighthouse can be viewed from shore at the following locations:
- from the west bank at Lighthouse Park in Esopus Meadows Preserve in Ulster County,
- from the east bank of the Great Lawn of the Wilderstein Preservation in Rhinebeck in Dutchess County
- from the Great Lawn of Mills Mansion or Mills Norrie State Park, also both in Staatsburgh, Dutchess County.
The lighthouse is open to the public but can only be reached by boat. If the flag is flying, you are welcome to visit.
NYC & Long Island
Blackwell Island Lighthouse – 900 Main St, New York, NY
First Lit: 1872
Height: 50 Feet
Statue of Liberty – Liberty Island, New York, NY
First Lit: 1886
Height: 305 Feet
Note Worthy: This might be the most famous lighthouse of all time!
Coney Island Light – 4705 Beach 47th St, Brooklyn, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1890, Current Lighthouse 1920
Height: 75 Feet
The Coney Island Light is located in a gated community, is not accessible to the public, and must be viewed from afar.
Eatons Neck Light – 3 Lighthouse Rd, Northport, NY
First Lit: 1799
Height: 126
Note Worthy: This is the 2nd oldest lighthouse in New York State.
Elm Tree Beacon Light – Cedar Grove Ave, Staten Island, NY 10306
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1856, Current Lighthouse 1939
Height: 62 Feet
Fire Island Light – Robert Moses Field #5 Parking Lot, Fire Island, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1826, Current Lighthouse 1858
Height: 168 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse has been featured in several movies and TV shows. The lighthouse is a short walk from Robert Moses State Park Field 5, and it is open to the public every day. Visitors can also take tower tours for a small fee.
Fort Wadsworth Light – 141-155 Dock Rd, Staten Island, NY
First Lit: 1903
Height: 75 Feet
Cedar Island Lighthouse – Cedar Point Rd, East Hampton, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1839, Current Lighthouse 1868
Height: 57 Feet
Note Worthy: You can hike to this lighthouse from Cedar Point County Park.
Montauk Point Light – 2000 Montauk Hwy, Montauk, NY
First Lit: 1797
Height: 168 Feet
Note Worthy: This is the oldest lighthouse in New York State. This lighthouse is open to the public.
Old Field Point Light – 207 Old Field Rd, Setauket- East Setauket, NY
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1823, Current Lighthouse 1869
Height: 74 Feet
Orient Long Beach Bar Light – River, Orient, NY 11957
First Lit: 1871
Height: 58 Feet
Note Worthy: This is a replica of the original lighthouse that was destroyed by fire in 1963.
West Bank Front Range Light – Richmond County, Staten Island
First Lit: 1901
Height: 55 Feet
Note Worthy: This is still an active lighthouse, and not open to the public.
Prince’s Bay Light (John Cardinal O’Connor Light)- Staten Island, NY 10309
First Lit: Former Lighthouse 1828, Current Lighthouse 1864
Height: 107 Feet
Note Worthy: This lighthouse is located at the highest point on Staten Island and is part of the Mount Loretto Unique Area.
Staten Island Range Lighthouse – 103 Edinboro Rd, Staten Island, NY
First Lit: 1912
Height: 231 Feet
Throngs Neck Light – Bronx, NY 10465
First Lit: 1826
Height: 35 Feet
200 The Promenade at Lighthouse Point, Staten Island, NY
If you really love lighthouses, why not visit the National Lighthouse Museum? The Museum has excellent exhibits such as Wall of Lights, Lighthouse Timeline, Life at the Light, US Lighthouse Services Depot History, Purpose of Lighthouses: Safety and Economic Development, Illuminents and Optics.
In addition to the exhibits, there are monthly lectures, group tours by appointment, seasonal Lighthouse Boat Tours (May – October), and annual events like our Lighthouse Weekend (August) and Lighthouse Point Fest (September).
