The Pensacola Lighthouse - Climb to the Top

Learn About the Wild Ducks, Lightning Strikes, and the Rooster

Less than a third of the way up the 177-step cast iron spiral staircase, it hit me, a soft blanket of humidity. The higher I climb, the heavier it gets. Is it worth it? I ask myself. The view from the top says yes. As I walk around the gallery, (the catwalk circling the top) I can see Fort Pickens on Santa Rosa Island, downtown Pensacola, and the Grande Lagoon. 191 feet below me I can see the rest of the buildings on the lighthouse 
grounds and overhead, gargoyles. 

Shining Her Light For Over One Hundred Years

Looking up at lighthouse

 

                                                     Looking down from the top

The Pensacola Lighthouse has been shining her light for mariners since 1859. Still a working lighthouse, it's maintained by the US Coast Guard. The lens is the original First Order Fresnel Lens. During the Civil War, the Confederates took it out and shipped it to Montgomery, AL. After the war it was returned to shine warnings to ships at sea. 

First Order Fresnel Lens

At the top, I met lighthouse volunteer Tayler Hildebrand. When I asked her why she volunteers, her response was, "This is just a really awesome place". She has lived in Pensacola her whole life, loves history and geography, and next January plans on enlisting in the US Air Force to become an aviation mechanic. 

Lighthouse Tales From The Past

All Lighthouses have tales to tell, this one isn't any different. Back in 1885, a flock of wild ducks flew into the lantern room windows damaging them. Lightning blew the roof off two different times. Why? It wasn't grounded correctly. My favorite story is about the son of one of the Lighthouse keepers. Apparently the family kept chickens and roosters on property. The rooster liked to peck at the boy's feet. One day, he'd had enough. Picking up the rooster, he walked all the way to the top of the tower, even though he wasn't supposed to, and threw the rooster over the edge. Now, of course the rooster flew away, but I bet the boy felt like he's won this time. 

Gargoyles Guard the Top

Looking down the 177 stairwell

Need to Know When You Visit

The lighthouse is at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Civilians can go on base as long as they show ID, like a driver's license, at the gate. Follow the signs to 2081 Radford Blvd. There is a cost of $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for children under 12, seniors, and military with ID. Hours of operation are 10am - 5:30pm Monday - Saturday and 12 noon - 5:30pm on Sundays.

Important things to be aware of:

1. Coast Guard regulations specify children need to be at least 44 inches tall or 7 years old to climb the tower.

2. To walk the 177 steps to the top, you need to have on close-backed shoes. If you wear flip-flops, like I did, you'll have to walk up barefoot.

3. Only bottled water is allowed in museum.

4. Children 12 and under must be supervised by an adult.

While you're on base, you might also want to visit Fort Barrancas and the National Naval Aviation Museum. I'll tell you about them in future articles. Enjoy your day today, whatever you do.