Pensacola Lighthouse, 165 Years and Still Shining
Not every lighthouse is easy to get to.
We’d come east to Gulf Shores, but the Pensacola Lighthouse pulled us back west. Forty minutes back into Florida. Worth every mile.
The lighthouse sits inside Naval Air Station Pensacola. You have to enter the base to reach it.
Worth it.
A Lighthouse With History
Pensacola Lighthouse — bold black and white, standing tall on the Navy base.
The sign out front tells the story:
Construction began 1856, was lit 1859 and is still in use at the present time. This lighthouse replaced the original lighthouse built in 1824 — the first lighthouse on the Gulf Coast.
Historical marker.
The original 1824 lighthouse was the very first on the entire Gulf Coast. The current tower, completed in 1859, has been guiding ships ever since — one of the oldest continuously operating lighthouses in the country.
It’s striking. White base, black upper tower, simple and bold against the sky.
That Staircase
Inside, the spiral staircase is extraordinary. Black ironwork, intricate and geometric — each tread a lacework of metal.
Looking up the spiral staircase.
The Views
The views from the top were wonderful. The coastline stretches in both directions — white sand, green trees, blue water as far as you can see.
The Gulf Coast from the top of Pensacola Lighthouse.
Ben and Carma at the top — good views indeed!
A lighthouse on a Navy base with a staircase that stops you in your tracks and views that make the climb completely worth it.
Good views. That’s an understatement.
More Gulf Shores stops to come!