Pescadero’s Pigeon Point Lighthouse was first lit in 1872, meaning that we’re coming up on its 150th anniversary this November! California State Parks and the Coastside State Parks Association will host a special 150th anniversary celebration on November 12 from 1-7pm complete with guided lighthouse tours, children’s activities, and live music. Take a trip down the coast for a wholesome seaside afternoon and a dose of California maritime history.
Guests can enjoy fun live music, information booths, children’s crafts and activities, and talks from a local maritime author. Pigeon Point docents will host guided tours around the lighthouse, which has been closed to the public for restorations during the better part of the last two decades. And from 5-7pm, park staff will light the original 150-year-old first order Fresnel lens at its current location in the Fog Signal Building.
If you’re a fan of local history, this is your chance to take a peek around one of California’s most historic lighthouses. At 115 feet tall, the lighthouse is tied for the tallest tower on the West Coast and one of the tallest in the country.
The ancient Fresnel lens, which was first lit on November 15, 1872, is a whopping 16 feet tall and 2,000 pounds. Although it was replaced in 1972 with an automated LED beacon, the 150-year-old lens remains on display to the public inside the Fog Signal Building.
For those hoping to make a weekend of it, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel offers lodging for up to 50 visitors. You can go tide pooling on the beach at the base of the lighthouse and keep an eye out for whales and seals in the surf, or drive 5 minutes up the coast to take a spin around the center of Pescadero.
Find Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park at 210 Pigeon Point Road on Highway 1. Admission and parking are free, but be advised that dogs, drones, and smoking are prohibited.
Featured image: Photo by Kevin Dunlap on Unsplash