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Welcome to the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse

The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse has stood on the Cape for over 150 years. Situated amidst America’s Premier Gateway to Space, the lighthouse is owned by the United States Space Force and maintained as an active aid to navigation by the United States Coast Guard. Visits to the lighthouse, museum, and gift shop are available via prescheduled tours, only. Open House for CCSFS badged personnel occurs every Wednesday from 10:00 – 1:00. Hangar C will also be open during these hours.

We are open for scheduled tours, but since we are located on an active military installation, you cannot drive your own vehicle onto the facility. Members of the public can only visit by taking a tour, which must be booked at least two days prior, to process through Space Force Security. Active duty military with CAC cards may come onto the station to visit the lighthouse, but cannot escort non-badged visitors without prior approval of SLD 45. Unlike most other military installations, a retired military ID will not gain you access to CCSFS. You will have to take the public tour. Please see our Visit page for tour information. So make plans now to come visit us!

CAPE CANAVERAL LIGHTHOUSE VIRTUAL TOUR – created by the University of South Florida Center for Digital Heritage & Geospatial Information

CAPE CANAVERAL LIGHTHOUSE VIDEO

Check out our brochure.

Click Here for a short Spectrum News Florida on a Tankful segment about the lighthouse.

Click Here for a 12 minute video tour of the lighthouse presented by our Historian, Barbara Moser, produced by the Space Launch Delta 45 Public Affairs Office.

Click here for a 321 Liftoff Podcast about visiting the lighthouse.

Click here for a US Lighthouse Society podcast for the lighthouse. This is an hour long podcast the first half of which is a discussion about Patos Island Light in Washington State. The Cape Canaveral Light discussion is in the 2^nd half.

Latest News

The University of South Florida Center for Digital Heritage & Geospatial Information, just completed a virtual tour of the Cape Canaveral Light Station. Many thanks for all their hard work and a great product that helps us share this national resource. Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Virtual Tour

Our 4th Order Fresnel Lens on loan from the Coast Guard is now on display in the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Museum!

We finally received a 4th Order Fresnel lens on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. This type of lens is significant to the lighthouse as it was used twice in its history. During the Civil War, old Winslow Lewis Lamp was removed when all lighthouses in the South were ordered to go dark. After the war, a 4th Order Fresnel lens was installed in the brick lighthouse from 1965-1868, when the iron lighthouse was built and began using a 1st Order Fresnel lens. Later in 1893-1894 when the iron lighthouse was dismantled and moved a mile inland due to beach erosion concerns, a skeletal tower was built and used a 4th Order lens until the move was completed. The 4th Order lens now in the museum was made in America circa 1905 by the Macbeth-Evans Glass Company. It’s just under 3-feet tall and likely weighs over 500 lbs. This is definitely worth a special trip to see a Fresnel lens up close.

We had a great time on Saturday, April 15th with our first quarterly Members and Brick Holders tour of 2023. Over 70 people took advantage of this free opportunity on a beautiful day at the lighthouse. If you’re not yet a member or brick holder, please consider becoming a member or buying a brick before our next quarterly tour so you can take advantage of this special FREE event, only open to those individuals.

Keep Brevard Beautiful partnered with us at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse for the first ever Adopt-A-Landmark program. This project was awarded the national Community Innovation Award by Keep America Beautiful. Check out the video below to learn more.

The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse made #1 on the list of 10 best things to do in Cape Canaveral, Florida! Check it out!

Merritt Island Now magazine published a wonderful follow-up article on our recent Lighthouse Keeper Grave Marker Program. Click here to read it.

If you don’t have the time to take the regular full tour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (that includes space history), try our monthly special Lighthouse and Hangar C only tour. You will be able to come just to the lighthouse for a 1+ hour visit. You will also be able to see the tremendous collection of artifacts from the Air Force Space and Missile Museum Annex next door in Hangar C. Click here to book your Lighthouse and Hangar C only tour, or any of Canaveral Tours’ small van tours.

Upcoming Events

The Museums of Brevard (MOB) is a 501(C)3 nonprofit of interested museums and historic sites in Brevard County, Florida (including the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse). Together we: advertise and promote each other’s facilities both individually and jointly; share activity information and coordinate upcoming events; share best practices and lessons learned in museum administration and management, including fundraising, grant writing and collections management; and assist other members with special requests.

Check out the MOB Brochure and see all the sites!

Visit the MOB website for links to every member.

Like the MOB on Facebook and find out all the things happening!

Message from Our Foundation President

2023 is starting out on a high note; visitors to the Lighthouse have increased in January 2023 vs. January 2022. Although we had 3 fewer tours in January this year, the number of visitors has increased by 33. In February thus far we have had a Girl Scout troop and a group of Central Brevard Retired Teachers visit the Lighthouse in addition to the normal tours by Canaveral Tours. March is already filling up with three home school tours scheduled, the Duquesne University Alumni tour, Descendants Day on March 18 and a group of “Traveling Women from Sarasota.” All these tours are in addition to the regularly scheduled tours.

Bottom line: We need more docents, volunteers, and escorts to support the increase in tour requests. If you are interested and want to help out please visit our website at https://canaverallight.org/get-involved/ and fill out the volunteer form.

If you have never been a docent or volunteer during Descendants Day, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to gain experience about the history of the Cape and the people who lived here before it was a military base. The families are eager and happy to talk of their history. One of the things we do on Descendants Day is to take the descendants to the cemeteries so they can see where their ancestors are buried. Some members and volunteers have also requested to visit the cemeteries but we cannot do that during Descendants Day; therefore, a caravan will be scheduled later in the year for members/volunteers to visit the cemeteries.

CALLING ALL RUNNERS AND/OR WALKERS. Our second annual 5k/10k run is scheduled for Sunday April 30, 2023, with the run starting at 7:30 AM. All participants and quests MUST register in advance and be at the parking lot prior to 6:30 AM. Registration is now open and there is a 5-dollar discount for those who register before April 1, 2023. Those wanting to run/walk or get more information can do so at https://raceroster.com/events/2023/71697/cape-canaveral-lighthouse5k10k . If you have a friend or family member in the run you can also register as a spectator. Remember this is a fund raiser for the Lighthouse.

We are closer to getting a fourth order Fresnel Lens on loan from the Coast Guard for display in the Lighthouse Museum. CCLF must pay all costs affiliated with shipment and display. Therefore, a fund-raiser is being organized to help offset the cost to CCLF. To donate, send your check or money order payable to the CCLF, to: CCLF; P.O. Box 1978; Cape Canaveral, FL 32920. Be sure to indicate it is for the Fresnel Lens. Payment thru PayPal is not included since there is no way to segregate the donation for the lens. The Treasurer will send a receipt to those who donate, plus they will be recognized in the Beacon and on the website. In addition, those who donate $50 or more will receive the Fresnel lens ornament featured in this issue of the Canaveral Beacon.

Please visit our website https://canaverallight.org for additional information.

Thank you for your help in keeping our light shining into the future.

Ron