Ponce de Leon Lighthouse & Museum
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is located at Ponce Inlet in Central Florida. Soaring 175 feet in height, it is the tallest lighthouse in the state of Florida, so the adventurer side of me said, Hey, you gotta climb it.
Built from more than a million bricks, the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse soars 175 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, making it both Florida’s tallest lighthouse and one of the tallest masonry lighthouses in the country. The base is 32 feet in diameter and 12+ feet around at the top. A bell-shaped dome sits atop. The iron spiral staircase has 213 steps that lead to the gallery, where the view of the Daytona Beach area and the Atlantic Ocean are worth the long, exhaustive journey.
This world-famous Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse emits a light beam that sailors can see from a distance of up to 20 nautical miles and has helped guide mariners along Florida’s coastline for more than 130 years. The lighthouse became a National Historic Landmark in 1998, one of only ten lighthouses in the United States to earn this designation.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse is on the inlet that connects the Halifax River (Intracoastal Waterway) to the Atlantic Ocean. The inlet is located between the village of Ponce Inlet and New Smyrna Beach. It is about 10 miles south of Daytona Beach.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Cuban Refugee Raft Exhibit
It is not unusual for Cuban Refugee rafts to come ashore near the lighthouse. They used the rafts to cross the 100 miles of open sea between Cuba to the Florida Keys. Refugees sometimes used whatever materials were available to build them. Refugees leave Cuba to find freedom and opportunity in the United States from the dictatorship in Cuba. Many do not make it to shore in these fragile vessels.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Principal Keeper’s Dwelling
This was the home of the station’s head or principal keeper and is the largest of the original light station dwellings.
Lighthouse Tower & View from the Top
There’s a 203-step spiral stairway that leads to the observation deck at the top. If you’re not in reasonably good physical shape, you’ll find this to be a somewhat strenuous climb. I was a huffin’ and a puffin’ and was concerned that I might not make it to the top.
As I continued my quest, I was glad that I ran out of steps. I stepped out onto the tower’s gallery deck. I enjoyed the cool breeze as I soaked in panoramic views of the World’s Most Famous Beach, Ponce Inlet, and inland waterways.
Caution: if it’s a windy day, you can expect high winds at the top. Hold on to your hat as you emerge onto the platform so you don’t lose it!
First Assistant Keeper’s Dwelling
This is the First Assistant’s Dwelling. The house is closed for tours because the home is furnished as it would have been in the late 1800s or early 1900s. You can look inside the windows on the front and back.
Lighthouse Generator Building
In 1940, two electric generators were installed so that the light could receive electricity and power for the radio beacon equipment. Exhibits on World War II at the lighthouse, a recreation of the radio beacon station, and weather monitoring equipment are on view.
Ayres Davis Lens Exhibit Building
The Ayres Davis Lens Exhibit Building is one of the largest lens museums in the world. Inside, there are all different types of lighthouse lenses from all over the world. Vibrations from nearby rocket launches damaged the lens of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, so the lens was proudly repaired and installed there in 1995.
Oil Storage Building
Activated for the first time on November 1st, 1887. The lighthouse was illuminated by a kerosene lantern located within a first-order fixed Fresnel lens. The oil had to be carried up from this building to the light at the top of the tower. The Oil Storage Building and these large iron tanks were built for the safety of storing this oil. Navigation aids including range lights, buoy lights, and day boards helped ships safely navigate our waterways, inlets, and coastlines.
Ponce de Leon Lighthouse Gift Shop
Shop at the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Gift Shop and take home a souvenir from a wide selection of lighthouse and nautical-themed gifts.
Visiting the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse will transport you to another place and time. Click here for more information.
General Admission Rates Adults (age 12+) $6.95 and Children (age 3-11) $1.95.
Address: 4931 S. Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127
If you continue your drive south on your Florida vacation, come with us as we visit one of the most iconic landmarks in Palm Beach County. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is located in Lighthouse Park along the Loxahatchee River.
