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Having visited lighthouses in Ghana, Cuba and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I know what great views can be had from the top.
When I spotted the Key West Lighthouse while we were visiting the Hemingway House from the upper terrace, I knew that a long winding staircase was in my future.
The next morning.
My husband’s future? Not really.
As we walked down the street in the early morning heat, he decided to duck into a small restaurant and enjoy a cold drink. Seeing the island from a bird’s eye view and exerting a great deal of energy first thing in the morning did not seem all that enticing when all he wanted to do was lay on a beach.
Off I went, on my own, anxious to see if there was anything that made this particular lighthouse, well…particular.
As I stood at the bottom of the towering beacon, gazing upward and taking a breath, I entered and began the climb. Eighty-eight steps to the top, I finally made it, occasionally stopping to to catch my breath and peer out of the random porthole.
The views of the island were breathtaking and the waters surrounding the island were glistening in the morning sun. It was enlightening to find the landmarks noted on the signs attached to the rail and as I scanned the horizon, I spotted some of the attractions I was interested in visiting. The best attraction that I spotted, however, was my husband, sitting on the porch of the restaurant drinking his Diet Coke…and was that a piece of Key Lime pie?
At the base of the lighthouse, I stopped for a minute to admire one of the life-like statues that grace the lighthouse and museum’s grounds and then headed over to the lighthouse keeper’s former home, now a museum.
The first lighthouse on the island was built in 1825 near the Southernmost Point. After it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1846, this new lighthouse was constructed inland on Whitehead Street and completed in 1848.
As I moved through the museum, I learned that the first lighthouse keeper was a woman, nearly unheard of during that time period. Many upgrades were completed over the years, including the installation of a Third Order Fresnel Lens which allowed the lens to be seen from a greater distance, the addition of the Keeper’s Quarters and the installation of electricity. Though the lighthouse served Key West and its maritime visitors and passersby for many years, it was decommissioned in 1969.
A large number of photographs lined the walls of the museum and a couple of the rooms were staged to allow a look into how the lighthouse keepers and their families lived. There were many other nautical items and aged lens displayed throughout the gallery.
Though the lighthouse has not been in use for many years, it has played an important part of Key West’s maritime heritage and is now an important part of Key West’s tourism. There are many things to see and do in Key West and this is one of the ones that all visitors should see.
Was it worth the sweltering climb?
Yes, because I got the views and key lime pie in the end!
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Key West Lighthouse and Keeper’s Quarters Museum
- https://www.kwahs.org/museums/lighthouse-keepers-quarters/visit
- Address: 938 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040
- Hours: Monday through Saturday, 1000-1600
- Admission: Adults, $17.00 ($15.40 online), Senior/Local/College ID/Retired Military, $12.00 ($10.30 online), Youth (ages 7-18), $8.00 ($6.30 online), Children (under 7), free, Active Military, free