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Location
Visitor tip
Book the volunteer-guided tour ($10/person) for the best educational experience. Tours last about 40 minutes, include access to the keeper's quarters and light tower climb, and typically have a 20-minute wait. Bring cash as their internet may be down.
Best time
Visit on a weekday morning (like Thursday at 10:30 AM) during spring months (May showed gorgeous wildflowers) to enjoy fewer crowds while still accessing the lighthouse at low tide and experiencing excellent sunset views afterward.
Visitor tip
Wear appropriate footwear for rocky terrain and be cautious of sneaker waves when crossing the 200-foot causeway to the island. The crossing is only possible at low tide, making this a safety-critical factor in timing your visit.
About Battery Point Lighthouse and Museum/Crescent City Lighthouse
Historic lighthouse open for tours. Cape Cod–style 1850's lighthouse, open for tours of its tower & living quarters at low tide.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Natural History Museum
- Location
- Tidal island at foot of Lighthouse Way, Crescent City, California
- Highlights
- Active lighthouse (lit since 1856), climb light tower, keeper quarters, maritime artifacts
- Hours
- 10am-4pm daily (tide permitting)
- Notable History
- Keepers witnessed 1964 tsunami from lighthouse; staffed by volunteer keepers
What visitors say
What a unique attraction, very educational, and stunning views! Visit their Facebook page where they post a monthly calendar of low tide times when the lighthouse is accessible. The calendar seems to be pretty accurate. I arrived 30…
Its a private residency! On a beautiful location. But i wonder how they haul stuff for the house. Its quite a walk from parking lot to the light house. There is water on the way im sure you can't cross when its hightides. It was low and…
Great your guide and friendly staff. We enjoyed the tour but we weren't aware that the fee for the your was $10 each person we thought it was donation based and their Internet was down so plan to have cash just in case.
From 1,628 Google reviews Read all reviews
Did You Know?
- The lighthouse features a Fifth Order Drumm lens, a specific historical optical apparatus used in 19th-century maritime navigation
- Built in the 1850s in Cape Cod style, the lighthouse keeper quarters retain original furniture from the 1850s onwards, providing an authentic period living history exhibit
- The lighthouse is accessible only at low tide across a 200-foot causeway to a small peninsula island, creating a unique tidal access requirement that limits visiting hours
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