Barnegat Lighthouse On LBI Is Part Of The NJ Lighthouse Challenge
Park Hours Of Operation
Winter Park Hours: 8 am - 4 pm (November 1 - Mid April)
Spring Park Hours: 8 am - 6 pm (Mid April - Memorial Weekend)
Summer Park Hours: 8 am - 10 pm (Memorial Weekend - Sept. 30)
Fall Park Hours: 8 am - 6 pm (October 1 - 31)
Lighthouse Hrs. Of Operation
Lighthouse Hours: 9 am - 3:30 pm (Closed Monday and Tuesday) (Wed - Sun weather permitting)
Lighthouse Hours: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Lighthouse Hours: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Lighthouse Hours: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Note: Lighthouse hours/schedules change, to verify call 609-494-2016.
Cost To Enter The Lighthouse
There is a $1 fee per person to enter the lighthouse from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Children under 12 are free and must be accompanied by an adult. LBI Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Highlights
Panoramic LBI View
Interpretive Center
Partial Disabled Access
Park Programs
Nature Trail
Picnicking
Nature Observation
Really Great Fishing
Keep Your Park Clean
Spectacular LBI Panoramic View (Below)
A spectacular panoramic view of Long Beach Island, Island Beach, and Barnegat Bay awaits visitors at the top of Barnegat Lighthouse. The LBI lighthouse is open year round (see schedule above).
Thank You Very Much to Diane G. for the spectacular LBI pictures of the panoramic view.
Barnegat Lighthouse - LBI North View - Barnegat Lighthouse - LBI South View
Barnegat Lighthouse - LBI East View - Barnegat Lighthouse - LBI West View
View From The Top Available At Bottom Of Lighthouse
The spectacular view at the top of the Barnegat Lighthouse is also available on the ground on a flat screen TV in the Interpretative Center, for people who don't want to climb the 217 steps to the top. There are 4 cameras (each with a different view) at the top of Barnegat Lighthouse that feed into the TV screen in the Interpretative Center to give the same spectacular views from the top of Barnegat Lighthouse.
Above - Angelo Rinaldi in Barnegat Lighthouse at the new $15,000 light (Full article from the New York Times near bottom of page)
Barnegat Lighthouse Interpretive Center
The “Story of Barnegat Lighthouse” is showcased in the newly renovated Interpretive Center at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, which is adjacent to the lighthouse. The Interpretive Center depicts the history of Barnegat Lighthouse from shipwreck, to first class seacoast light.
Images and stories recount the vision of Lieutenant George G. Meade; the evolution of lighthouse technology; and the specific duties of Barnegat Lighthouse's keepers. A large panel entitled “Save Barnegat Light” focuses attention on efforts of the local community and federal, state and local governments to protect the lighthouse from erosion and ultimate destruction. Visitors can learn about the changing nature of the coastline and the natural environment that surrounds the lighthouse, including Barnegat Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and the maritime forest. A gallery of historic photographs provides a glimpse of life at a lighthouse on the Jersey Shore in bygone days. These images portray the lure of the bay and the many ways people have used and enjoyed the resources of this region. For the hours of operation, please call the park office at 609-494-2016. Partially Accessible For People With Disabilities
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park facilities are partially accessible for people with disabilities. On top of the south Jetty, a 1,033-foot concrete walkway with handrails provides access for people with disabilities. The Lighthouse base and Interpretive Center also are accessible to people with disabilities. A wheel chair and beach wheel chair are available for use while in the park. Please contact the park office for further information regarding disability access needs. Text telephone (TT) users, call the New Jersey Relay Service at (800) 852-7899..
LBI Weddings At Barnegat Lighthouse
YES, you are allowed to get married at Barnegat Lighthouse.
But, you are NOT allowed to get married inside the lighthouse. You are allowed to get married anywhere else in the park including outside the base of the lighthouse, the picnic area or the beach.
The Barnegat Lighthouse Area Is A Beautiful Location For A Memorable Wedding.
The Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is open year round and the hours are near the top of the page. If you need any more information, please call Barnegat Lighthouse State Park at 609-494-2016. Barnegat Lighthouse Park Programs
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park invites you to participate in our array of Interpretive programs offered at the park. These programs are offered free of charge and begin in the Interpretive Center unless otherwise noted. In case of inclement weather, you are urged to contact the park office to determine if a program has been cancelled or rescheduled. Maritime Forest Nature Trail
One of the last remnants of maritime forest on Long Beach Island is found at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The forest, which is dominated by Black Cherry, Sassafras, Eastern Red Cedar, and American Holly, is an important resting and feeding area for migratory birds on their long journey to and from their breeding sites. The Maritime Forest Trail is a 1/5-mile long, self-guided loop trail through this unique environment. Barnegat Lighthouse Park Picnicking
Picnic tables are located along Barnegat Inlet where visitors can picnic, relax, and observe the waterway. Two picnic shelters with tables are also provided for picnicking. Visitors who enjoy sunbathing and fishing can picnic on the sand along the jetty. Fires, propane stoves, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Nature Observation (Birding)
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park is an excellent LBI area to observe many species of birds during the spring and fall migrations. A New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife program provides seasonal fencing of critical nesting areas on the beach adjacent to the park. This provides protection for certain endangered beach nestings birds and opportunities for observation.
The park also is a great location for viewing wintering waterfowl such as red-breasted mergansers, common eiders and harlequin ducks. The park sponsors several waterfowl viewing programs thoughout the winter. Call the park office at (609) 494-2016 for the curent schedule.
The Maritime Forest Trail in a 1/5-mile long, self-guided loop through one of the last remnants of maritime forest in New Jersey. The forests, which is dominated by black cherry, sassafras, eastern red cedar and American holly, is an important resting and feeding area for migratory birds on their long journey to and from their breeding sites. Barnegat Lighthouse Park Really Great Fishing
Saltwater anglers have access to the bulkhead along the picnic area where they can catch striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, summer flounder, tautog, winter flounder, and black sea bass. A 1,033-foot concrete walkway with handrails on top of the south jetty provides fishing access for people with disabilities. The picnic areas are also accessible for people with disabilities. Keep Your Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Clean
Through the Carry-In/Carry-Out Program you can help us keep your parks clean and beautiful by carrying out the trash you carry in. Bags are provided throughout the site. Thank you for your cooperation and remember to recycle.
Gorgeous Winter Picture Of Barnegat Lighthouse By Diane G
LBI Nature Trail At Barnegat Lighthouse
Scenic And Peaceful Nature Trail At Barnegat Lighthouse On LBI
Refurbished Barnegat Lighthouse Shines Out Refurbished Barnegat Lighthouse To Shine Out Once Again (Laura Pedrick for the New York Times Dec. 21, 2008)
“OL’ BARNEY,” the red and white lighthouse that has become the symbol of Long Beach Island, will come back to life on New Year’s Day, 150 years after it was first lighted. With a flip of a switch at dusk on January 1, 2009 a new beacon atop the 162-foot lighthouse will once again serve as a navigation aid to passing ships and seafarers.
Community members and lighthouse volunteers rallied to raise the $15,000 for the new light and another $20,000 to replace the windows at the top of the lighthouse.
“Everybody always asked, ‘Is the light still on?’ ” said Angelo Rinaldi, president of the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park volunteer group. “So with the 150th anniversary coming up, we decided a good way to celebrate would be put a real beacon up there.
”The lighthouse was designed by Lt. George G. Meade of the United States Army's Topographical Engineers in 1856. It was first activated on Jan. 1, 1859, and four years later, General Meade led Union troops to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg.The lighthouse was a first-class navigational light until it was decommissioned in 1927, when the “Barnegat Lightship” was anchored eight miles off the coast (the lightship was removed in 1965, because by then it had been made obsolete by electronic navigation).
Now, Ol’ Barney’s new beacon will once again pierce the night sky, visible up to 19 miles off the coast. The new lens, imported from Vega Industries in New Zealand, is about 20 inches high and 20 inches wide and composed of Lucite panels. A rotating turntable behind the panels will flash a light once every 10 seconds, Barnegat Lighthouse’s trademark signal, Mr. Rinaldi said.
The $15,000 for the new beacon was donated by the Long Beach Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5. Patrolman Gerard Traynor said the lodge unanimously decided to donate the money when it heard of the plans to relight Ol’ Barney. “The lighthouse is a big part of this island,” he said. “We even have the lighthouse as a symbol on our uniform patch. We wanted to help keep it alive — and it’ll be pretty neat seeing that light at night and knowing we helped put it there.”
The donation by the police freed up money raised by the Friends organization to replace the windows, which had been permanently etched by sand and salt. “They were all hazed over and you couldn’t see out,” Mr. Rinaldi said.
Now for visitors who climb the 217 spiral steps to the top of the 16-story lighthouse, the breathtaking view will be crystal clear. Mayor Kirk O. Larson of Barnegat Light said the relighted lighthouse will be a welcome sight for the community’s fishing boats. The borough is home to Viking Village, a community of sea scallopers and commercial fishermen who employ 200 workers.
“We’ll be able to see this off the coast and say, ‘We’re almost home,’ ” said Mr. Larson, a retired sea scalloper.The familiar red and white lighthouse was not the first one at the site. The treacherous shoals off Barnegat Inlet claimed an average of 30 to 40 wrecks a year in the early 1800s, according to the lighthouse interpretive center.
The first lighthouse, approved by Congress, was built in 1835. But at only 40 feet tall, it failed to prevent many shipwrecks, and by 1856, Meade was brought in. Ol’ Barney was born, constructed of 675,000 red bricks, according to the Friends.
Over the years, the encroaching sea claimed a two-story, 20-room lighthouse keeper’s house. When the federal government refused in the 1930s to finance efforts to keep the ocean from further undermining the lighthouse, the Long Beach Island community rallied and created their own jetty from old cars, trucks and baby carriages to beat back the sea.
The lighthouse was turned over to the state in 1926, and dedicated as a state park in 1957. A $660,000 renovation of the tower was undertaken in 1988, and a new jetty at the base helped stem erosion.
A low-key celebration is planned at the park when the lighthouse is turned on again. “It’ll be like going to the fireworks,” said Diane Gormley, a longtime state park employee. “You just show up to watch the light.”
In June 1834, Congress appropriated $6,000 for the construction of a lighthouse at the north end of Long Beach Island . Work soon began on the 40-foot tower, and Barnegat Lighthouse was put into commission in 1835. It's non-flashing, fifth-class light was deemed inadequate by mariners of the day.
In 1855, Lt. George G. Meade, a government engineer, was assigned to design a new lighthouse. Meade, an 1835 West Point graduate, had recently designed Absecon Lighthouse, but he earned his place in history in the War between the States. Promoted to brigadier general, Meade defeated General Lee in the Battle of Gettysburg.
Encroaching seas threatened the original lighthouse so its light was installed atop a temporary wooden tower in June 1857 and the original lighthouse fell into the sea later that year.
Meade submitted his construction plans in 1855 and construction began in late 1856. The new tower would be four times as tall as the previous and cost about $40,000. It was built about 100 feet south of the original because erosion in the inlet remained a problem.
The current lighthouse is really two towers in one. The exterior conical tower covers a cylindrical tower on the inside.
Barnegat Light, the second tallest lighthouse in the United States, was commissioned January 1, 1859. The tower light was 165 feet above sea level. It remained a first-class navigational light until August 1927, when the "Barnegat Lightship" was anchored 8 miles off the coast. The tower's light was reduced over 80 per cent, but it was not extinguished until January 1944.
The lightship was removed in 1965, made obsolete by electronic navigation.
In 1988, the lighthouse was closed for repair; re-opening for visitors in 1991, Although its light no longer functions, the tower is flood-lit at night and continues to attract thousands of visitors every summer. Include you and your group in this number.
Now a state park, for visitor's information call 609-494-2016.
