Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum

Wonderful thing to do while visiting Jupiter! The view from the top of the lighthouse is spectacular.

This lighthouse was very cozy. It’s by guided tour only.
You can find coupons for this place for like a dollar off, but know that your money goes into maintaining this place.
It’s beautiful from the top of the lighthouse.
Our tour guide gave us so much insightful information. At first we were a little meh about having to go on a guided tour, but it was well worth it.
Recommended!

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Self guided museum tour takes about 45 minutes or so. Guided tour up to the lighthouse, which is on US Coast Guard property. Our guide was a young girl who was very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the climb and view. Total time at lighthouse and museum about 1.5 hours.

On staycation status I thought I’d be a real tourist and visit the Jupiter lighthouse. Parking is free. We got there a 10 minutes before the lighthouse opens (10 am) and walked toward the back of the museum/​gifts shop and there is a tiny beach area along the intercoastal/​inlet. A couple folks brought beach chairs and hung out along the water.
Once they opened up we went through the gift shop and purchased our ticket which was 10 bucks each. The tour didn’t start for 25 minutes so they suggested we walked next door to the museum area and walk around. They museum has two sections one dedicated to native florida tribes and the other side was regarding the history of the lighthouse, wars, etc. There is also an informational video you can watch, which i just caught bits and pieces of.
The tour is a 2 part walking tour. Our tour was small only about 7 people total since we were the early birds. The first part is ground level and we had a very nice tour guide (katie) tell us all about the history of the lighthouse and point out different sites along the walk. The second part is the ascend up the lighthouse, which was not bad (definitely an easier walk up than the key west light house) and every 25 steps there is a clearing with a window so you can go at a leisurely pace and catch your breath.
The view from the top is incredible. There is a different tour guide up there (patty) who was very informative, willing to take pics, and very knowledgeable about the lighthouse and the area.
Overall It’s an awesome tour for locals and visitors alike. I would definitely recommend going during their first tour the 10:25, as the tour following up after us was easily 4 times larger which could make the climb a bit challenging.

Another beautiful Florida Lighthouse with lots of history we are very fortunate to have so many in our state, by simply visiting and taking the tour you are contributing to the preservation of this historic landmark to ensure it is around for generations to come. This is an amazing piece of history I added in some interesting facts so you will look like a scholar when you take the tour.
Cost — $ 60,859.00 in 1860 or $ 1,738,828.00 in today’s dollars the cost was almost twice as much as budgeted.
First Lit Location Construction — July 10, 1860
Locations — Latitude 26° 56.9′ 37″ North, Longitude 80° 4.9′ 17″ West
Construction — Brick, double masonry walls, outer conical, tapering from 31.5″ (8 bricks thick) at ground to 18 inches (3 bricks thick) at base of lantern. Inner wall cylindrical and 2 bricks thick throughout. Circumference at base is about 65′ and at top about 43′.
Height — 156′ — 108′ tower on a 48′ hill, natural parabolic dune top with a layer of shell.
Focal Plane — 146′. This is the level at which the beam of light is emitted.
Steps — 105 cast iron stairs spiraling counterclockwise around a central iron column with three landings.
Optics — First order Fresnel lens, manufactured in Paris by Henry-​Lepaute and reputed to be the oldest existing first order Fresnel lens in Florida. Of the six regular orders of lenses, the first is the most powerful.
Lamp — 1000 watt, 120 volt, GE quartz-​iodine bulb socketed in a lamp changer with an identical spare. The second bulb rotates into position and turns on whenever the first bulb fails.
Range — 24 miles. This is the distance that the light can be seen on a ship at sea. To someone in an airplane, the light would be visible 40 – 50 miles away.
Electrified — 1928. A ¹⁄₃ horsepower motor turns the lens carriage.
Automated — June 8, 1987. A photoelectric cell turns the bulb and motor on when the sun sets and off when the sun rises.
Daymark — Red with black lantern. Coastal lighthouses have different markings to enable ships to determine their location during daylight.
Characteristics — Flashes 1.2 seconds, eclipses (darkens) 6.6 seconds, flashes 1.2 seconds, eclipses 21 seconds, and then repeats the cycle. The bulb does not blink (neither did the original oil lamps, which is why the lens rotated). As the bull’s-eyes (there are four) cross the viewer’s line of sight, the bursts of light are perceived as a flash.
Lighthouse Keepers — Capt. Thomas Twiner, head 1860; Capt. Jose F. Papy, head 1861; Capt. William B. Davis, head 1866 – 68; Capt. James Arango Armour, asst. 1866 – 68, head 1868 – 1908; Charles R. Carlin, assistant 1871 – 75; Hannibal D. Pierce, assistant, 1873; Melville Spencer, assistant 1878 – 84; Dwight Allen, assistant 1885 – 90; Capt. Joseph Wells, asst. 1894-​198, head 1908 – 1919; Capt. Thomas J. Knight, head, a few months in 1919; Capt. Charles Seabrook, head 1919 – 1947; Raymond C. Phillips (USCG), head, 3 years 1950s-​60s

This is a very special spot with great staff.
There’s enough to see to spend a couple of hours on the site and the group tours are very educational. Ask them more questions if you want to know more. They gentleman at the top of the lighthouse was very knowledgeable. The views from up there were outstanding. I was very glad to see the protected land around the lighthouse which are very rapidly becoming a precious example of the natural habitat. Our kids really enjoyed themselves too. They relaxed in the shade on the porch outside the gift shop at the end of our tour and then played along the inlet before we left.

I love the Jupiter lighthouse (well I love Jupiter in general!). The bookstore has some lovely selections of local themed art, books, and jewelry. There is a small little swimming area nearby. Once we caught a blue grass society jam. There is a little museum. We have been a number of times, but one time we took the lighthouse tour. It was a fabulous tour! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and told us interesting tidbits. We also had a tour of some of the historical buildings. The steps of the lighthouse were intimidating (a lot of stairs!), but it was worth it when you saw the view at the top.

Lighthouse and museum have existed through a lot of history. The grounds were home to many for thousands of years. The lighthouse tour and museum were very informative.

If you follow me, or know anything about me, you have probably surmised that I am a fan of lighthouses. I had been looking forward to seeing this lighthouse, because even though I lived in Jupiter for a year, I did not recall ever having seen it, and after seeing pictures of it, I thought it was pretty, plus getting away from the Miami people and the traffic is nice every now and then.
If you think its color is unusually bright, you’d be correct. It is actually the most brightly colored lighthouse in the country. Unbelievably, it used to be even redder, as in fire engine red, but after some repairs, it ended up being this paler shade of red. There are a couple of other things that make it unusual, though. You usually think of Florida as flat, but somehow, the lighthouse sit atop a mound. This is actually a sand dune, and Native American artifacts from 700 A.D. were found here. The other unusual thing is the tiling on the path leading to the lighthouse. Because there are agave plants growing on the mound and Jimmy Buffet is a Florida staple (and is associated with drinking, and tequila is made from agave), there is a Jimmy Buffet tile on the ground. Pretty cool, huh?
The lighthouse was built in 1860 out of bricks, and measures 105 feet. It is 46 feet (45 m) above sea level. The light can be seen 25 nautical miles (46 km; 29 mi) at sea. A circular stairway with 105 treads led from the base of the tower to the lantern room. The views are beautiful, and although the stairway has less steps than the one in Saint Augustine, for some reason, it seemed like more of a challenge — perhaps because of the hill and the fact you’re rather high up due to that hill, or the fact that you have to climb some stairs before getting to the lighthouse itself. The views are stunning, as they are far from every lighthouse I have climbed. You get to see some lovely homes on Jupiter Island!
There is also a small oil room that you get to see. Admission to the lighthouse is only $ 9. They have a nice gift shop with lots of lighthouse-​inspired artifacts (magnets, wall plaques, paintings, key chains…). I just wish they’d offer some sunset or moonlight tours, I bet the lighthouse would look magical against a darker sky. I suppose you could always observe the light from the intracoastal bridge to get that effect, but I had to head back home so I was unable to attempt that. Still, seeing some panoramic views of the sun setting or the moon rising with the lit up skyline from the viewing platform would be a sight to behold. I hope they take my suggestions to heart and offer these tours in the future.

My boyfriend and I visited here last week while on vacation. I had never been to a guided lighthouse tour. It was very informative. Our guide spent lots of time explaining all the history of the lighthouse and gave ample time for all of us at the top, he even took pictures for us. The views were amazing and the climb was easy. It did take a long time for the tour, but all the information made it worth it.

Just a quick day trip from Ft Lauderdale. This is a great inexpensive tour.
Josh was our tour guide and he was great. Very personable & was able to answer any questions that were resented to him.
There’s 105 stairs in the lighthouse but when you get to the top the view is worth it.
The museum is small but packed with information. A great way to spend part of your day.

We had a great time on our tour this past Saturday! We arrived around 3:00pm and only had to wait about 5 minutes for the next tour to start. We had 17 in our group, which wasn’t too big at all.
Our tour guide Todd was fabulous! He is a volunteer and you can tell he cares a lot about the area. He had all kinds of different stories for everything.
Our tour took about an hour to walk through the land over to the lighthouse and through a couple of landmarks.
Although climbing the steps to the top of the lighthouse made me feel totally out of shape, the views from the top were incredible and worth the $ 9 alone.
Go support Jupiter and have a fun quick afternoon out at the lighthouse!

MUST SEE iconic Jupiter spot! Informative quick tour and amazing views from the top. Perfect for locals and visitors and great membership events!

This is the first time I’ve gone to the Jupiter Lighthouse. I’ve lived here in South Florida for 30 years. The tour guide was very informative and kept the tour going at a nice pace, not too fast or too slow Besides learning about the lighthouse,. we learned about the history of the Native People of the area and how the area came to be called the Treasure Coast. I love history and could listen to this kind of thing all day! The climb is not too bad but the view is more than worth it! The guide kindly offered to take pictures for the folks who wanted group shots when we were at the top of the lighthouse. The grounds are lovely and well kept The little museum is interesting and worth a visit. It won’t take another 30 years for me to visit the Jupiter Lighthouse again.

I have been to many lighthouses up and down the East Coast — and this was one of the best! The grounds were well kept with a lot of cool history. This lighthouse is right on the water in a beautiful location. The staff was incredible. Our tour guide was Sylvia, she seemed so passionate about the lighthouse and it’s history. She pointed out many interesting features including plants/​flowers the Indians would have used in Florida. I learned so much. She also pointed out famous «bricks» such as Jimmy Buffet and Dick Clark on the walkway to the lighthouse. This is a must-​see if you’re in the Jupiter area — you won’t regret it!

Very interesting history and beautiful view up top. Staff is very knowledgeable and run a great tour. There is plenty of parking and the cost is $ 7 per person.
The tour includes a visit and tour of the old light keepers house as well as workshop. They have a beautiful banyan on site. There is a cute little giftshop as well as a small museum. Great tour, definitely recommend it; since there is not much sightseeing in Jupiter!

I have been here twice in the past month for field trips with both of my children’s class and HAD A BLAST!!! Both visits were different although the guided tour to the top of the lighthouse was the best!!! The view from the top is amazing and the tour guides are so knowledgeable!!! Both times I went I learned something new about Florida’s history. I highly recommend this for the family! Pack a lunch and have a picnic on the shore, by the time you get in the car the kids will be exhausted…

Born and raised in Florida and lived here until I was 30. At 64 I’m back and for the very first time I took the tour today. What a GREAT experience, interesting and informative. The walk up t the top of the structure is not for the faint of heart but worth it for the views.
Although children are allowed, hopefully parents who bring them will keep them under control and as quiet as possible for children. Not everyone is crazy about having kids around.

When you come to Jupiter it’s worth it to climb the lighthouse. The climb is not that bad. You can stop at the widows on the way up. Nice view of the inlet from the top. Staff and tour guide were very knowledgable and friendly. After climbing up the lighthouse head over to the Square Grouper for the view and drinks!

We drove down the A1-​A highway and ended up stopping at the Jupiter Lighthouse. Unfortunately it was Monday and was closed. There was someone their and he suggested a good view across the bridge by the restaurants and we got some good photos of the lighthouse. We had not planned on actually driving down this far so we did not do any research so was unaware of the hours.