It’s no secret that I’m a little obsessed with lighthouses, and have dedicated entire trips around seeing as many as I can in New England. Now, as a part-time Massachusetts resident, I’ve had even more time to visit the lighthouses around the beautiful Bay State. So, from the unique perspective of both a visitor and a local, it’s exciting to share the best lighthouses in Massachusetts that are truly worth going out of your way to see.
And with that, let’s get into it 😊
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Massachusetts Lighthouse Map
To give you an idea of where all the lighthouses on this list are located across the state, here’s a map that gives you a visual on where they can be found:
Best Lighthouses In Massachusetts To Visit
Keep in mind that these are in no particular order.
1. Brant Point Lighthouse
Location: Nantucket
One of my favorites in all of New England, Brand Point Lighthouse is such a beautiful structure that greets you as you arrive to the island by ferry. It’s also very easy to visit once you arrive on the island, as it’s only about a 20-minute walk through town to get there.
The lighthouse you see today dates back to 1900 and sits right on the beach overlooking the harbor, making it one of the most scenic spots on the island. While this current structure has stood for over a century, the original lighthouse was first built in 1746, and was repeatedly damaged, rebuilt, and relocated due to fires and an unstable foundation. In fact, this is the 10th version of the lighthouse, making it so easy to have a deeper appreciate for it once you see it for yourself.
While the tower remains closed, you can walk up to the building via the pretty footbridge, allowing you take it in from a variety of different angles. During different celebrations throughout the year, the town also decorates the lighthouse with flags and wreaths, so don’t be surprised if you see something adorning the lighthouse when you arrive.
2. Sankaty Lighthouse
Location: Nantucket
Sankaty Lighthouse is located in the stunning village of ‘Sconset on Nantucket, and is taller and more stoic than Brant Point – standing at about 70 feet tall. The iconic red and white stripes make it especially pretty to photograph as well.
The original structure was built in 1850, and it was also among the first lighthouses in the country to use a Fresnel lens. Sitting on a bluff overlooking Sconset Beach, the lighthouse was actually moved from its original location in 2007 due to erosion, and moved further back inland over the course of 10 days.
Getting to Sankaty is a bit harder than Brant Point, but it’s most definitely worth it. You can rent a bike, car, or moped to get out to Sconset, and there’s parking available right at the lighthouse. There’s also a very easy-to-use public bus system on the island called The Wave, which takes you to the heart of Sconset village. From there, it’s about a 30-minute walk to the lighthouse, but you’ll pass by rose-covered cottages, and take in all the beautiful scenery along the way.
3. Great Point Lighthouse
Location: Nantucket
Great Point is definitely one of the most amazing places to see on Nantucket Island, and it could possibly be my favorite lighthouse in all of Massachusetts. Situated in the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Reserve, it’s one of the harder lighthouses to see, but so incredibly worth the effort.
Located on the very northern tip of the island, Great Point Light was first built in 1784 as a wooden structure, but a fire destroyed it, and a stone replacement was then built in 1818. That stone tower was completely destroyed in a hurricane in 1984, and the current concrete replica was built shortly after. In 2007, the light was moved 405 feet inland due to erosion concerns.
Great Point truly feels like it’s worlds away from, well … everything. The only way to get there is to drive over-sand, or walk, and once you’re out in this area of Coskata, you’ll see why it’s so worth all the effort. If you’re lucky, you may even see some seals with driving along the shore.
Psst! For more details on getting out to Great Point, my post on Nantucket Lighthouses has a lot more information on logistics 😉
4. Nauset Lighthouse
Location: Eastham, Cape Cod
This lighthouse is iconic in New England, and that’s because you’ve probably seen it as your local grocery store. This is the lighthouse featured on the Cape Cod potato chips bags, and it looks pretty much the same in person.
Nauset Light is one of the two cast iron towers built to guard the shorelines of Chatham in 1877. It was then moved to Eastham in 1923 to replace the Three Sisters Lighthouses, and was painted with a red strip to differentiate it from its twin, which still stands in Chatham.
This lighthouse is pretty easy to get to, as the Nauset Lighthouse parking lot is located right across the street. The lot is owned by the Cape Cod National Seashore, so daily parking fees do apply in the summer season. However, your parking fee allows you access to the beach, so it’s worth the cost if you’re looking to combine both.
Otherwise, you can park just down the street at the small Three Sisters Lighthouses, which is free, and then take a 10-minute walk to Nauset Lighthouse. The Three Sisters lot is very small, so if it’s full, you’ll need to pay to park at the beach lot.
5. Highland Lighthouse
Location: Truro, Cape Cod
Also on Cape Cod, Highlight Lighthouse is a really beautiful one to visit, and one of the few lighthouses on this list that is open daily in the summer season to tour the inside of the tower.
Highland Light was the first lighthouse on the Cape, and was commissioned by George Washington and established in 1797. It’s undergone a few different re-builds and moves, but the structure standing today was built in 1857.
Tours of Highland Light run daily from May 1 through late October, and allow you. to climb to the top of the tower for sweeping views of the area.
6. Race Point Lighthouse
Location: Provincetown, Cape Cod
Race Point Light on the Cape is another fun one to visit because of its location. To get to it, you’ll need to either hike in the sand dunes, walk a while on the shoreline, or drive over-sand (with the required permit). That said, it’s very much worth the effort.
First established in 1816, it was one of the earliest lighthouses to feature a rotating beacon, which distinguished it from other lights on Cape Cod at the time. The waters around the tip of the Cape were notoriously dangerous, and the lighthouse has watched over countless rescues over its history, which is really amazing.
My favorite way to get out to the lighthouse is by hiking the Hatches Harbor Trail, which traverses over marshes, and eventually ends at the sand dunes where you’ll continue on to the lighthouse. Once you arrive at Race Point on the trail, it feels pretty secluded, and you’re likely to see seals swimming in the waters just off the shore.
7. Long Point Light Station
Location: Provincetown, Cape Cod
Woods End is another lighthouse on the Cape that requires some effort to get to it, and while the structure itself is small, it’s such a fun adventure to take because you’ll be able to say you’ve been to the very tip of Cape Cod.
First established in 1827 to guide mariners into the busy fishing port of Provincetown Harbor, Long Point lighthouse once shared its remote peninsula with a thriving village of 38 fishing families, a post office, bakery, saltworks, and even a school that operated out of the lighthouse itself starting in 1830.
When the settlement was ultimately disbanded, most families took their houses with them, quite literally, by placing them on rafts, and floating them across the harbor to Provincetown’s West End. Some of those “floater” homes are still standing today, marked by distinctive blue and white plaques.
The current 38-foot brick tower was built in 1875 to replace the deteriorating original, and it remains active.
To get to Woods End, you’ll need to either hike there, which starts by crossing the Provincetown Causeway, and then continue for another 4.5-5 miles in the sand to the very end of the beach. It’s actually much harder than it seems, simply because you’re walking in soft sand most of the time, and there’s no shade from the sun.
The easiest way to get out there is via the Long Point Shuttle, which is a seasonal boat service that leaves from MacMillan Pier, and brings you to the tip of the beach where the lighthouse is located. There’s a fee to ride the shuttle, but it’s far more convenient, and you can spend the day at the beach to make it worth your while.
8. Nobska Lighthouse
Location: Falmouth, Cape Cod
The last Cape Cod lighthouse on my list is Nobska, which is such a beautiful one to see that overlooks both Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound.
The lighthouse was established in 1828 because the stretch of water it would overlook was so heavily trafficked that more than 10,000 vessels were recorded passing through in the lighthouse’s very first year of operation.
The original structure had a faulty design that put too much weight on the keeper’s quarters below, causing multiple leaks, so it was replaced in 1876 by the current 40-foot cast iron tower – which was actually assembled in Chelsea, Massachusetts and transported to Falmouth in four separate sections.
This lighthouse is very easy to visit, as it has a small parking lot right at the lighthouse. In fact, parking is really the only challenge in visiting, since there’s really only enough space for about 5-6 cars. However, the scenery around the lighthouse is really beautiful, and “twilight” tours are offered inside the lighthouse every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30p, between mid-June and early September.
9. Edgartown Lighthouse
Location: Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard
Heading over to Martha’s Vineyard Edgartown lighthouse is another one of my favorites that I have to visit each time I come to the island. It’s easy to get to, and is surrounded by a cute little beach, offering a lot of great vantage points to see it, and take photos.
The original lighthouse was built in 1828 on a small artificial island in the harbor, meaning the keeper originally had to row to reach the mainland. In 1938, the current lighthouse was transported by barge from Ipswich, Massachusetts, replacing the older tower. Over time, natural sedimentation connected it to the shore, making is easy for welcome visitors.
And, if you look carefully, Edgartown Lighthouse can be spotted in the background of several scenes in the 1975 film Jaws. Its appearances are short-lived and quick, but it’s still a fun icon of the island to spot in the movie.
To get to the lighthouse, it’s about a 15 minute walk from the center of town along Water Street, which is lined with pretty houses and water views. Once you reach the Harbor View Hotel, you turn down toward the beach, and follow the path in the sand to the lighthouse.
10. Gay Head Lighthouse
Location: Aquinnah, Martha’s Vineyard
Another beautiful lighthouse to see on the Vineyard is Gay Head, which is largely worth visiting just because it sits overlooking the iconic Aquinnah Bluffs, making it some of the best scenery on the island.
First lit in 1799, Gay Head Light was authorized by President John Adams to help ships navigate the dangerous waters near Devil’s Bridge – an especially treacherous submerged shoal just off the shoreline near the Aquinnah Cliffs. In 1856, its Fresnel lens with 1,009 prisms was installed after being displayed at the World’s Fair in Paris. Erosion eventually threatened the structure, which necessitated that the tower be moved further inland in 2015.
Gay Head Lights sits on the western coast of the island, and the best way to get out there is by renting a car and driving, as the public bus system takes quite a lot of time, with at least one transfer. While out there, you can not only visit the lighthouse, but also walk along the shoreline under the famous cliffs, which makes the drive out very much worth it.
11. Marblehead Lighthouse
Location: Marblehead
One of the most unique lighthouses on this list is Marblehead Light, which is one of only 14 pyramidal skeletal lighthouses in the entire U.S. Marblehead is one of my favorite little gems in New England, and the lighthouse is especially worth visiting for its different structure, and amazing views of the harbor.
Located at Chandler Hovey Park, Marblehead Light was first established in 1835, with the lighthouse visible today constructed in 1896. And one very cool fact from its history: During the Hurricane of 1938, the lighthouse keeper kept the light burning through the night by connecting his car battery directly to the lighthouse’s wiring!
This lighthouse is easy to visit, as there’s a parking lot located at the park. It’s a short drive from the historic district in town, and you’ll pass by Devereux Beach on the way to enjoy coastal views. From the lighthouse and park, there are plenty of places to take in views of the harbor, and enjoy a different perspective of Marblehead.
12. Neds Point Lighthouse
Location: Mattapoisett
One of the lesser-known lighthouses in the state is Neds Point, which is located between Wareham and New Bedford. Also an easy one to visit, there’s plenty of parking, and the lighthouse is steps from the parking area.
Built in 1838, the lighthouse was named after Ned Dexter, a local farmer, and constructed entirely from locally sourced stone – most of which was gathered from nearby beaches. Inside, 32 granite steps are affixed to the outer wall, without any mortar, which is really interesting. In a quirky bit of lighthouse history, when the keeper’s house became unnecessary after automation, it was loaded onto a barge and floated across Buzzards Bay to Wing’s Neck Light in Bourne.
The lighthouse is now surrounded by a large green space, and Mattapoisett Harbor, making it a lovely little spot for a picnic, or just to sit and relax for a bit.
13. Eastern Point Lighthouse
Location: Gloucester
Eastern Point Light is a spot I visit every time I’m in Gloucester because it’s really so lovely. Overlooking Gloucester Harbor, and sitting at the start of a .4 mile long jetty, it’s a fun place to visit when in the area.
The lighthouse was first lit in 1832, and by that point, Gloucester was already a well-established fishing and shipbuilding center in New England. The push for the lighthouse came directly from the volume of maritime traffic, making the unmarked harbor entrance increasingly dangerous. Currently, this lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation
Eastern Point is pretty easy to visit, as there’s a decent-sized parking area very close to the lighthouse. Keep in mind that the gate doesn’t open until 8a, and closes at 8p each day.
Psst! I have some posts on Gloucester you may find helpful, including the Best Things To Do In Gloucester, MA, and a Gloucester, MA Beach Guide.
14. Scituate Lighthouse
Location: Scituate
Scituate is another one of my favorite New England lighthouses, especially because I not only love the lighthouse itself, but also the town. Located at the end of the small Cedar Point peninsula, this lighthouse stands about 25 feet tall over Scituate Harbor.
Built in 1811, it’s the 11th oldest lighthouse in the U.S., and features a unique split-granite block construction. It’s most notorious for its “American Army of Two” story: During the War of 1812, two young daughters of the keeper, named Abigail and Rebecca Bates, famously grabbed a fife and drum, and hid behind cedar trees. They made so much noise that approaching British forces mistook them for an entire regiment and retreated.
Today, the lighthouse is very easy to see, and designed to welcome visitors. It’s got a large parking lot right at the lighthouse, and is surrounded by beautiful water views. You will have to traverse over large ocean rocks as you head out toward the water, but it’s worth it to take in the lighthouse from this perspective.
15. Winter Island Lighthouse
Location: Salem
Last on my list is this pretty little lighthouse tucked away from all the tourist locations in Salem. Winter Island light is located in a park with the same name, and is a lovely and serene spot that’s worth your time.
Also known as Fort Pickering Light, it was established in 1871 on Winter Island, a site with a histircally-significant past. It served as an 18th-century fort, a militia training ground, and later was home to a Coast Guard air station. Its most dedicated keeper, John Harris, served for 37 years beginning in 1882, was absent from the lighthouse for only five nights in all that time, and attended his very first motion picture on the night he retired in 1919.
This lighthouse is also pretty easy to visit, as there’s plenty of parking on Winter Island, and there are spots that are steps from the lighthouse itself.
Massachusetts Lighthouse: Answering Your Questions
How Many Lighthouses Are In Massachusetts?
The general consensus is that there are over 45 active, or historically-significant lighthouses in the state, but some sources claim there are closer to 55.
What Lighthouses In Massachusetts Can You Climb?
Most lighthouses in Massachusetts aren’t open for climbing in tours, but of the ones on this list, here are the ones you can climb (keeping in mind they’re still usually open only in the summer season, and tours can be limited):
→ Highland Light in Truro
→ Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth
→ Race Point Lighthouse in Provincetown
→ Sankaty Lighthouse on Nantucket (reservations required, only open for tours twice a year)
→ Nauset Lighthouse in Eastham
→ Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard
Can You Stay Overnight In Any Of These Lighthouses?
Yes! Race Point lighthouse does have overnight stays available, which can be booked here. You’ll stay in the keeper’s house, which is right next to the lighthouse.
How To Plan A Massachusetts Lighthouse Road Trip
Since all the lighthouses are located along the coast, it’s pretty easy to plan a road trip to see all of the ones mentioned on this list. I would start on the Cape (deciding if you want to swing by Neds Point light on your way in), spend a few days on the Cape, with day trips to both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, and then drive up the coast through Plymouth to Scituate, through Salem & Marblehead, ending in Gloucester.
That’s A Wrap On The Best Massachusetts Lighthouses To Visit!
And there you have it! Now that you know all about the best Massachusetts lighthouses to visit, you’re ready to see them all! Whether you’re looking to plan an awesome road trip along the coast to see as many as possible, or you’re looking to just visit a few, you’re sure to see some amazing views along the way!
