Cape Henry Lighthouse

Begin with a tower built to make dangerous water legible.Completed in 1792, Old Cape Henry Lighthouse was the newly formed federal government's first federally funded public-works project. Aquia sandstone gave the tower its mass, and for almost a century its light helped mariners read the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The black-and-white New Cape Henry Lighthouse followed in 1881 and remains an active aid to navigation closed to the public. A current timed ticket includes an interpreter-led tower visit and roughly 45-minute walking tour.Access and safety truth: This is an active Joint Expeditionary Base, not a walk-up roadside lighthouse. Most civilian visitors age 18 and older must submit the base's SECNAV 5512 security form at least five days and no more than 30 days before the ticket date; all party members over 16 need a REAL ID or passport, foreign nationals without a U.S. Department of War security pass are currently restricted, and non-passholders use the scheduled shuttle. The route includes at least 79 stairs and about three-quarters of a mile of walking; climbers must be 42 inches tall, carrying children is prohibited, the final ladder is inaccessible to service animals, and heat, lightning, storms, or military operations can close the tower. More

Begin with a tower built to make dangerous water legible.Completed in 1792, Old Cape Henry Lighthouse was the newly formed federal government's first federally funded public-works project. Aquia sandstone gave the tower its mass, and for almost a century its light helped mariners read the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The black-and-white New Cape Henry Lighthouse followed in 1881 and remains an active aid to navigation closed to the public. A current timed ticket includes an interpreter-led tower visit and roughly 45-minute walking tour.Access and safety truth: This is an active Joint Expeditionary Base, not a walk-up roadside lighthouse. Most civilian visitors age 18 and older must submit the base's SECNAV 5512 security form at least five days and no more than 30 days before the ticket date; all party members over 16 need a REAL ID or passport, foreign nationals without a U.S. Department of War security pass are currently restricted, and non-passholders use the scheduled shuttle. The route includes at least 79 stairs and about three-quarters of a mile of walking; climbers must be 42 inches tall, carrying children is prohibited, the final ladder is inaccessible to service animals, and heat, lightning, storms, or military operations can close the tower. More