Pensacola Light, Lighthouse on Pensacola Bay, Escambia County, United States
Pensacola Light is a 150-foot brick tower on a granite foundation at the entrance to Pensacola Bay, its lower third painted white and its upper two-thirds, lantern and dome black. Two small rectangular windows pierce the dark section, and a gallery deck with railing encircles the glass lantern. A low building with a red roof and white trim sits at the base.
The first Pensacola Light was the lightship Aurora Borealis, moved to Pensacola in 1823. In 1825 a 40-foot tower was built on a 40-foot bluff at the south entrance to Pensacola Bay, but trees partly obscured it. A new tower was built on the north side of the bay entrance and lit on January 1, 1859; it was damaged by an artillery duel in November 1861 and relit in 1863.
The 1869 keeper's quarters beside the tower now hold a museum and gift shop run by the Pensacola Lighthouse Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a small staff and many volunteers. The tower's black upper two-thirds date from after the Civil War, when it had been painted all white.
The tower stands on the Pensacola Naval Air Station, so reach it through the base gate and carry photo identification for entry. Tours run daily since early 2011 under the Pensacola Lighthouse Association, after a limited reopening in 2009. The 1869 keeper's quarters next door hold the museum and gift shop.
A staircase winds through the interior leading to an observation platform with far-reaching views of the bay and military aircraft from the air station. This elevated vantage point makes the view one of the visit's highlights for many people.
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