Key West lighthouse, Maritime lighthouse in Key West, United States

The Key West lighthouse is a brick structure located along the coast of this island town that served as a navigation aid for ships. The building features thick masonry walls painted white with a black lantern chamber at the top, from which light shone across the water.

The first tower, finished in 1825, was destroyed by the Great Havana Hurricane of 1846, which killed fourteen people sheltering inside, including seven relatives of keeper Barbara Mabrity. Congress was slow to fund a replacement, so the ship Honey served as a lightship until the new tower was completed in 1848. Barbara Mabrity kept the light until the early 1860s, when she was dismissed at 82 for Unionist statements.

The lighthouse has long served as a landmark that shapes the identity of Key West's waterfront. Visitors come here to connect with the area's seafaring past and understand how maritime life defined this island community.

A set of interior stairs takes visitors upward, and once at the top you get a clear view of the town and surrounding waters. Those who can climb stairs and allow time for the visit will be rewarded with excellent views.

The optical system on display here comes from a different lighthouse called Sombrero Key and shows the advanced technology that sailors once relied on. This exhibited equipment tells a story of how light and glass saved lives at sea.