Huntington Lighthouse tours return for 2026 season after record year
Built in 1912, the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse stands 42 feet at the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd Harbors. The only concrete lighthouse constructed on the East Coast, it is available for tours on selected Sundays throughout the summer. Photo by Bob Mulle.
The Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society is launching its 2026 season with an expanded schedule of public tours and continued restoration work at the historic Huntington Harbor Lighthouse.
The announcement follows a record-setting 2025 season, when nearly 600 visitors toured the offshore lighthouse, the highest attendance in the organization’s history. Society officials said strong public interest and improved online booking helped make last season a success.
“We saw tremendous enthusiasm from the public last season, with nearly every tour fully booked,” said Pam Setchell, president of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society. “It was incredibly rewarding to share the lighthouse’s history and its ongoing role as an active navigational aid with so many visitors.”
Public tours will depart from Gold Star Battalion Beach on the following Sundays throughout the summer: June 28; July 12 and 26; August 9 and 23; and September 13 and 27. Tours run from 11am through the final departure at 3pm, and include a guided boat ride to the lighthouse, educational programming and the opportunity to explore the interior and climb the tower. Each tour lasts approximately 75 minutes and is weather permitting.
Built in 1912, the 114-year-old Huntington Harbor Lighthouse sits on a reef at the entrance to Huntington and Lloyd harbors. Designed to guide mariners through the often challenging waters of Long Island Sound, the Venetian Renaissance-style structure resembles a small castle rising from the water.
The lighthouse was also notable for its construction. Its foundation was built on land, floated to the site and then sunk onto the reef before being filled with concrete to create a stable base. Large stones were placed around the foundation to help protect the structure from waves and storms.
The lighthouse replaced an earlier beacon on Lloyd Neck that had served the area since 1857.
After the lighthouse was automated in 1949, it fell into disrepair and faced possible demolition in the 1980s. Local residents and preservation advocates organized to save the structure, leading to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Today, the lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation while serving as a symbol of Huntington’s maritime history.
For more information or to reserve a tour, visit huntingtonlighthouse.org/tours.
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