The Point Arena Lighthouse was first lit on May 1st, 1870. Its brick and mortar tower featured ornate iron balcony supports and a large Keepers' residence with enough space to house four Light Keeper families. In April of 1906, a devastating earthquake struck the tower. The tower was damaged beyond repair and had to be completely deconstructed
The United States Lighthouse Service contracted with a San Francisco-based company to build a new Lighthouse that could withstand any future earthquakes. The company built factory smokestacks, which account for the final design of the current Point Arena Lighthouse. The new design featured steel reinforcement rods encased in concrete and was the first lighthouse to be built in this manner.
The new Lighthouse began operation on September 15, 1908, nearly 29 months after the quake. It stands 115 feet tall and features a 1st-order Fresnel Lens, seven feet in diameter and weighing 4,700 pounds. The lens is composed of 258 hand-ground glass prisms, all focused toward three sets of double bull's-eyes. It is these bullseyes that gave the Point Arena Lighthouse its unique “light signature” of two flashes every six seconds.
In 1984, a nonprofit organization called the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers, Inc. acquired the Light Station as part of a 25-year land lease from the Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation. In November 2000, the nonprofit group became the official owner of the property due to its diligent historic preservation and educational efforts.
Join us Friday, May 1, 2026, to celebrate 156 years of lighting the way on the Pacific Coast with free admission to the Indoor Museum, Outdoor Museum, and Light Station Store. Tower tours are available to anyone 4 years and older for a $5 fee. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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