Monmouth Discovery

History & Lighthouses · Sea Girt

Sea Girt Lighthouse

A 44-foot lighthouse first lit in 1896, run by a volunteer committee, with Sunday afternoon tours from April through late November.

The red-brick Sea Girt Lighthouse with its wraparound porch and square lantern tower, behind a garden and lawn.
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Sea Girt Lighthouse first shone on December 10, 1896, and is described as the last live-in lighthouse built on the Atlantic Coast. The tower is 44 feet tall and used a fourth-order Fresnel lens. In mid-1921 it became the first land-based light station with a radio beacon navigation system, which was shut down in 1928.

On September 8, 1934, its beacon helped guide survivors of the burning liner Morro Castle to shore. The Coast Guard took over on July 1, 1939, and the light was decommissioned in 1945. The borough bought the property in the 1950s, and since 1981 a volunteer committee has held the lease for $1 a year, under an agreement that runs through 2056.

Tours run Sundays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., from April 12 through November 22, 2026, and skip five holiday weekends including Memorial Day and Labor Day. Tours for school groups and scouts can be arranged year-round. The site posts weather closures on its home page, so check it before going.

Good for

  • History
  • Waterfront

Last checked 2026-10-24. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit

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