The Jupiter Lighthouse sits on Coast Guard property so it isn't a light that visitors may climb on their own. A guided tour is the only way to see it if you want to get close. It can also be viewed during non-operating hours from the Intercoastal Waterway that runs through Jupiter, from various restaurants and beaches across the water, or from US1 which passes on the west of the light.

But we hadn't come all the way from our home near Cocoa Beach to just view it from afar! On July 2, 2001, we arrived at the light after 10:00am when the first tour begins and paid our $5.00 ($6.00 fee now) at the gift shop for the tour. The tour guide told us a few interesting stories and facts on the way up the path to the light which really enhanced our visit. He said that at one time or another every branch of the U.S. military had been stationed at the light. He also told us that, when the restoration of the light was in progress, they ordered the original paint color from a company in Germany so that the light would look exactly as it had when built in 1860. They also uncovered the gorgeous granite supports, which had been painted over many times, and decided to leave them exposed (see pic on the left) rather than repaint them.

As we approached the light, we could see the hill on which it sits, the site of an ancient Indian mound. Archeologists have determined that the hill has been around since sometime in 700 AD. With that in mind, this 1860 lighthouse doesn't seem all that old does it? Looking up the hill through the natural landscaping we saw that the 115 steps in the light weren't the only steps we'd have to climb. There is a stairway leading up past the oil house to the door at the base of the light.

Our guide told us that, during the 1928 hurricane, the tower swayed about 17 inches and that the winds damaged one of the bulls-eyes in the First Order Fresnel lens. I'm glad it was a calm day when we were there, I'm not sure I could stand swaying in the breeze at the top of this 115 foot tower. There is also a sign at the bottom of the hill which says climb at your own risk! Well none of that stopped us ... up we went. There are four landings and four windows on the way up, one faces each point on the compass. I had to stop at each one to admire the view (and to catch my breath). At the top we entered the lanternroom and we could see the repaired bulls-eye by looking up into the lens (pic on left). I took a picture through one of the porthole windows that looks out onto the gallery. I love the way the view reflects in the window glass in that picture (see below).

From the gallery outside we could see many of the condos and buildings on the beaches, the ocean, and boats coming and going from the Atlantic Ocean into the Intercoastal Waterway. I usually take pictures looking down onto the ground from up top but that day I was a little spooked by the height for some reason. Lots of good pictures, including one looking down from the top, can be found on the Florida Lighthouse pages. The Lighthouse Hunters also have some good pictures of this light and of many others they've visited.

Since these tours run all day, we had a limited amount of time at the top. Our guide told us it was time to go back down but that we could go into the oilhouse to see the small museum there or we could relax on the benches near the large banyan tree. This tree was given to the keeper, Capt. Charles Seabrook, in the 1930s, and it was just two feet tall. As you can see in the picture below, it has grown quite a bit since then! The girls posed in front of the tree while Darrell and I relaxed on the site of the keepers house which burned down in 1927. We learned a lot of history on this tour but even more can be found on the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse History page.

We were in Jupiter for several days, docked at the JIB Marina, and the next day we took a boat ride down the Intercoastal. That trip gave me a chance to take a few more pictures of the light from the water. As we rounded the curve in the river we could see more and more of the tower showing through the foliage around it. Then the dock in front of the area comes into view, then the beach and some of the buildings nearby. As we rounded the next curve the light slowly faded from sight.

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