Boca Grande Light - Boca Grande, FL
Posted by: 
crackergals
N 26° 43.056 W 082° 15.643
17R E 374600 N 2955777
The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and in 1985-86 the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) funded its total restoration with help from the State of Florida and local citizens. In 1986 the lighthouse was re-commissioned as a working Coast Guard light, and in 1988 the lighthouse and surrounding acreage was transferred from Lee County to the State of Florida and became Gasparilla Island State Park.
Waymark Code: WM652D
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 04/04/2009
Views: 8
Built in 1890 by the U.S. Lighthouse Service to mark the entrance into Charlotte Harbor from the Gulf of Mexico, the Boca Grande Lighthouse is the oldest building on Gasparilla Island and its most recognized landmark. The lighthouse is the centerpiece of Gasparilla Island State Park. It is not only a working U.S.Coast Guard light, it is a museum of local history open to the public, known as the Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum. The museum was created by Barrier Island Parks Society and opened to the public in 1999. BIPS operates the museum with no funds from the state.
Lighthouse keepers and their families lived and worked in the lighthouse - and in the adjacent assistant lightkeeper's house - from 1890 until 1951. The U.S. Coast Guard automated the light in 1956. Ten years later, in 1966, the Coast Guard removed the light from the building, which was deteriorating due to neglect and beach erosion. In 1972 Lee County took over ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding 13 acres, and began a long process to save the building.
Museum Hours:
November - May
Open 7 days a week
Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
June - July
September - October
Open 5 days a week
Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
The museum is closed the entire month of August and the following major holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There is a $2.00 per vehicle fee to enter Gasparilla Island State Park. The museum suggests a donation of $2.00 per person to offset operating expenses. The lighthouse is accessible to people with disabilities.
Street address:
Gasparilla Island
Boca Grande, FL USA
33921
County / Borough / Parish: Lee County, FL
Year listed: 1980
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event
Periods of significance: 1875-1899
Historic function: Transportation
Current function: State Park and Museum
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Privately owned?: Not Listed
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.