Ponce Inlet Lighthouse: Florida’s Tallest Lighthouse

• Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse began as the Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse with the purchase of ten acres of land on March 21, 1883.
• Tragically, Chief Engineer Orville E. Babcock and three others drowned in the inlet when construction began in 1883.
• The tower was completed three years later in 1886.
• The kerosene lamp in the Fresnel lens was first lit on November 1, 1887, by Keeper William Rowlinski.
• The new light could be seen 20 miles to sea.
• Rowlinski, a Russian immigrant, was thefirst keeper and served until 1893. Later, When he retired in 1902, he purchased a house on the Halifax River right next to his old lighthouse at Mosquito Inlet.
• 1909, the kerosene lamp was replaced by an incandescent oil vapor (O.I.V.) lamp.
• 1927, the name of Mosquito Inlet was changed to Ponce de Leon Inlet for real estate and tourism purposes.
• August, 1933 the tower light was electrified with a 500 watt electric lamp.
• During World War II, the keepers’ families left the Light Station, and the buildings were turned into barracks against enemy submarines.
• After the war, families moved back, but in late 1953, the lighthouse was completely automated, and the keepers and their families left for the last time.
• 1972, Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association was founded as a non-profit, organization to restore and operate the property as a museum.
• 1972, the Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of only a handful of 19th Century Light Stations to have all its original buildings still intact.
• 1982, a new tower balcony replaced the crumbling one, and the light in the lantern was restored to active service.
• 1998 the Light Station was designated a National Historic Landmark.
• 2003 The original first order lens from the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse was restored and put on display.
• Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse is now listed as a operational private aid to navigation.

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Information for Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Quick Note – The Daytona Lighthouse is one of the few lighthouses in the US that permit very young and small kids to climb to the top. Usually the height restrictions are 48 inches and taller. This makes it a perfect place to visit for families with young families.

Phone: (386) 761-1821

Address: 4931 South Peninsula Drive – Ponce Inlet, FL 32127

Hours:

September 3, 2013 – May 25, 2014

Open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. (Last admission at 5:00 p.m.)

May 25, 2014 – September 1, 2014 

Open daily from 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. (Last admission at 8:00 p.m.)

Rates:

$5.00 for Adults (12 & Over)

$1.50 for Children (11 & Under)

Free Admission for Infants (NB – 2)