4 Things to Do: the Montauk Lighthouse
By Joe Mollica
Commissioned by President George Washington in 1792, the Montauk Point Lighthouse was the first to be built in New York, and is the fourth-oldest working lighthouse in the country.
It goes without saying that the beacon is the East End’s pride and joy and a symbol of its rich maritime legacy, but it’s also one of only 12 lighthouses to be honored as a National Historic Landmark.
As one of the most visited spots on Long Island, you might know that the Lighthouse Museum is home to the famous document signed by George Washington in 1796 authorizing the purchase of Turtle Hill, the land where the lighthouse now sits. The sale price? $250.
And, of course, who doesn’t love to climb the tower – 137 iron steps to the panoramic views of Block Island Sound and the Atlantic at the spectacular top.
The lighthouse, however, is much more than just a landmark historical site. It’s also the home to some unique, enriching, and family-friendly exhibits that explore everything from local marine life to visual representations of erosion on the Montauk coastline to Teddy Roosevelt and the lighthouse’s role in the Spanish American War.
So, come your next visit to the Point, make time to enjoy some of these fantastic featured programs and exhibits:
4 Things to Do at the Montauk Lighthouse
Explore a Virtual Aquarium
Located in the lighthouse’s Oceans Institute, the brand new virtual aquarium features 18 species of fish and sea creatures that live in Montauk’s waters, from striped bass to great white sharks. The animals in the aquarium react when visitors walk up to the display. For example: the blowfish expands, the scallop shuts its shell, the shark does a little flip, or snaps its jaws. The aquarium is open during our normal business hours, and is free with admission to the lighthouse.
Honor the 125th Anniversary of Camp Wikoff
On September 30, the lighthouse will be launching a brand-new augmented reality tour led by a virtual Theodore Roosevelt. The Colonel will lead visitors around the grounds, talking about Camp Wikoff, the quarantine camp that occupied much of Montauk during the summer of 1898. Plus, a new edition of , the definitive book about Camp Wikoff, will also be launched, with its author on-site to sign copies and field questions.
Discover a Shipwreck
The Montauk Lighthouse Shipwreck Room features two model ships – one of the Culloden, a British ship that ran aground at Montauk’s Culloden Point during the Revolutionary War, and the other of the Great Eastern, an iron-hulled ship near the size of the Titanic that hit a submerged rock on a voyage to New York City in 1862.
The room also features an interactive map showing the year and locations of shipwrecks around Montauk Point.
The Erosion Room, another permanent exhibit, offers four detailed dioramas from different periods of the lighthouse’s history: when it was first built, after its expansion in 1860, when it was operated by the Coast Guard, and during the Second World War.
The sequences show just how much land has been lost over time. Recently, a $38 million dollar revetment project was completed at Montauk Point that will prevent further erosion for years to come.
Learn About Long Island’s Other Lighthouse
Last but not least is the visitor favorite display, Lighthouses of Long Island. This interactive diorama has miniature replicas of the lighthouses that dot Long Island’s coast and surround the Sound, mimicking the type of light each offers and providing information about each beacon.
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