Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum

A 108-foot brick tower first lit in 1860, designed by then-Lt. George Meade — the same officer who would command the Union army at Gettysburg three years later. It sits on a Native American shell midden above the inlet, making the light effectively 153 feet above sea level, and remains an active aid to navigation run by the Coast Guard. The Loxahatchee River Historical Society operates the museum in a WWII-era Navy building at the base, plus the keeper's workshop, the pioneer Tindall House, and waterfront trails through the surrounding 120-acre Outstanding Natural Area.

What to order

The 105-step climb up the spiral staircase is the whole point — go on a Tue–Sun morning before the heat and afternoon storms; admission runs about $18 adults, $10 kids, and children must be 48" to climb. Allow 2–3 hours for the full site.

Hours

Tue–Sun 10a–4p · closed Mondays · weather can cancel climbs