The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is celebrating 150 years of providing a welcoming beacon of light for the historic port of St. Augustine and its beautiful coastline. The tower’s massive lens was first lit on October 15th, 1874 and a special 150th birthday celebration will take place this year on October 15. A kickoff celebration for a year-long anniversary is planned for Monday, October 14 through Friday, October 18, 2024. Throughout the year, new learning activities, community events and commemorative store merchandise will be featured at the Lighthouse and Museum.

“This is truly a momentous anniversary to celebrate,” said Amy Klassen, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. “Not only does it give us an ideal opportunity to reflect on the Lighthouse’s impressive past, it also provides us with a starting point for creating an even more vibrant future for this iconic structure.”

Klassen added that the Lighthouse’s enduring history of support for and by the surrounding community and its long tradition of welcoming guests will share center stage during the anniversary celebration.

“From its earliest days of operation, the Lighthouse keepers and their families welcomed visitors to the site,” Klassen said. “Today, our staff hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors from
around the world and as nearby as a block away. People are just naturally attracted to our iconic black-and-white striped tower. We are happy to share with them the spectacular view from its top. Of course, we’re also proud to show them the latest underwater discoveries made by our marine archeologists and give them a sense of what it was like to live and work at this lighthouse over the past 150 years.”

Klassen added that the celebration will also highlight the 150 years of history shared between the Lighthouse and the surrounding community.

As part of the anniversary, several new and exciting exhibits will be unveiled.

“I’m particularly excited about a new exhibit that will honor our lighthouse’s service to not only the maritime community, but also to our community,” said Jason Titcomb, the Lighthouse and
Museum’s Director of Curatorial Affairs. “Although the Lighthouse’s primary role has been as an aid to navigation, it has provided so much more as a source of pride for the people of St. Augustine and as an inspiration for visitors. The story of how it was saved from destruction and restored by the women of the Junior Service League is especially inspiring. All that and more will be included in this new exhibit.”

More details on the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum will be announced as plans unfold.

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About the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
The mission of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is to discover, preserve, present, and keep alive the stories of a working lighthouse in the historic port of St. Augustine., The St. Augustine Lighthouse has been a unique landmark of the City of St. Augustine. Today, the Lighthouse maintains its lens for use as an aid to navigation. The museum hosts interactive exhibits, guided tours, history and educational programs, and maritime research. It is the parent organization of the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), and together the two non-profits are an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (www.StAugustineLighthouse.org).