Pensacola lighthouse

Did you know there's a working lighthouse in Pensacola? Yeah, you probably did. But, it was a pleasant surprise to me.

I still haven't visited it. But, it's one of the first places I'm going when I move to Pensacola this coming summer.

The lighthouse was built in 1824. Here's some information from the lighthouse website:

The Pensacola lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation. Its flashing white beacon faithfully shines at 20-second intervals and is visible 27 miles out to sea.
Pensacola is the oldest lighthouse site on the Gulf Coast. It is also the tallest on the Gulf Coast – standing a proud 171 feet tall on a high bluff on the north side of Pensacola Pass. The lighthouse is built of brick and rests on a 40-foot deep granite foundation. The walls are 10-feet thick at the base and 3-feet thick at the top. There are 177 winding wrought-iron steps which wrap around a center pole leading to the top of the tower. . . .

In 1965, the Lighthouse was automated, thus no longer requiring Keepers to live at the site. Today the lighthouse is tended by the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team. The former Keepers’ Quarters contains the Navy Command Display Center with exhibits pertaining to the history of the lighthouse. In 1974, the Pensacola Lighthouse and Keepers’ Quarters were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.