About

A coalition of leading lighthouse preservation and membership organizations from Maine to California unanimously selected the original US Lighthouse Service Depot on Staten Island, NY in 1997 as the location for the National Lighthouse Museum.
What was once the national center of operation for US lighthouse services, this museum and its beautiful location overlooking New York Harbor will become a destination for the world’s lighthouse enthusiasts and preservationists, an exciting attraction for the millions of visitors who yearly take the Staten Island Ferry and a lasting treasure for the Staten Island Community.
The ten-acre site is directly adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry terminal in St. George. Staten Island trains and bus services link the museum to an expanding array of related maritime activities and institutions in the harbor and around the Island. More than a dozen lighthouses, including one of the most famous in the world, are less than an hour’s boat ride from the museum pier.
When the museum opens, there will be exhibits and interactive displays for children and adults featuring lighthouses from around the nation, classical Fresnel lenses, lamps and technologies, modern aids to navigation and personal histories of the Keepers and their families. Outdoor exhibits, will include Lightships, buoys and fog signals, and a return and restoration of the original Depot Lighthouse.
The historic 19th and early 20th century structures on the property provide an ideal setting for exhibits, research and programs relating to the history of the United States Lighthouse Service. A growing collection already in- cludes lenses, photos, maps, books and models with more artifacts awaiting the day when the museum officially opens to the public.
Even before the buildings are open, a series of cultural events, tours and concerts will be planned. A renovated pier and waterfront plaza wind through the site offering beautiful views of the harbor and the old historic buildings.
Visitors are welcome to visit the site today, enjoy the view and get a sense of its history and its future as home for the National Lighthouse Museum.