How to Celebrate the Sanibel Lighthouse for National Lighthouse Day

Sunday, August 7, 2022, is National Lighthouse Day and the perfect time to celebrate our very own Sanibel Lighthouse. Located on the eastern-most point of the island, the Sanibel Lighthouse broke ground in 1884 thanks to $50,000 granted by Congress to the petitioning settlers of the island (approx. $1.5 million in today’s dollars). Their hope was that a lighthouse would make the island settlement easier to find and help the local settlers increase trade opportunities.

Today, the lighthouse is a much-beloved landmark and part of the National Register of Historic Structures. Visitors can explore the land around the lighthouse, owned by the City of Sanibel, to enjoy nature trails, a beach park, and the pier. The area offers hourly parking, a restroom, picnic areas, sheltered pavilion, beach or shore fishing, showers, trails, and ADA-accessible amenities.

Sundial Resort guests can use one of our complimentary bikes to pedal the route from the resort to Lighthouse Beach – it’s a quick 20-minute ride.

We hope you’ll make time during your next visit to go and see this towering Island landmark!

Here are some fun facts about the Lighthouse:

• The lighthouse was operated on Kerosene Oil for 65 years until erosion caused the lighthouse to become automated in 1949.
• In 1982, residents in the area surrounding the lighthouse could live there for free in exchange for the upkeep of the area.
• The Coast Guard handed the lighthouse over to the city in 2004.
• The lighthouse was recently restored in 2013 for a grand total of $269,563.
• Henry Shanahan, the second keeper of the lighthouse in 1888, was originally denied the position because he was illiterate.
• 670 acres of land was reserved for the construction of the lighthouse.
• Although the actual lighthouse is not open to the public, the area around it is.
• The lighthouse is 98 feet tall.