Museums & Lighthouses

LIGHTHOUSES

ONE ISLAND, FIVE LIGHTHOUSES. They’ve guided mariners since the age of sail, through the whaling era and in times of war and peace. The five lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard have been rebuilt, moved, manned, unmanned, oil-lit and automated. It hasn’t been an easy couple of centuries. And yet they still shine. Tours are available at some locations.

PETER SIMON GAY HEAD LIGHT

President John Adams commissioned the first lighthouse at this location in 1799. Built in 1856, today’s red brick lighthouse is located on the Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah off Lighthouse Road. After a fundraising effort in 2015, the lighthouse was moved back 129 feet to a safer location away from the eroding cliffs. If you walk the grounds, you can see a stone circle marking the former location of the lighthouse.

While the lighthouse is now closed for the season for tours, a visit to the grounds and to take in the view is well worth the drive. The one-way trip takes approximately an hour by bus or 1/2 hour by car from down-Island towns, so allow at least 3 hours to go out, experience the cliffs and return.

Back down-Island, you can view the original 1854 Fresnel lens, designed in France and used in the lighthouse for almost 100 years, prominently displayed at the Martha's Vineyard Museum's Vineyard Haven campus. GAY HEAD CLIFFS, AQUINNAH, OFF LIGHTHOUSE ROAD

A telegraph signal tower was built at this location in 1828, and was replaced by a lighthouse in 1869. The present cast iron lighthouse was erected in 1875 and is located on the east side of Vineyard Haven Harbor in Oak Bluffs. From the grounds, enjoy a sweeping view of Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Haven Harbor. The lighthouse is maintained by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. The grounds (but not the light) are open for exploring. 220 EAST CHOP AVENUE, OAK BLUFFS

EDGARTOWN LIGHT

The original lighthouse was built in 1828 but demolished after irreparable damage from the 1938 hurricane. In 1939 the cast iron Essex Light in Ipswich, Massachusetts was dismantled and brought to Edgartown by barge. The structure is located off North Water Street and offers views of Edgartown Harbor and Chappaquiddick across the channel. Maintained and restored by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in 2007, the lighthouse is open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October 11. Call 508-627-4441 for information. 121 NORTH WATER STREET, EDGARTOWN

WEST CHOP LIGHT

First built in 1817, the original wooden structure was replaced by brick in 1838 and moved back from the bluff twice. It sits just outside Vineyard Haven on West Chop Road (the extension of Main Street) approximately 2 miles north of downtown, and offers views of both Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound. Owned by the US Coast Guard, the West Chop Light is not open to the public, but you can view the lighthouse from the road. WEST CHOP ROAD, VINEYARD HAVEN

CAPE POGUE LIGHT

Originally built in 1801 and moved and rebuilt several times, the current wooden structure dates from 1893. It is the most remote of the five Island beacons, located at The Trustees of Reservations' Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge on Chappaquiddick. The Trustees offer seasonal tours of Chappaquiddick, including the lighthouse. For reservations call 508-627-3599 or visit thetrustees.org. CAPE POGUE WILDLIFE REFUGE, CHAPPAQUIDDICK