Climb to the Top of Florida's Tallest Lighthouse

Standing at 175 feet tall, the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse is not only the tallest lighthouse in Florida, but it’s also the second tallest in the United States! Those are two pretty impressive reasons to visit this historic lighthouse, but did you know you can also climb to the top? That was enough for me to add this destination to our Florida Road trip.

Lighthouse Admission Rates

So what’s the going rate to climb to the top of Florida’s tallest lighthouse? Here are the current rates for this adventure:

General Admission Rates

Adults (age 12+): $6.95
Children (age 3-11): $1.95
Infants (age 0-2): Free

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, also called the Ponce Inlet lighthouse, is a great place to spend a couple hours. There is a lot to see here, from historic museum exhibits to an entire building used to display a collection of Fresnel lenses.

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse History

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse was originally called the Mosquito Inlet Lighthouse. The land on the Mosquito Inlet was purchase in 1883 and construction began in 1884. Despite some setbacks, the lighthouse was completed in 1887 using approximately 1.25 million bricks. According to the Ponce Inlet lighthouse website, “the name of Mosquito Inlet was officially changed to Ponce de Leon Inlet in 1927, for real estate and tourism purposes.” The Lighthouse Service agreed to change their name to match the new inlet name.

Our Climb to the Top of Florida’s Tallest Lighthouse

Skip the gym, this walk up the winding spiral staircase will get your step count up and your heart pumping. Don’t worry, there are 9 landings along the way for you to take a break (or a photo) if needed. Only 203 steps to climb to the top of the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and I’m already half way there!

I love the graphic way the spiral staircase appears from above and I also love this nautical striped sleeveless top I brought to wear to the lighthouses we planned to visit while in Florida. It’s very figure flattering and comfortable, which is important when it’s warm and humid and you’re exerting yourself up all those stairs!

My lighthouse outfit: Striped Navy Peplum Top

The View from the Top

We made it and here’s the view to prove it! I can now say I climbed to the top of Florida’s tallest lighthouse!

Don’t Miss the Ayres Davies Lens Exhibit Building

This collection of Fresnal lenses was one of my favorite exhibits. The tallest Fresnel lens on display was originally used in the Cape Canaveral lighthouse. Vibrations from nearby rocket launches damaged the Cape Canaveral first order rotating lens, so it was brought to Ponce Inlet in 1993 for restoration and display.

Historical Museum

Cuban Rafts

This exhibit stopped me in my tracks and left an impression that will be difficult to forget. The desperation seen in these make-shift rafts was palpable. To think that people went out into the turbulent ocean these-bare bones vessels is absolutely heartbreaking. The raft on the left washed ashore in 1989. The life vest was left behind by the Coast Guard to indicate that the refugees were rescued.