The National Park Service will open the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse to the public this year on Friday, Mar. 25 and it will remain open through Columbus Day, Oct. 10. As has become tradition, no fee will be charged to climb the lighthouse on opening day, Friday, Mar. 25th. However, entrance to the lighthouse will still be on a scheduled tour basis and tickets will be available at the ticket booth that day.
Lighthouse tours will begin at 9 a.m. daily and will run every 10 minutes until 4:40 p.m. with a limit of 30 visitors per tour. Beginning Mar. 26, tour fees are $6 for adults and $3 for senior citizens (62 or older), children (12 and under), and those holding Golden Access passes. From Memorial Day, May 31 through Labor Day, Sept. 6, the Lighthouse will be open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. with the last tour beginning at 5:40 p.m. From Sept. 7 through Columbus Day, Oct. 10, tours return to the 9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. schedule.
Upon purchase, each visitor will receive a ticket indicating the date and time of their tour. Visitors should line up at the lighthouse gate five minutes before their tour time and present their tickets for entry.
The ticket booth at the lighthouse will open at 8:15 a.m. daily. Tickets will be available on a first come/first served basis, are sold only at the ticket booth on site, and are available for the day of purchase only. Advance ticket sales are not available to the public or commercial tours. Tours will likely sell out by noon each day, so visitors should plan to arrive early to purchase their tickets.
Some tours may be booked in advance for school groups. School group tours can be scheduled by calling the Hatteras Island Visitor Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily at (252) 995-4474. Educational fee waiver requests must be submitted in advance to: Fee Manager, National Park Service, Outer Banks Group, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954.
Climbing the lighthouse, equal to climbing a 12-story building, can be strenuous. It may be humid, warm and dim inside the lighthouse as there is no air conditioning or electricity in the structure. Visitors with heart and other medical conditions, and visitors with crutches, walkers and canes (excluding ”white canes”), should use their own discretion as to whether to climb the tower.
The following safety rules apply to all visitors climbing the lighthouse:
Children must be at least 42 inches in height to enter the lighthouse.
Children must be capable of climbing all steps on their own.
No person may be lifted or carried by any means while in the lighthouse.
Children under the age of 12 years old must be escorted by an adult.
The following items or actions are prohibited in the Lighthouse:
Eating, drinking, smoking and chewing tobacco
Umbrellas or parasols
Bare feet and heels over 1.5 inches high
Large or heavy items such as beach bags, backpacks, tripods, surfboards, fishing poles, etc.
Running, jumping, or stomping on stairs and landings.
Frisbees, boomerangs, and other equipment that may be thrown.
Intentional throwing of objects.
Only guide animals are allowed in the lighthouse; all other animals are prohibited.
For more information, please go to www.nps.gov/caha/climbing.htm or call (252) 995-4474.
