The Cape Lookout Lighthouse will be open for climbing from May 16, 2012 until September 22, 2012.

The regular season begins the second week in May and ends with the third full weekend in September.

Lighthouse Climbing Hours: The lighthouse will be open for climbing on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Climbs will begin every 15 minutes from 10:00 AM until 3:45 PM.

The lighthouse may close at any time if conditions (i.e.: temperature/humidity, lightning, or high winds) are determined to be unsafe.

The seashore will announce on Twitter (www.twitter.com/CapeLookoutNPS) when lighthouse tickets are sold out for the day and when weather related closures occur.

Tickets are required.

Prices for Tickets: $8.00 for Adults. $4.00 for children (12 years of age and younger and at least 44 inches tall), senior citizens (62 years and older), and those holding a National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Access Pass.

Please Note: ticket prices do not include the cost of ferry transportation. For more information on ferry services please contact the ferry companies directly.

Where to Purchase Tickets: Tickets for climbs may be purchased from 9:30 AM to 3:45 PM, Wednesday through Saturday, at the Light Station Visitor Center. Each ticket is good only for the date and time stamped on the ticket.

Ticket holders should arrive at the lighthouse 10 minutes before their scheduled climb.

Tickets will not be refunded for late arriving guests.

Advance Reservations: Tickets may be reserved by calling (252) 728-0708 Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Reservations must be made at least one day in advance and can only be made for climbs during the same week. Reservations are highly recommended.

Reserved tickets must be picked up and purchased from the Light Station Visitor Center at least 30 minutes before the time of the climb. Failure to do so will result in the reservation being forfeited and the tickets being released for sale to "standby" visitors. Please make sure to allow enough lead time before your climb for the boat or ferry trip to the island.

Only 4 groups of 10 people may enter the lighthouse per hour. (This safety limit was established by engineers after they examined the lighthouse.) In order to accommodate a diversity of groups, only 10 tickets may be reserved per person without a reservation fee. For information on school groups, please see the section below. Information on groups of 11 or more people will be announced soon.

Warning: The climb to the top is strenuous. It may be hot, humid, noisy and dim inside the lighthouse. Climbing the 207 steps to the gallery is roughly equal to climbing a 12-story building. The stairs are narrow and groups going up will share the stairs with groups returning to the bottom.

Visitors with heart, respiratory, or other medical conditions -- or those who have trouble climbing stairs -- should probably not attempt the climb. Visitors who do not wish to climb can view the four outside "View from the Top" exhibits located near the lighthouse Keepers' Quarters, the panorama located in the Keepers' Quarters Museum, and the online panoramas on this website.

 Safety Guidelines

Children must be at least 44 inches tall to climb the lighthouse due to the often strong winds at the top that can knock children off their feet.

Climbers who are 12 years old or younger must be accompanied by someone 16 years of age or older.

To keep hands free for handrails, no person may be lifted or carried and food, drinks, and bulky personal items (e.g. backpacks, tripods) should be left outside the lighthouse.

Shoes are required; heels should be less than 1½ inches. Flip-flops are not recommended.

Group Reservations

School Groups

School groups may make reservations on Tuesdays from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM from February 14 to May 7, 2012 by calling (252) 728-0708. Reservations can also be made during the normal hours of the reservation phone line (listed above). These reservations can be made for any date in the climbing season.

All school groups are required to have an adult (18 years old or older) climbing with each group. Because climbing groups are limited to 10 people, there can be no more than 9 children in each climbing group. All climbers must meet the safety guidelines listed above.

A teacher or chaperone must arrive at the Light Station Visitor Center at least 30 minutes prior to the first climb to pick up the tickets. Tickets will not be refunded for late arriving groups. Please make sure to allow enough lead time before your climb for the boat or ferry trip to the island. Arriving late may result in some students being unable to climb the lighthouse.

North Carolina school groups in the 4th and 8th grades who are currently studying North Carolina state history may qualify for an Academic Fee Waiver for the cost of the lighthouse tickets. Additional requirements apply.

Non-public schools in North Carolina (including home schools) which are registered with the North Carolina Department of Administration's Division of Non-Public Education, and which possess the appropriate documentation, may qualify for an Academic Fee Waiver for the cost of the lighthouse tickets. Non-public schools with children in multiple grade levels can only qualify for fee waivers for those students in the 4th and 8th grades who are currently studying North Carolina state history and for their chaperones (1 adult for every 9 qualifying students). Additional requirements apply.

School groups requesting a fee waiver must make their reservations at least 6 weeks prior to the climb date.  School groups who do not qualify for the Academic Fee Waiver are required to pay the full ticket price at least 2 weeks prior to their scheduled climb or the reservation will be forfeited.

Please contact the park at (252) 728-2250 ext. 0 or e-mail us for information on fee waiver eligibility and requirements.