A Look into the Lens

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Fridays through Mondays, mid-April through December

See inside the Point Reyes Lighthouse and discover its history and function with a park ranger. Access requires a strenuous descent and ascent of 313 stairs. The stairs close when weather and winds are hazardous, i.e., if the winds are in excess of 40 mph (64 kmph). The first gallery (the middle chamber), which houses the original clockworks and from which one can get a close look at the first-order Fresnel lens,  is open with a ranger present from 2:30 pm to 4 pm, Fridays through Mondays. The Visitor Center and steps leading down to the Lighthouse are usually closed early at 2 pm on Thanksgiving and are closed all day on December 25. No programs are offered on these days.

Operational Changes that began on May 1, 2013: The Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse are now only open 10 am to 4:30 pm, Fridays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays through Thursdays. Therefore, the "A Look into the Lens" program is now only offered Fridays through Mondays for most of the year. However, from Thursday, June 25, 2015, through Monday, September 28, 2015, the park was able to temporarily restore pre-2013 hours and the Lighthouse Visitor Center and the stairs leading down to the Lighthouse were open 10 am to 4:30 pm, Thursdays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The schedule for summer 2020 has yet to be determined.

Fees

This event is free to attend.

Location

Point Reyes Lighthouse

Latitude and Longitude 37.995830, -123.022990

Schedule

Contact Information

Point Reyes Lighthouse Visitor Center
415-669-1534
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