Absecon Lighthouse
🌤 Weather at Absecon Lighthouse by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37–66 °F | 65–80 °F | 43–74 °F | 30–47 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Atlantic City, 1 mi away, elevation 10 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
ℹ️ What this site is (checked October 2026): Absecon Lighthouse is a National Register landmark in Atlantic City. The State of New Jersey owns it, and the nonprofit Inlet Public/Private Association has run it since 1996 under a lease from the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. Admission is set by the association, not by the state park system.
New Jersey’s Tallest Lighthouse
At 171 feet, Absecon Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey and the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854 to the design of George Meade — the Army engineer who would command the Union army at Gettysburg nine years later — and the light was first lit on January 15, 1857, watching over Absecon Inlet after a string of wrecks off this stretch of coast. It was deactivated as an official aid to navigation in 1933. Its original first-order Fresnel lens, made in France, is still in the lantern room, which is rare: most were removed and scattered long ago.
The Climb
228 steps spiral up to the watch room and the outer gallery. It is a real climb — there is no elevator — but the payoff is a 360-degree view over the Atlantic City skyline, the inlet and the open ocean, from a vantage point no casino tower offers. At ground level, a reconstructed keeper’s house serves as museum and gift shop, and the original oil house holds an exhibit on the Fresnel lens.
Know Before You Go
| 📍 Address: | 31 S. Rhode Island Ave., Atlantic City, New Jersey. |
| 🕗 Hours: | September–June: Thursday–Monday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). July–August: daily, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Last climb begins half an hour before closing. |
| 🎫 Admission: | An admission fee applies to climb the tower. Check current rates at abseconlighthouse.org before you visit. |
| 🪜 The climb: | 228 steps, no elevator. Not suitable for visitors who cannot manage a long stair ascent. |
| 🏛️ Listed: | National Register of Historic Places and New Jersey Register of Historic Places. |
| 🅿️ Parking: | On-site parking available. |
Wildlife and Setting
The coastal marsh and inlet around the lighthouse draw ospreys, great egrets and laughing gulls, and peregrine falcons hunt from the tower and nearby high structures. Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, one of the better birding destinations on the mid-Atlantic coast, is about 10 miles north.
Best Time to Visit
Fall (September–October): Clear air, the longest views from the gallery and thinner crowds than summer. Spring: Coastal bird migration in full swing. Summer: Daily opening and the longest hours, but the climb is hot and Atlantic City is at its busiest. Winter: Reduced days, but you may have the tower largely to yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The State of New Jersey owns the lighthouse, but it is not run as a state park. The nonprofit Inlet Public/Private Association has leased the lighthouse and its two-acre site from the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry since 1996 and runs it as a historic site and museum, and the association sets the admission fee.
228 steps from the base to the watch room and outer gallery, with no elevator. Most reasonably fit visitors manage it with a pause or two on the landings, but it is a genuine climb and worth factoring in if you are visiting with small children or anyone with mobility or cardiac limitations.
Construction started in 1854 and the light was first lit on January 15, 1857. It was deactivated as an official aid to navigation in 1933. The original French-made first-order Fresnel lens remains in the lantern room, which is unusual — most historic lenses were removed from their towers decades ago.
From September through June it opens Thursday to Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. In July and August it opens daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last climb starts half an hour before closing time. Confirm seasonal changes and holiday closures on the official site before you go.
Nearby New Jersey State Parks
Pair the lighthouse with genuine state parks along the same shore: Corson’s Inlet State Park just south, Island Beach State Park and its ten miles of undeveloped barrier island to the north, and Barnegat Lighthouse State Park — a second historic tower, this one actually run by the state. See our Best State Parks in New Jersey guide or the Park Finder.
Checked October 2026 against the Absecon Lighthouse operator, New Jersey state land records and National Register records. Hours and admission change seasonally — confirm before you travel. See our editorial and review methodology.
Park Map
Plan your gear for Absecon Lighthouse
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
