Hereford Inlet Lighthouse

A Victorian Lighthouse Where the Gardens Are as Famous as the Light

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse stands in North Wildwood, New Jersey, where it has guided mariners through the treacherous Hereford Inlet since May 11, 1874. But what makes this lighthouse unique among America’s coastal beacons is that it doubles as a Victorian residential-style home — designed not as a stark functional tower but as an elegant Swiss Carpenter Gothic cottage with a lantern room perched on its roof.

The architect, Paul J. Pelz (chief draftsman for the U.S. Lighthouse Board, who later co-designed the Library of Congress), created a structure in the “Stick Style” that made lighthouse keepers’ families feel like they were living in a fine home rather than a government installation. Listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, the lighthouse is one of the best-preserved examples of this residential approach to lighthouse design.

The Award-Winning Victorian Gardens

The lighthouse is surrounded by extensive Victorian cottage gardens that have become as much of a draw as the lighthouse itself — and they’re completely free to visit, open daily from dawn to dusk.

The gardens contain over 200 varieties of plants arranged into themed “rooms”:

• Butterfly gardens that attract monarchs and swallowtails during migration
• Herb gardens with culinary and medicinal plantings
• Shade gardens beneath mature trees
• Seashore gardens extending to the ocean seawall

The gardens have earned recognition including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Suburban Greening Award and are maintained to a standard that makes them one of the premier public gardens on the Jersey Shore.

Moved 150 Feet to Save It

In August 1913, a severe storm damaged the lighthouse’s foundation so badly that the entire structure had to be physically relocated 150 feet inland to its current position. This massive engineering effort saved the lighthouse from destruction and gave it the more protected location it occupies today.

The lighthouse interior operates as a museum with exhibits on maritime history, lighthouse keeping life, and the coastal heritage of southern New Jersey. The tower climb offers views across Hereford Inlet, the barrier islands, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Visiting Information

The lighthouse is located at 111 North Central Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ 08260. The grounds and gardens are free; there is a small fee to tour the lighthouse interior. The site includes a gift shop, pavilion, benches, and a seawall observation deck with views across the inlet. It is part of the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail.