Wildwood Live

About

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse stands at 1st and Central avenues, at the north end of North Wildwood, right beside the seawall walking path. It is a wooden Stick-style building painted buff, with the lantern set into the roof, so it looks more like a seaside house than a tower. Inside there is a small museum and a gift shop.

The gardens around it are laid out in an English cottage style and are free to visit. Each year on National Lighthouse Day, August 7, the lantern room at the top opens to visitors, along with activities run by the North Wildwood beach patrol, fire department and police.

History

The light was first lit in 1874 and was designed by Paul J. Pelz of the Lighthouse Board. A storm in 1913 undermined the foundation, and the building was moved about 150 feet west in 1914. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

In 1964 the Coast Guard put the beacon on a steel tower nearby, and the lighthouse sat boarded up for years. North Wildwood leased it from the state in 1982 and began restoring it, and the beacon returned to the lantern room in 1986. The Coast Guard still maintains the light.

When to go

In season the lighthouse is open daily from 9 to 5, with the last tour at 4. It closes for the winter and reopens in May, so check the hours page for this year's date. The gardens are open every day from dawn to dusk, and they're decorated with Christmas lights through the holiday season.

The seawall path next door makes an easy add-on at any time of year.

Check today's hours →

Good to know

Admission is free and donations are accepted.

Price

• AdmissionFree

Donations are accepted.

Prices checked November 2026 on the website of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse. They can change, so check before you go.

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