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Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Highland Lighthouse

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Highland Lighthouse

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Cape Cod's first lighthouse, established 1797. Open daily, May 1-October 25, 2026, from 9 am-5 pm; the last tour begins at 4:30 pm. Come visit!

Highland Light Station, also known as Cape Cod Light, is located on Outer Cape Cod within Cape Cod National Seashore in North Truro. Established in 1797 as the 20th light station in the United States, the original 45-foot tall wooden tower and keeper's dwelling were built more than 500 feet from the edge of a 125-foot tall clay cliff. A new brick lighthouse was erected near the original tower in 1831. The present 66-foot tall brick light tower, keeper's house and generator shed replaced the previous structures in 1857. An enclosed walkway connects the tower and the one-and-one-half-story, L-shaped, Queen Anne style keeper's dwelling. Erosion of the steep cliff throughout the years brought the present light station around 100 feet from the cliff's edge by the early 1990s. Using funds raised by the Truro Historical Society combined with state and federal grants, Highland Light Station was successfully moved 450 feet back to safer ground. After the 18-day move, the light was relit on November 3, 1996, and is an active aid to navigation. Today, the keeper's house features a gift shop and museum exhibits and a dedicated staff provides tours of the tower.

10/15/2026

Although it might not feel like it today, the cooler weather is coming! Come in and get your Highland Lighthouse sweatshirt now, so that you can the weather the winter in style.

The lighthouse is open daily, from 9 am-5 pm, until October 25, 2025. Tours run continually throughout the day. The last tour begins at 4:30 pm.

10/12/2026

The second Tuesday of October is Wampanoag Cranberry Day!

The Native American tradition is a celebration of the ripening of the last wild cranberry of the year and is one of many thanksgiving celebrations the Wampanoag celebrate throughout the year. This day provides the Wampanoag tribe with the opportunity to give thanks to the Creator for this fruit that has always helped their people survive.

We have chocolate covered cranberries and a variety of cranberry jams for you to choose from. Our Highland Light Keeper's Shop is open daily, from 9am-5pm, until the 25th of October.

10/10/2026

October 10 is the anniversary of the installation of our biggest lens!

In 1901, workmen spent a great deal of time installing a brand new 1st order Fresnel lens made by Barbier, Benard, & Turenne, which was actually larger than the earlier first order Fresnel lens that was previously in the tower and had been damaged beyond repair in the 1898 storm.

The new lens had 192,000 candlepower, and it was lighted for the first time on the evening of October 10, 1901. In 1932, when a new electric light was installed to light the Fresnel lens, its candlepower was increased to 4 million, reportedly at that time, making it the most powerful light on the New England coast.

The Fresnel was replaced in 1946 by a Crouse-Hinds, double-drum, rotating DCB-36 aero beacon.

10/06/2026

The Highland Light Keeper's Shop has many fun fall items for you to enjoy, during and after your visit to the site!

Now is the perfect time to start-- or even finish up-- your holiday shopping at the most unique gift store in Truro.

The lighthouse is open daily, from 9 am-5 pm, until October 25, 2025. Tours run continually throughout the day. The last tour begins at 4:30 pm.

08/30/2026

Highland Light is open daily, from 9am-5pm. Tours run continually from 9am until 4:30pm. Come visit!

08/07/2026

Happy National Lighthouse Day!

National Lighthouse Day is celebrated every year on August 7th. It honors the date in 1789 when Congress passed the Act for the Establishment and Support of Lighthouse, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers. The day highlights the history and safety value of these maritime towers.

Join us tomorrow on Facebook Live!

07/29/2026

We hope you have enjoyed the last 18 days with us, remembering this fantastic engineering feat. It is an important part of our history, which dates back to 1796 when George Washington first commissioned it.

Come visit the Highland Light site to learn more and take a tour of the lighthouse. We are open daily from 9 am-5 pm from May 1 through October 25, with the last tour beginning at 4:30 pm. Children must be 48" tall to climb the tower.

07/28/2026

On Sunday, November 3, 1996 Highland Light was relighted in its new location. Over 200 people toured the tower's interior before the relighting ceremony.

The Highland Light Bagpipe Band performed in full regalia, and Congressman Gerry Studds, an important proponent of the move, spoke to the assembled crowd.

"While this light may not save lives," said Studds, "it will inspire lives for a long time to come."

During the event, official ownership of the light station was transferred from the US Coast Guard to the National Park Service, although the Coast Guard continues operating the actual light as an active aid to navigation.

07/27/2026

What other lighthouses have been moved?

In 1993, International Chimney Company and Expert House Movers had partnered to orchestrate the 300-foot move of the Southeast Lighthouse on Block Island (located in Rhode Island Sound). The Block Island project had been a "soft" move, where the lighthouse had traveled over unreinforced earth. They used a similar technique at the North Truro site.

The Southeast Lighthouse structure was very similar to the types of large buildings they were used to moving. Highland Light was the first time they attempted a tall, conical shaped lighthouse.

Since then, they have moved several lighthouses, including Nauset Light in 1996, Cape Hatteras in 1999, Sankaty Head Lighthouse in 2007, and Gay Head/Aquinnah in 2015.

07/26/2026

When will it have to be moved again?

The terrain of the Truro Highlands consists of loose glacial sand and clay deposits. Because these bluffs lack solid rock formations, they have virtually no resistance to regular wind and rain, as well as high-energy wave attacks during winter storms, a vulnerability that could be heavily accelerated by rising sea levels. Currently, the rate of erosion ranges from 3 to 5 feet per year.

After the relocation, Highland Light is expected to remain in its current spot for over a century. The 450-foot move placed it safely about 570 feet from the bluffs. We have lost about 90 feet in the 30 years since the move.

Address

27 Highland Light Road
North Truro, MA
02652

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15084049117

Website

http://www.highlandlighthouse.org/

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