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A 2-minute virtual tour of the Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard, the 1881 landmark at the mouth of Edgartown Harbor.
At the end of North Water Street in Edgartown stands a 45-foot conical cast-iron lighthouse with a history spanning nearly two centuries, two locations, and one devastating hurricane.
The Edgartown Light against a violet sky, the Harbor View glowing behind it.
Filmed January 2023The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
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Congress approved $5,500 on May 23, 1828 for building a light at the entrance to Edgartown Harbor. The original was a two-story wooden Cape Cod-style keeper's dwelling with a glass lantern room, built on wooden pilings on a small artificial island offshore. The first keeper was Jeremiah Pease, who rowed to reach the light. In 1830, Congress approved $2,500 for a 1,500-foot wooden walkway connecting the lighthouse to shore. The causeway became known as the "Bridge of Sighs," after the islanders who watched whaling ships leave from it on voyages of up to five years.
The Great Hurricane of 1938 badly damaged the structure, and the US Coast Guard demolished the buildings in 1939.
The present tower was built in 1881 as a rear range light on Crane's Beach in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Its light was discontinued in 1932 because sand shifting had moved the shoreline over 1,000 feet away. In 1939, the tower was disassembled and barged to Edgartown. It shows a red light that flashes every six seconds. A spiral staircase replaced the original near-vertical ladder during 2007 renovations funded by $250,000 from Edgartown's Community Preservation Act.
In 2014 the Town of Edgartown bought it from the US government for $1 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. The Martha's Vineyard Museum still looks after it.
The lighthouse from the beach path, two people walking by below it and beach roses along the way.
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It is about a 10–15-minute walk from downtown Edgartown along North Water Street. Admission is $5 for adults, free for children 12 and under and for MV Museum members. The tower opens to climbers in season, weather permitting, but the museum lists it as closed for painting for now, so check mvmuseum.org or call 508-627-4441 before you walk out. From the top: Edgartown Harbor, Chappaquiddick, Cape Cod, and the Atlantic.
The Edgartown Light stands at the mouth of the harbor, a short walk from Main Street along North Water Street.
The memorial was created in 2001, inspired by Rick Harrington after his 16-year-old son Ricky was killed in a car accident. Over 1,000 families from around the world have had their child's name carved into granite cobblestones placed into the lighthouse's foundation. A Ceremony of Remembrance is held each September; the 2026 ceremony took place on Saturday, September 12.
The harbor from the Chappy ferry landing: the lighthouse is the white speck across the water at the harbor mouth.
Sand has accumulated since 1939 around the stone causeway, creating Lighthouse Beach at the base, a popular spot with views of the harbor and Chappaquiddick. For the rest of the town, see our Edgartown Town Guide (2026).
The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. 
Step 2 · DaysDay-by-Day Trip PlannerMorning, afternoon and evening sketched for every day, events dropped in, emailed to you. 
Step 3 · CostTrip Cost CalculatorFerry, beds with the rooms tax, meals, getting around and activities in one price range. The station dates to 1828, when Congress approved $5,500 for a light at the harbor entrance. The present 45-foot cast-iron tower was built in 1881 as a range light on Crane’s Beach in Ipswich, disassembled and barged to Edgartown in 1939 after the 1938 hurricane wrecked the original wooden lighthouse.
The 1,500-foot wooden walkway built in 1830 to link the offshore lighthouse to the shore, named for the islanders who watched whaling ships leave from it on voyages of up to five years.
Yes, in season: a spiral staircase replaced the near-vertical ladder in the 2007 renovation, funded with $250,000 from Edgartown’s Community Preservation Act. The light still flashes red every six seconds.
Walk to the end of North Water Street and across the short causeway; there is no parking at the beach, so walk from town. It faces east, so sunrise is its hour.
Jeremiah Pease, who rowed out to the original light on its artificial island.
Island tip of the day Food No. 24 of 86 New tip at midnight, island time
For groceries: Stop and Shop has two island locations and Cronig's (an island institution since 1917) has stores in Vineyard Haven and West Tisbury. Stock up for picnics and save significantly.
The Hallmark Martha's Vineyard Mysteries are not filmed on Martha's Vineyard: Victoria, British Columbia plays the island on screen. But the books behind the movies are pure Vineyard, and the real places are better than the set.
On August 19, 1991, Hurricane Bob hit Martha's Vineyard at the height of the season: 98 mph winds, 84 boats wrecked in Edgartown Harbor alone, a sloop in the Harborside Inn pool, and a false autumn by Labor Day. The story of the storm, told through an original Vineyard Gazette storm edition we found in an island thrift shop.
Inside Edgartown's 4th of July: the Main Street parade with fifes, floats, classic cars and Camp Jabberwocky, then fireworks over the harbor, with photos, video and tips for doing the day right.
Take a guided Jaws tour of Martha's Vineyard with local guide Mike Currid. Walk the real Amity Island in Edgartown and book the “Amity” Walking Tour.
A first-hand look at the Edgartown Historic Walking Tour and “Amity” Jaws Tour with Mike Currid of the Edgartown Tour Company: what to expect, what you'll learn, and how to book.
Plan a Chappaquiddick day trip: the On Time Ferry, Mytoi Japanese garden, Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Wasque Beach, and biking routes on Martha's Vineyard.
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