Gay Head Lighthouse (Aquinnah Lighthouse)

Aquinnah, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts

More information: History / Photos / Bibliography / Cruises / Postcards

Click here for a gallery of Gay Head Light photos on Smugmug (prints and gift items available)

Location: Aquinnah (Gay Head) Cliffs, western end of Martha's Vineyard
Coordinates: 41 20 54 N  70 50 06 W

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Active aid to navigation. Owned by the Town of Aquinnah 

Accessibility: The lighthouse is open from mid-June to mid-October. Click here for hours.

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Station established: 1799
Current lighthouse tower built: 1856
Automated: 1960
Tower height: 51 feet
Height of focal plane: 170 feet
Construction material: Brick
Other buildings still standing: None

Earlier optic: First-order Fresnel lens (1856)
Present optic: DCB-224 (below)

Characteristic: Alternating red and white flashes each 15 seconds (active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation)

Previous lighthouse: Nobska Light
Next lighthouse: West Chop Light

Related sites
Town of Aquinnah
Martha's Vineyard Vacation Tips