Big news for Gasparilla Island. Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum is gearing up for a grand reopening of the Gasparilla Island Lighthouse on February 7, 2026, after months of restoration.
The Barrier Island Parks Society is throwing the official event on Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at 220 Gulf Blvd in Boca Grande. If you swing by a few days earlier, you’ll catch colorful youth art banners from The Island School on display through February 2.
The restoration team went all in after Hurricane Ian hit back in 2022. Now, the lighthouse isn’t just back; it’s stronger, ready to handle whatever storms throw at it, and set for the long haul. On re-opening day, they’re laying out free food, pouring wine and beer on the house, and even letting folks climb to the top, though only 48 people get that chance, first-come, first-served.
The History of Gasparilla Island Lighthouse
The 105-foot tower started life in 1881, built by the Phoenix Iron Company up in New Jersey. It first shone light just north of Lewes, Delaware, as the Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light—locals called it the Green Hill Lighthouse. In 1927, the U.S. Lighthouse Service took it apart, shipped it south, and reassembled it on Gasparilla Island, just below Boca Grande. They painted the tower white and installed a 4th order Fresnel lens, lighting it up on January 1, 1932. The light operated automatically, but the keepers at Port Boca Grande Lighthouse kept it running smoothly.
This lighthouse stands out; it’s the only rear range light that’s worked in two different states. In 2014, the Keeper of the National Register recognized its historic value, and by 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard officially named BIPS the stewards of the light. The community rallied, raising $1.3 million to restore it in 2017. With the expertise of Razorback LLC, Alex Klahm Architectural Metals and Design, Ken Smith Architects, and Atlantic Engineering, the lighthouse welcomed its first public climbers in April 2017. A year later, it won a Florida Trust Award for outstanding achievement.
For more information, check out bips.org.
