Did not know that the hours for this location were until 1600 :( plenty of parking that requires a discovery pass, but luckily, I came on a free day, hehe! Only got to see the outside, which was nice, yes,but I wish that there was a description board that covered the history of this location. Otherwise, you got to go to the underground bunkers and cannon machine area that is like an 8-minute walk. read more

Admiralty Head Lighthouse - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

See all

An extra bonus to visiting Fort Casey is Admiralty Head Lighthouse. It doesn't take much time at all to visit. The lighthouse is on the smaller side, but you are able to climb to the stop during opening hours. The climb up is not bad at all. The stairs towards the very top get steep but my 6 year old was able to do it with no Problem. When you are done checking out the top of the lighthouse, you can visit the small museum On the bottom and gift shop. Admission is free which is awesome. read more

Admiralty Head Lighthouse - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

Interesting place where you can hear history of the island and this lighthouse in particular. Also you can climbed up on the top of lighthouse, but be ready that it's very hot on the top and not too much oxygen inside. All of these are for FREE!!! :) You need to pay only for entrance on the territory of this park if you are on your auto read more

Gorgeous lighthouse that is located on the grounds of Fort Casey on Whidbey Island. This is adjacent to Fort Casey so when you park at Fort Casey, I highly recommend walking to Admiralty Lighthouse from there as there are only 3 parking stalls available at the lighthouse. Since this is located on a state park. In WA State, there is a $10 day use fee at state parks or you can pick up a $30 Discovery Pass at Fred Meyer, which is good for a year at any WA State parks. It's highly recommended to get one as it'll easily pay for itself in no time at all. The lighthouse grounds are very well kept and the lighthouse itself is beautiful. I was a bit bummed the lighthouse was closed. I wanted to view the interior. Oh well, there's a next time. read more

See all

A cute and beautiful lighthouse which serves as a historic tourist site more than anything else. The lighthouse is not operational; therefore you won't see any lights on top of the lighthouse tower. On another note, there have been countless renovations (new paints and roofing) which makes the lighthouse look very new. I was shocked to find out that it was even built in the early 1900's. Admiralty Head Lighthouse is opened to the public for tours during specific hours. I'll add an extra star for that. However, I came here when it was closed and I didn't have a chance to explore this historic lighthouse. The ocean scenery around the lighthouse was beautiful and there were a group of deer feeding on the grass in the area. This lighthouse was first operated and lit in 1903 and the lantern deactivated in 1922. read more

See all

Admiralty Head Lighthouse is located in Ft Casey, Whidbey Island, is close to the Coupeville Ferry terminal and a good place to explore if you are early for your ferry reservation. As this was my first visit to any Washington State Park, I was not aware of the Day Pass $10 fee to park at any Washington State park. Apparently you can purchase a Discover Pass, which is $30 for a month, which I *should have* bought because paying $10 a day easily adds up and even some places you don't think are paid places..well guess what...surprise! I didn't want to pay $10 for only ten minutes of snooping around so I quickly took pictures of the light house and took off; partly due to the fact I was nervous about missing the ferry to Port Townsend and partly because I didn't want to get caught by a park ranger. It wasn't after I came home did I do some research about the light house - fascinating! It was manned by a lot of different people; one of first was a Captain whose nickname was a "grey grizzled seadog" and after the Indians burned his house down, put a cannon in his yard to discourage more attacks. The Captain, aside from serving as the lighthouse's first keeper, served as the coroner and post master of the town - talk about knowing what's going inside and outside of the community. I think he was one of the island's first information hog. The island also did not have a lot of women. In fact, there were zero, so a brave (crazy) father brought his two teenaged daughters, along with nine other young women recruited to "bring balance" to the testosterone-laden area in efforts to better his health as Panama was making him sick (should have stayed there). The women were all recruited from different parts of the US and abroad - which goes to show you the locals were smart and said Hell No you are not having my daughter! If I were the father of two teen daughters landing in an area of Desolate and Utter Horniness, I'd totally stock up on guns and rifles and nitroglycerin pills. At one point, there were apparently fifteen guys courting the two marriage-ready girls judging by the amount of horse saddles hitched to the fence. Just the thought of fifteen horny men trying to court two of my teenaged daughters would send me into a coronary arrest (he did, in fact, actually die that very same year no doubt from swearing until his face turned red). Those of course, were different times. People grew up a lot faster and were more mature and adult-like...but still....I'd mount a cannon in my yard, just saying. I used to collect stamps back in the days when you had to lick them (my age is showing) and this light house was one of five featured by the post office in 1990 for the US Lighthouses series. I've always been a fan of lighthouses after reading Moomin books as a kid. I never imagined I'd be visiting the lighthouse in my stamp collection 25 years later. A rich place with a rich history! read more

See all

As many have mentioned, get the Discover Pass to use as the area is a state park or pay the $10/day use fee. This is a wonderfully maintained lighthouse within Ft. Casey. The lighthouse and keeper's quarters are free to visit (donations welcomed) but has limited hours so check before you go. It's also free to go up in the lighthouse. The upstairs lantern room can hold about 8 people and you have to wait for people to come down before ascending the stairs. It's very narrow and you really have to wait for no one to be on the stairs before heading up. It is not handicap accessible, so be aware of that. While you wait there are chests of drawers and signs that give information about the lighthouse and former keepers. There is also a small museum to the right of the entrance that has videos and more info about the lighthouse. There were ladies on site the day I went that ran the museum. I thought it was cool to see the lenses up close and how bright they are even without a full light running through them. I also thought it was cool that the lights used to be lit with gas and the keeper had to maintain how much gas went through to intensify or reduce the overall amount of light that was produced. What a lot of work! Anyway, there are excellent view of the water nearby and some hiking trails. There were also some barracks or storage rooms nearby as well very similar to the ones over at Ft Casey. Watch your kids as there is nothing to prevent people from falling over the edge and it's probably at least 100-200 ft down the sandy cliffs. read more

See all

was stationed on Whidbey and keep coming back to photograph not only the lighthouse but the big guns of Fort Casey. read more

See all

Wish I could actually go inside. We came here on a Monday afternoon and apparently it is closed. It's only open on weekends for October, and Mondays and some days for September. Basically the hours and days of the week changes so much based on the month. It's pretty hard to keep track. This information is also not posted on their website either. It's a small lighthouse that overlooks what used to be military hidden tank base. They also have a sign that says that the stairs are off limits. Overall, it just didn't come across as very inviting or open. read more

Super cool little lighthouse only a small walk from fort Casey. If you're in the area you should give it a walk though and check out the small museum they have packed full of local history. read more

Yay, first to review! I wanted to go to Whidbey just to see this Lighthouse, (what can I say, I love lighthouses), and it was even more majestic in person than from what I've seen online. Great historic info in the room below. Good place to take pictures and to experience in person. The narrow, spiral staircase is very scary, folks, but it's pretty cool once you actually get up to the top and overlook the amazing waterfront view. And, oh yeah, Fort Casey Park, is a treasure all its own. Fun place with lots of rich, memorable history. read more

Admiralty Head Lighthouse - Beauty! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Coupeville, Washington

If you like lighthouses, you will love Admiralty Head Lighthouse! This lighthouse is in such great condition on beautiful grounds overlooking a breathtaking view. There is a small parking lot right in front if you want to drive to it or it is a short walk from the Fort Casey parking lot. There is a narrow spiral staircase leading to the top. It is worth the hike to the top... just watch your head and hold on tight and you'll be fine. The view from the top is perfect... it was somewhat cloudy yesterday but i can only imagine how amazing the view would be on a sunny day! There is a visitors center that is attached to the lighthouse with interesting facts and pictures about the place and even what is believed to be the first light to shine in the lighthouse. We spoke to an amazing man who made the entire trip for us. His name is Docent, he's a Volunteer Historian and he is FULL of such great history. We spent a good 20 minutes listening to him. He is the sweetest guy and I would go back just to say hello to him! read more

Admiralty Head Lighthouse is a great spot to visit. It hasn't been a functioning lighthouse since 1922 but has been refurbished by a great group of volunteers. We were there on a nice fall Sunday afternoon and the lighthouse was open and staffed by volunteers. You can walk up into the the actual lighthouse (light removed a while ago) for great panoramic views of the Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, and Whidbey Island. read more

The cannons were neat. Winter hours are different, so plan ahead. View was pretty nice, even though it was an overcast day. It might be fun to watch the ferry depart from here. From the outside, well, looks like a nice lighthouse. For some reason, it slightly brought the California missions to my mind. Big hmmm. read more

Cute lighthouse, if you like Lighthouses. Interesting history. You can stay in your RV at nearby Fort Casey State Park and walk up here, although it's a brisk walk. It's a tight hike up a spiral staircase to the top, but worth it. read more

The Lighthouse was cool, but VERY DISAPPOINTED with gift shop. BEWARE of the "foghorn" "whistle". I was a little suspicious and asked the volunteer if it really sounded like a foghorn and she said it did, but I'd have to buy it to hear it for myself. I told her I'd bought a different style at a train shop and it really did sound like a train. SHE LIED. After getting the plastic and label off, and seeing the two holes, I figured it wouldn't, and after blowing on it, IT DID NOT SOUND ANYTHING FAINTLY REMOTELY LIKE A FOGHORN. I am not happy about this. I did buy other trinkets and I know they are making money. I appreciate the lighthouse and that there are volunteers, but honesty would have been better. Walking around the fort area was cool. Looked like a lot of picnic areas. Too bad there is only one bathroom on the spread out grounds. Too bad the upstairs was off limits to even go up the stairs to look in. Inside the lighthouse part itself there was not a good grip going from the top ladder to the top house. There was not much room to move around, and the door was partly open but blocked off. There was a good view from the top. Too bad there wasn't a mock up of the fresnel lens that was in it (not even a pic on the floor), even though there were 2 types at the downstairs house. None of the sites I looked at mentioned the fee to get in, and even though I paid it, there was probably those that didn't, and I never saw anyone that could have been there to check. If I'm in the area, I will probably NOT come back, and I will DEFINITELY never trust a gift shop person again, volunteer or not. It would have been cool to have more restored and be able to look into things blocked off, but I understand it takes time and money and the one room that was open was vandalized. read more