Barnegat Lighthouse reopens in New Jersey

BARNEGAT LIGHT, N.J. (PIX11) - A historic lighthouse in New Jersey is standing taller than ever after a major restoration.

"This really needs to be maintained for future generations," said Charlotte Banks, past president of Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. 

Protecting ships and sailors long before our time, Barnegat Lighthouse has a new lease on life after a $1.3M restoration more than a year in the making.

"It was first lit with 200 spectators in attendance in 1859," said Mark Texel, Administrator of New Jersey State Parks and Historic Sites.

Once an important maritime beacon, 'Old Barney' is now the centerpiece of a State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island. Since closing to visitors in March 2022, the lighthouse received a complete exterior renovation, including new masonry, paint, windows, and a new light at the top, replacing the old fresnel lens delivered from France.

"Today we are very happy to announce to report it is still a fresnel lens, but a newer one," said Texel, "it's an LED one, and it can be seen from a distance of 21.5 nautical miles from the sea."

"It's very, very important," said Banks, who spoke out of the park's half a million visitors each year, many come from around the world. "They really comment on the beauty of Barnegat Lighthouse."

Now that the restoration is complete, visitors can be allowed back inside and climb all 217 steps to the top.

For visitors who can't reach the top, there are plenty of trails around the park to take in all the sights, or you can go inside the Visitors Center, where there's a live camera feed from the top. The State said it plans on sharing that feed on the internet soon, sharing with the rest of the world one of New Jersey's crown jewels.

"It's a great joy when a grandparent comes, and they have three or four grandchildren with them and say, 'We've been coming here since 1955,'" said Banks.