The Lasting Allure of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse

In 1896, a journalist for the San Francisco Call reported that keepers at California’s Pigeon Point Lighthouse were perplexed. Visitors often made repeat visits up the tower’s spiral staircase to view the lamp. “This is a mystery to the keepers,” wrote the journalist, “who fail to see what the visitors can find to interest them after they have been there once.” Clearly, these particular keepers did not understand the lasting allure lighthouses have for the public. Pigeon Point Lighthouse’s spiral stairs in 2007. (Courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard and National Archives) In general, lighthouse tourists can be broken down into three different types: the casual fan, the enthusiast, and the “lighthouse junkie” who makes every effort to visit lighthouses far and wide....