Our tour of southern New England lighthouses ranges from coastal Connecticut, through Rhode Island, culminating in Massachusetts. From iconic, picture postcard-worthy lights such as Stonington Lighthouse, Nobska, and Chatham Lights, to lesser-known beacons including the Three Sisters, New London Light, and Ned’s Point, we’re focusing on some of the region’s finest. Since whole books are written about this topic, this list is less than comprehensive but does give an overview of Southern New England lighthouses.
Point Judith Light – Narragansett, Rhode Island
Beginning our tour of Southern New England lighthouses we visit the village of Point Judith at the tip of Narragansett. You can’t get too close to this light since it’s part of an active Coast Guard location, but it is a stately one. It is bathed in brown and white and dates from 1856. Nearby is a park where the public can view the rocky ledge and surf below. Speaking of surfers, watch them ride the waves from the park’s overlook.
Edgartown Harbor Light – Edgartown (Martha’s Vineyard), Massachusetts
This classic New England lighthouse is painted black and white. It’s one light you can cozy up to as it is on a beach. The aptly named Lighthouse Beach is free of charge with fine sand to shuffle through. Behind the light is the majestic Harbor View Hotel.
Brant Point Light – Nantucket, Massachusetts
This light is as cute as a button and is located near the main village on the island. The 18th-century lighthouse protects the harbor. It greets you as you arrive or disembark the island for the mainland.
Olde Scituate Light -Scituate, Massachusetts
The Olde Scituate Light has a timeless look all its own. With the keeper’s house right next door, it is an icon of the South Shore. Get out and explore the beach or hike it out to the end of the adjoining jetty.
Minot Ledge Light – Scituate, Massachusetts
Also known as the “I love you” light for the 1-4-3 pattern. Although located off the coast of Scituate the light has close ties to the neighboring Cohasset which also includes the lighthouse in its town seal. It’s easily viewed from the shore and a replica of the top is located in Cohasset.
Three Sisters Lighthouses- Eastham, Massachusetts
These three lighthouses are in a small park on Cable Road in Eastham. They once perched on the land now occupied by the Nauset Light. Visitors are welcome to pay their respects to the sisters. Two of the three lighthouses are missing their beacons.
Nauset Light – Eastham, Massachusetts
Once upon a time, Nauset Light was part of a pair alongside Chatham Light in Chatham. Now the Nauset Lighthouse in Eastham is one of the emblems of Cape Cod. It stands erect, keeping a watchful eye over the ocean, proudly adorned in red and white paint, capped in black.
Chatham Light- Chatham, Massachusetts
Another Cape Cod mainstay, the Chatham Light sits high atop a bluff, with steep Lighthouse Beach below. It’s an ever-so-popular place to visit, especially in the summertime. This is an active Coast Guard station. The tower is white and black capped with the adjoining house white with a red roof. Simply stunning.
Nobska Light – Falmouth, Massachusetts
Continuing our tour of southern New England lighthouses, we’re staying on Cape Cod. This time we’re in Falmouth’s village of Woods Hole. Close to the center of the village is the postcard mainstay, Nobska Light. It is located a short drive or about a half-hour walk from Woods Hole on Nobska Road. This is a classic-looking lighthouse. It is stout, but tall, a white tower capped with a black top, and has an adjacent shingled house. The gorgeous views of the sea stretch out to Martha’s Vineyard.
Race Point Lighthouse – Provincetown, Massachusetts
This one’s a bit farther to get to. Get out your walking shoes (or bare feet on the sand) to take the trek to Race Point Lighthouse, only accessible via the beach (or try to view it from the visitor center or catch a glimpse at Herring Cove Beach). It’s another stunning Cape Cod beauty.
Stonington Light – Stonington, Connecticut
Finally, our tour of Southern New England lighthouses takes us out of Massachusetts. In Connecticut, we jump quickly over the border from Rhode Island into Stonington. The ever-so-cute village is capped by a lighthouse which is now a museum. This lighthouse has a bit of a different look to it as it is made of stone. Its beacon shines bright on the tip of the peninsula that is Stonington Borough.
Watch Hill Lighthouse – Westerly, Rhode Island
Truly one of New England’s finest seaside escapes is tiny and tony Watch Hill. It’s part of Westerly and only feet away from honky tonk Misquamicut, but it seems like a different universe. Guarding the Watch Hill waters is this funky lighthouse. Its tower is made of stone, but the rest of the building is the classic New England white with a red roof.
Ned’s Point Lighthouse – Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
Heading to the South Coast of Massachusetts, our journey to Southern New England lighthouses continues. Marvelous Mattapoisett contains the lighthouse gem Ned’s Point Lighthouse. It is at the end of Ned’s Point Road, full of gorgeous homes. Ned’s Point is a classic white lighthouse topped by a black beacon. The park is encircled by a driveway/parking lot with the ocean just beyond. There is a beach nearby. It’s a perfect spot to walk, look at the water, or explore.
Saybrook Point Lighthouse – Old Saybrook, Connecticut
While staying at swanky Saybrook Point Inn, why don’t you kick it up a notch and opt for your own private lighthouse suite? Looking out into the harbor from the inn, notice a small lighthouse near the docks. This is their own beacon.
New Haven Lighthouse – New Haven, Connecticut
Continuing down the coast of Connecticut is the New Haven Light, also known as the Five Mile Point Lighthouse. This is the focal point of Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven. Located on the city’s eastern shore (but not quite in East Haven) is this recreation area that is great for swimming and running around. This has been standing tall (and it is tall) since the mid-1800s.
Gay Head Light – Aquinnah (Martha’s Vineyard), Massachusetts
Driving up-island to the town of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard is as far out as you can go. Make sure to hop out of the car and walk through the small enclave of shops to scope out the Gay Head Cliffs. These dramatic cliffs sweep toward the ocean below. Atop the land is the Gay Head Light, its brick with a sizable beacon to warn seafarers of the land and waters below. The beach is accessible below if you want to venture that far.
Lynde Point Lighthouse – Old Saybrook, Connecticut
The best way for the public to see this is through a ride through the chichi neighborhood of Fenwick. It’s not accessible any closer. What you see though is a striking white lighthouse (that may need a bit of a cleaning).
Saybrook Breakwater Light – Old Saybrook, Connecticut
Located near Lynde Point is the shoal Connecticut Saybrook Breakwater Light. Much more squat in height, a breakwater light of similar stature can be found in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. It’s cute, it’s chunky, and it’s at the end of the jetty.
Beavertail Lighthouse – Jamestown, Rhode Island
Very similar looking to Watch HIll’s lighthouse, Beavertail Lighthouse also includes a keeper’s house, white and red with a stone pillared tower. This is the crowning feature of Beavertail State Park. This lighthouse is located at the southern tip of Jamestown.
Ledge Light – New London, Connecticut
It’s time to look for Ernie on our tour of southern Connecticut lighthouses. Ernie was once a keeper whose spectral visage is said to remain to this day. This one’s easy to spot but hard to get to. Driving along one of New London’s by-the-shore routes such as Pequot Avenue, there’s Ledge Light in all its glory. This lighthouse is reminiscent of a red brick schoolhouse. Its square brick facade is capped with a beacon, but it is also situated upon a thick white pier giving this lighthouse a much different look than many others on our tour of southern New England lighthouses.
New London Harbor Lighthouse – New London, Connecticut
Don’t leave New London just yet! Located on the aforementioned Pequot Avenue, from the road it can easily be missed behind overgrown shrubbery. It’s similarly styled as the New Haven Lighthouse, with a long white tower and topped with a small black beacon. It dates from the 18th century.
I hope you’ve enjoyed our tour of southern New England lighthouses. From Massachusetts through Rhode Island to Connecticut, we may not have seen ‘em all, but at least you have a nice overview of some of our favorite southern New England lighthouses! What’s your favorite lighthouse?
And to for a soundtrack to your trip, check out the Spotify link below:
Southern New England Lighthouse Playlist
- The Lighthouse and the Whaler – I Want to Feel Alive
- Led Zeppelin – Down by the Seaside
- George Winston – Sea
- The Cure – From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
- Tom Waits – Sea of Love
- Jose Feliciano – Light My Fire
- Moby – God Moving Over the Face of the Waters
- Nanci Griffith – Beacon Street
- Matthew Byrne – Barque in the Harbor
- Eric Bogle – Safe in the Harbour
- Todies – I Come From the Water
- Willie Nelson – Harbor Lights
- Lighthouse Family – Ocean Drive
- Christopher Cross – Sailing
- Josh Ritter – Lantern
- Beastie Boys – Lighten Up
- Jens Lekman – You are the Light
- Raffi – This Little Light of Mine
- Collective Soul – Shine
- Devochtka – All the Sand in All the Sea
- Josh Ritter – Lighthouse Fire
