Climb to new heights during your visit to Savannah … with a visit to Tybee Island Lighthouse! The historic Tybee Light is Georgia’s oldest and tallest coastal lighthouse, one of only seven surviving colonial-era lighthouses in the country.
The iconic Tybee Island Lighthouse has guarded the mouth of the Savannah River since 1736. Startlingly, Georgia was still just a colony when it was constructed, making the light older than the state! Of course, the Tybee Light was a lot different in those early days. smaller back then. The tower was originally just a 90-foot tall, non-lighted, day marker constructed of wood and brick.
Truth be told, the historic lighthouse has had many shapes, sizes, and locations over its nearly 300 years of life. It was there through the American Revolution, our country’s Civil War, both World Wars, and on to today. It has seen ravaging storms, been attacked by Confederate troops, and received other injuries, yet bounced back bigger and stronger every time.
In fact, the 145-foot tall, black and white tower is still in operation. The fully-functional coastal light remains a crucial guide for ships navigating to and from the mouth of the Savannah River. Despite this, the historic attraction is also open for tours – and just wait until you see the view from the top!
Visiting Tybee Island Lighthouse
Tybee Island Light is located at 30 Meddin Avenue on Tybee Island, an easy, 30 minute drive from our Savannah bed and breakfast, McMillan Inn.
Visitors to the tower will discover a fully functional, historic lighthouse complex with a variety of buildings to tour, a museum, and a gift shop.
One of the first things everyone wants to do is to climb the tower – and you can! Getting to the top of the tower takes some doing though, with 178 steps to climb. Luckily, a windowed rest area can be found every 25 steps, providing lots of chances to catch your breath. Once you reach the lighthouse observation deck, you’ll know it as worth the effort. Those expansive views of Tybee Island, Savannah, and the surrounding Georgia coast are stunning!
That’s not all there is to see at Tybee Light Station, though. The complex includes a number of other historic buildings to tour. Things like the Head Keeper’s Cottage, the 2nd Assistant Keeper’s Cottage, the 1812 Summer Kitchen, and the Fogarty-Hosti Cottage.
Be sure not to miss the nearby Tybee Museum’s extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits, either. The museum is located at Battery Garland, a historic gun battery and coastal fort, that’s just a three minute walk away.
In fact, there are a number of nearby attractions that might pique your interest. Things like the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Fort Screven, Fort Pulaski, and much more. What things do you like to do? Let us know and we’ll help you build your itinerary. McMillan Inn loves sharing the area with our guests!
Tybee Island Lighthouse is open year ’round, minus Tuesdays and most major holidays, 9am to 4:30pm. Free, 2 hour parking is available at the lighthouse for paying guests. Be sure to move your vehicle to the public lot across the street, when your tour’s over, to make room for others.
Learn more online at www.tybeelighthouse.org. You can also find the lighthouse on Facebook.