Boston Harbor LighthouseTaking a tour of Boston Harbor Lighthouse was fascinating. The history there is certainly an interesting one. Boston Harbor Lighthouse was first built in 1716, at a time when there were only 70 lighthouses in existence in the whole world, and it was the first to be built in the United States. During the American Revolutionary war, British troops occupied Boston Harbor as well as this lighthouse. And on June 13, 1776, they blew it up, totally destroying it. However, it was rebuilt in 1783. In 1859 it was raised to its present height of 89 feet and a new lantern room was added along with a 12-sided Fresnal lens.
Unfortunately it was a sad ending for them when a boat carrying them capsized. Worthylake, his wife, and his daughter Ruth and two other passengers drowned. Benjamin Franklin, then only 12 years old, wrote a poem titled "The Lighthouse Tragedy" describing the tragic event.
Boston Harbor Cruises Okay now for the fun stuff. The tour of this lighthouse was awesome. We took the Boston Harbor island tour cruise from Fan Pier, which is located on Northern Avenue in Boston, which included a stop on Brewster Island. The park rangers, and volunteers on Brewster Island had given us a tremendous amount of information on Boston Harbor and its lighthouses, they really knew their history. Tourist are allowed inside the lighthouse, and we actually climbed up all 70 plus steps, for a close-up look at the Fresnal lens. Needless to say I got a little tired, and at one point thought that I would turn around, but decided to continue on. When I finally managed to reach the top, I realized it was definitely worth it.
A memory I will treasure. There are a couple things you should know if you are going to take this tour. There are no bathrooms available on the boat or on Brewster Island, so be sure to go prior to beginning. When you reach the top of the lighthouse you are pretty high up. If you have a fear of heights you may want to skip this, or if you decide to brave it out, it's a little less intimidating if you stand closer to the beacon in the middle rather than near the windows. Tickets usually sell out fast, so it's a good idea to order them ahead of time. To order tickets you can call directly at 617-223-8666, the prices for this tour range between $29 an $38. Depart from Boston Harbor lighthouse to Lighthouses
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