Pigeon Point Light Station, the tallest lighthouse in California at a towering 115 feet, is receiving some much-deserved TLC. First built in 1871, the lighthouse has been an iconic part of California’s central coast. 

“The lighthouse has incredible maritime history. It’s part of California’s sense of place,” Randy Widera, programs director for the California State Parks Foundation said. “Everybody stops here when they are driving down the coast, from locals to people visiting from all over the world.” 

For years, the lighthouse was managed by the Coast Guard, and visitors were allowed to ascend to the top floor. School tours were held at Pigeon Point until in December of 2001, sections of the lighthouse tower’s upper iron belt course broke off, and the lighthouse was closed to visitors and the upper levels were declared at risk of “catastrophic failure.” 

Work Planned and Underway 

After a few restorations in the late 20th century, the lighthouse fell into disrepair over the past 20 years. The structure’s exposure to the sea and seismic activity have aided normal wear and tear in rusting the iron support beams and eroding the brick walls. 

It has been a long journey to beginning these necessary repairs, and visitors, state parks staff, and California State Parks Foundation are pleased to see the visible progress being made to the lighthouse. 

Currently, the contractor Sustainable Group and the subcontractor ICC Commonwealth, are working to assess the damage, remove hazardous materials, such as layers of lead paint and asbestos, and put up the necessary scaffolding to safely begin working on the tall, crumbling structure. 

In the next stage, contractors will begin repairing key areas with the most damage. Other planned restorations are described in this infographic: 

History of California State Parks Foundation’s Involvement 

California State Parks Foundation has a long history of supporting Pigeon Point Light Station, decades of work leading up to this historic restoration effort.  

In 2004, the California State Parks Foundation and Peninsula Open Space Trust successfully submitted a conveyance application to the U.S. Coastguard to transfer ownership of Pigeon Point Lighthouse to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).    

California State Parks Foundation launched a campaign to raise money for the restoration and rehabilitation of the lighthouse and raised more than $3 million for the restoration. Through the generous support of our donors and community, we were able to provide urgent solutions while the property transferred owners and awaited state funding. 

Between 2007 and 2019, we funded: 

• A temporary, emergency stabilization of the upper tower belt course 

• A second and more substantial stabilization of the belt course 

• The safe removal of the 17-foot tall, 2,000 lb. First Order Fresnel lens from the tower, cleaning, restoration, and reassembly of the Fresnel lens for public display 

• Replacement of selected upper tower windows and doors to help alleviate further water damage to the lighthouse 

• The completion of 100% design and construction drawings for the full lighthouse restoration along with A Historic Structures Report and PPLH Maintenance Plan, all necessary permits for design and construction ensuring that California State Parks had a “shovel ready” project for the park when full funding was secured 

In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom allocated $18.9 million of the state’s budget surplus to fund the Pigeon Point restoration project. 

Future of Pigeon Point 

Construction on the lighthouse is planned to wrap in September 2025. It has not yet been announced whether tours of the inside of the lighthouse will recommence after the project is completed, but we can hold hope that these efforts will help this iconic lighthouse stand another 150 years, shining its light along the California coast.

Check California State Parks' website for regular updates and detailed project information: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=28003.