A place like no other near Virginia Beach in Virginia
The Cape Henry Lighthouse stands as one of the most historically significant landmarks in Virginia Beach, marking the exact spot where English colonists first landed in 1607 before continuing on to establish Jamestown. Today, two lighthouses rise side by side at Cape Henry, serving as twin guardians of the Chesapeake Bay entrance and living reminders of America’s earliest days as a nation. The site has been designated a National Historic Landmark and is owned and operated by Preservation Virginia, making it one of the most important heritage attractions in the entire region.
The original Cape Henry Lighthouse was the very first construction project authorized by the newly formed United States government under the Constitution. President George Washington personally authorized its construction, with Alexander Hamilton overseeing the project as Secretary of the Treasury. The lighthouse was completed in October 1792 at a cost of $17,700, built of Aquia Creek sandstone quarried from the same source that supplied stone for the White House itself. John McComb Jr., one of the era’s most distinguished architects who later designed New York City Hall, created the lighthouse’s distinctive octagonal design inspired by the Cape Henlopen Light of 1767. The tower rises 90 feet tall, measuring 26 feet in diameter at its base and narrowing to 16 feet at the top.
The lighthouse played a dramatic role during the American Civil War. Confederate forces extinguished its light and removed the lens in 1861, but Union forces restored it just two years later, relying on the beacon to maintain navigation access to Fort Monroe. This brief period of darkness during the war reflected the larger turmoil sweeping the nation, yet the lighthouse was restored to service and continued guiding ships through one of the busiest shipping channels on the East Coast. Benjamin Latrobe, the architect who later redesigned the interior of the Capitol, described the tower in 1798 as an “octangular truncated pyramid of eight sides,” offering a vivid picture of its imposing silhouette against the coastal sky.
Structural concerns emerged in the 1870s when inspections revealed large cracks forming on six of the eight tower faces. These safety concerns prompted the construction of a second, taller lighthouse 350 feet to the northeast. The new tower, completed in 1881, stands 157 feet tall and was built of cast iron and wrought iron, equipped with a powerful first-order Fresnel lens. The original 1792 lighthouse remained standing, repurposed as a daytime marker and triangulation station. The newer tower is the only lighthouse on the Virginia coast still equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, though it remains closed to the public and is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard as an active navigational aid.
Visitors to the 1792 Cape Henry Lighthouse can climb its 344 iron steps to reach the observation platform at the top, where sweeping panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay entrance unfold in every direction. The platform offers a vantage point that sailors and military commanders have relied upon for more than two centuries, and the climb, while steep, is manageable for most visitors. The Fresnel lens inside the old lighthouse showcases 19th-century optical engineering at its finest. These precision-crafted lenses, developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, could capture and focus light from a relatively small lamp into a beam visible for many miles at sea. The first-order lens at Cape Henry remains one of the finest examples of this technology still intact in the United States.
The Cape Henry Memorial sits adjacent to the lighthouses, commemorating the historic first landing of English settlers in 1607 and connecting the maritime significance of the lighthouse with the broader narrative of American colonization. The contrast between the two towers also tells the story of evolving lighthouse technology over the nearly 200 years separating their construction. The old sandstone tower, with its warm brown tones and classical design, represents the craftsmanship of the early Republic, while the tall black-and-white striped iron tower embodies the industrial age that followed. Together they form a unique historical diorama that cannot be found anywhere else on the East Coast.
The Cape Henry Lighthouse is open seasonally, with hours typically running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The most comfortable time to visit is during the spring and fall months, when the weather is mild and perfect for walking the grounds and climbing the tower. Summer visitors should plan for early morning arrivals to avoid the heat and potential crowds. The site is located within Joint Expeditionary Base East, and all visitors over the age of 16 must present valid government-issued photo identification at the security gate. Vehicles may also be subject to search, so visitors should allow extra time for this process. General admission is $12 for adults, with discounted rates for seniors, children, and groups, while Preservation Virginia members receive free entry. A visit typically takes one to two hours, and the admission fee directly supports the ongoing preservation of this irreplaceable piece of American history.