Biloxi Lighthouse and Pier

This light was completed in 1848 and is still standing. It is no longer an official navigation device but it still lights and ia owned by the City of Biloxi. It has survived many major hurricanes. After Katrina it required restoration but once again stands proudly in Biloxi as a symbol of their resilience. It is the only lighthouse that is located in the median of a 4 lane highway.





The Biloxi Lighthouse was erected in 1848 and was one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South. It is the city’s signature landmark and has become a post-Katrina symbol of the city’s resolve and resilience.

The light was civilian operated from 1848 to 1939, and is notable for its several female lightkeepers, including Maria Younghans, who tended the light for 53 years. In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the light’s operation.

After being declared surplus property in 1968, the Biloxi Lighthouse was deeded to the City of Biloxi, which eventually opened it to public tours.

The lighthouse has withstood many storms over the years. Katrina’s storm surge enveloped a third of the 64-foot tall lighthouse, and the constant pounding from the water and winds toppled many bricks that lined the interior of the cast iron tower. The storm’s winds also broke many of the windows in the light cupola and destroyed the structure’s electrical system

In March 2010, the city re-opened the lighthouse to public tours after a 14-month, $400,000 restoration that was funded by FEMA and MEMA and completed by Biloxi contractor J.O. Collins. http://www.biloxi.ms.us/visitor-info/museums/lighthouse/

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