Cape Henry Lighthouse

We got engaged at a lighthouse 5 years ago so for our 4^th wedding anniversary we were excited to see the Cape Henry lighthouse on an anniversary vacation to VA Beach. Until the dick at the front on a power trip wouldn’t let us through because we had a rental car and the car registration didn’t match our IDs. If this is somewhere for tourists to visit, you may want to put someone a little friendlier at the front, because we just got a very negative impression of Virginia tourism.

Awesome climb and great views! Really doesn’t take more than ten minutes to get to the top. The staircase is pretty small, so try to get there at a good time to avoid crowds! The guys working there are knowledgable about the lighthouse and really nice. Cool knickknacks. ¹⁰⁄₁₀

A little complicated to get into on Military base and all. Be prepared with photo id, car registration, and proof of insurance. They will have you open all doors, gloves boxes, and even hood of the car and then step out of vehicle for inspection. Once inside the base you have 4 hour limited pass. The views of lighthouses are beautiful. Nice gift shop. This activity involves climbing. If your afraid of heights like me it’s a difficult feat to get to the top and the back down. Go with someone you trust. I imagine it’s wicked hot in there during summer we visited on a day in early May that was in the 80’s. The lighthouses is under going restoration! It’s the first light house built in the USA so it’s cool to visit it!

Went here with my husband and parents when they came down to visit us. The view is beautiful from the top and you can see a second lighthouse (unfortunately you can’t go in that one because it looks amazing).I just wish people weren’t so rude and didn’t scratch almost every inch of the Windows when they visit.

My husband and I decided to make the trek to the top of the lighthouse the day after having run a half marathon. Not the smartest decision I’ve ever made. Honestly, the pilgrimage to the top isn’t too daunting. It’s just under 200 steps and the climb took us less than 5 minutes. The view was beautiful! Call ahead during the summer to ensure they’re open, they have to close sometimes if it’s too hot. There’s usually a Groupon available.

I can’t really go much higher than three stars, as the weather was bad and the rumble of thunder meant we were not allowed to climb the stairs to the top. So be warned, even though the weather may not be that bad, thunder (and therefore lightening) can keep you from reaching the top.
Well, at least there is a nice gift shop to look through, in the hopes that the thunder will stop. It didn’t for me.
Disclaimer: This review was started on 6÷17÷2013, but I remember the day well.
PS. The lighthouse is located on an active military base, and you will need to go through a checkpoint. Please have identification, including a picture, with you (all visitors aged 16 years or older). This ID should be a student or state or Federal issued ID card. Proof of vehicle insurance and current vehicle registration is also required for admission to Fort Story Military Base.

Nice little side trip. The lighthouse is on s military base so getting in is a security hassle.

As far as lighthouses go, this is a cool location and really neat that it was the first one in the US. However, the military check in was slightly over the top. I have been on other military bases and they were rude and intense so be prepared for that.
Otherwise, beautiful views and the lighthouse is history.

I have been here for years and this was the first time I made it to this lighthouse and climbed the stairs. Two bonuses in one day.
This day was dress like a pirate and you received free admission to climb up the stairs. You have to meet height requirements so my whole family did not make the cut but that’s ok, he’s not really into strenuous activity (like running, walking fast, steady motion). Maybe next year he will be better.
Your tour starts in the gift shop, I signed the visitor book, read the guidelines and looked at all the goodies! Then the back door opens to a hill of stairs. The trek up was entertaining by all the signs along the way of facts. We circled around the base of the old lighthouse and took pictures of the landscape around to include the new lighthouse and water front.
You are able to climb the entire lighthouse. The stairways starts off as a spiral case but not one you can see all the way up. When you get to the top you climb up a ladder to the top level. The bulb is gone but you can again walk around the whole top and snap some beautiful pictures. Then you start on your journey back down. Not so bad, other than a weird backwards sensation that all my girls complained about. It was if we were all going the wrong way on a one way street. We also ran into cramped quarters coming down the ladder as a large party of 10 gathered at the bottom of the ladder and top of the stairwell.
Great way to explore and see some of Virginia’s history.

Light house is not that great. It’s not worth for 8 $. It’s very good and very small. There is national park near lighthouse where you can get into beach. This is good. Don’t forget to take your vehicle registration, insurance and if card for all passengers.

Kind of pricey for an experience that lasts less than 30 minutes. Very steep climb up to the lighthouse and very short climb to the top of the lighthouse. It could easily get overcrowded in it as it is very difficult for 2 people to walk by each other going up and down. Once you get to the top, the views are beautiful but hard to look at them for long as there is poor/​no ventilation and it gets very hot.

This is a lovely place to visit. I would not recommend bringing anyone who has difficulty climbing stairs, is obese, or has any knee problems. The stairs are very steep and the stairwell can be quite cramped for folks passing you by. You need to be in good enough shape to get up and down those stairs.
You should definitely wear comfortable shoes with a good grip. They highly recommend that you do not wear flip flops.
You have to be at least 42″ to climb. This is not a suitable place for toddlers.
Everyone was very friendly here. I enjoyed talking to the staff members about the history of this place.
It’s quite scenic! Great place for taking photos.
One thing I noticed at the top, many people scratched their names with their keys or something sharp to leave their mark on the windowpanes. This was a bit of an eyesore. I thought that was really sad that folks would do that to such a beautiful place. Hopefully, the windowpanes will be replaced so that folks can enjoy a more beautiful view at the top.
Folks can get an awesome view of the Chesapeake Bay from the lighthouse. This certainly motivated my crew to check it out after our descent.

First off, if you’re going to post a picture, STOP. Everyone else already posted the same pic you’re about to put up. and yes, they instagrammed it like you were thinking as well. Just stop. Stop.
I’ve been visiting this institution for 20 years, and it never gets old. It’s a true historical gem and should be a destination on anyone’s list traveling through the Hampton Roads area. Yes, it is on Fort Story, but this isn’t much of a military base at all, and I’m surprised they even have guards at the gate to begin with. Access is super easy, so do not let that deter you.
While at the light house, make sure you hop across the street to the beachfront memorials, and have yourself a great stay!

Had a nice time at the lighthouse & learned a lot. Also, took some very nice pictures. I love to explore and learn new things and here, I definitely did.
It’s on military base Ft. Story. Seems like civilians can get on. Anyway, a lot of stairs! So be warned… Thighs will burn! LOL
But it’s about $ 8/​adult. And it’s still a cool experience to put under your belt!

What a neat lighthouse. The climb will make your thighs burn (or maybe it was the hour long bike ride I had against a headwind the day before). The folks in the shop gave us a brief history about the place before we headed up. We lucked out by showing up on a perfectly sunny day, so we had a clear view from the top.

Nice view! Also historical! Many stairs!!!
The ticket is pricy. I found cheap one at groupon. Almost half price?!
There is a little cute souvenir shop in front of the lighthouse.

There are Beautiful spots on the base, quiet and relaxing! Great little hidden getaway even the ice cream truck made it through!
Lighthouse was nice and fun to climb, but it’s a hike! The narrow stairs made me want to pass out, a little boy asked me if I was ok. Dang., if he can do it I can pump up enough courage to do it too! But once you make it to the top what a beautiful sight!

This is one of those «Must See”/“Must Do» things! It is very neat to see both lighthouses and read the history behind them. But, it is even better to go up in Cape Henry and see the amazing view from up there! We could actually see dolphins swimming in the ocean. Very cool experience! If you go in the summer months, you can just walk across the street and there is beach access.

Quite honestly after J David H. wrote his review last year there really is nothing that any of us could add because it’s detailed to the max and explains the process of getting on the base plus the history of the area perfectly.
The only thing that I can add is that if you are coming in a rental car they will not ask to see the registration and insurance. Instead they ask for your rental agreement to make sure that the information on your DL matches what’s on the agreement.
Overall the personnel we encountered were professional and courteous and the two guys at the lighthouse were extremely knowledgeable about the light along with the area.
It may be a bit of a PIA to get to but the view and the experience made it all worth it.
If you go:
March 16^th — October 31^st 10am — 5pm
November 1^st — March 15^th 10am — 4pm
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, New Years Day and January 2^nd.
Adults (13 & over): $ 5
Youth (12 & under — must be 42 inches tall): $ 3

On a glorious sun drenched late December day with temps in the 50’s I introduced my family from Indiana to the very first light house commissioned by the U.S. Government. But first things first, access to the Fort Story Army Base. The entrance is off of Shore Dr./Highway 60 at the hairpin turn. Travel three blocks, or so to the gate entrance.
The Army personnel do not have a sense of humor, so take them seriously with their request. Have your ID, registration and proof of insurance. Be prepared to open all compartments inside the car popping hood and opening doors. Everyone in the car must exit the car and stand behind a barricade. You cannot deviate from your route to the house and cannot go past the flashing lights at the fire station. Army police commonly follow visitors to verify they arrive where they are authorized. You can also walk on the base, but ID is still required. Biking on the base is also permitted, however adults must have ID and everyone must be wearing a helmet.
Why is this base treated like Fort Knox instead of Fort Story??? Well, here are a few reasons that may not be common knowledge. The base on the surface seems sleepy, but it is anything but. Fort Story is a very active training base by the Navy Seals. A heavily wooded area to your left has a multitude of props like helicopters, planes, mock building and more to train our finest. It could best be described as a Hollywood back lot. It has been described as our «Area 51» in Virginia Beach since so few people have seen it., or know of it’s existence. Another reason is the XO and CO of the Joint Expeditionary Base at Little Creek reside on this base.
The old Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first federally constructed project under the Constitution. For an original contract amount of $ 15,200 sometime prior to 1792. It also has the distinction of being the first federally funded project to go over budget as the house ended up exceeding it’s budget by $ 2,500. It is a national park and the second smallest one in the country at just three acres. The project was completed in October 1792.
You first enter through the gift store which is very nice and well appointed with information and trinkets about the lighthouse. However, they also have items of local and state interest that is cool. A young man named Justin was extremely helpful when discussing the history of the old Cape Henry. The fact he was so into the lineage of the house made the visit even more special. Be aware that children must be at least 42 inches, or around Kindergarten. Six dollars for adults and five dollars for children gets you the almost 300 step climb to the top. But first it’s a steep 70+ steps to get to the base of the house.
The old Cape Henry Lighthouse was built with Aquia Creek sandstone from the same source as the White House. This unfortunately made it very susceptible to erosion. In 1930 Preservation Virginia acquired this precious landmark. A brick lining and an iron stairway was latter added to the interior. It officially was put on the list as a National Historic Landmark January 29, 1964.
The current condition of the interior is in a fragile state and in desperate need of restoration. The rot iron stairwell is safe, but also in need of blasting and restoration as well. Prepare yourself for an erect ladder before the final approach at the top. The view is spectacular and worth every penny charged. A one of a kind 360 degree view around Virginia Beach cannot be matched. The view is so awesome on a clear day you can see Town Center. The water views are what really makes this experience come alive. What is also very cool is the fact you can really take in the beauty of the newer Cape Henry Lighthouse and adjacent keeper out buildings.
I would venture to say that less than 1% of the population in Virginia Beach has had an opportunity to see the historic Cape Henry Lighthouse up close which is a travesty. This local gem is way too special to pass by on your next trip to the ocean front. Set around 45 minutes aside for a visit and you will not be disappointed. This will allow enough time to check out adjacent Cape Henry Memorial and walk to the beach.
This is my second trip and it was just as thrilling to see the area again after a five year absence. I encourage a tour in the Fall, or Spring as the best time due to uncomfortable temps in Winter and Summer. However, a warmer Winter day is stellar. Every where you look is a great photo op, so don’t forget your camera.