Don’t Miss The Hilton Head Island Lighthouse Museum
You can’t miss the Hilton Head Island Lighthouse! With it’s red and white barber-pole decor it stands out like a – well like a giant barber pole extending 90 feet into the air. Its distinctive signature has become the unofficial symbol of Hilton Head Island and the official symbol of the Horizon Heritage PGA golf tournament.
Ninety-feet may not seem like much until you begin to tackle the 114 steps required to get you to the top. Fortunately, the climb is interrupted by a landing every 10 steps, which features a mini-museum built into the wall at that point. “Walking up all those stairs is very tiring,” as one visitor put it, “If you have bad knees, I wouldn’t recommend it. The view, however, is awesome!”
The Museum
There’s a landing every 10 steps where you’ll find another facet of the Legends Tour museum on display. Step and study, step and study – with this gradual ascent you’re at the top in no time at all. The displays are rotated on a seasonal basis so there’s always something new for your return visits.
You’ll get the inside story on the creation of the lighthouse, how the Civil War impacted Hilton Head, and you’ll marvel at ancient artifacts dating back 3000 to 5000 B.C. There’s a big emphasis on how the island was discovered and developed by William Hilton In 1663 and the impact of the Civil War 200 years later.
The French and Spanish were first on the scene, but they didn’t stick around so when Captain Hilton showed up he was free to claim the Island for England. He was on the way from Barbados hugging the coast in search of profitable plantation lands. Stumbling upon the Island he disembarked to explore and did not hesitate to Cristen it with his own name – “Hilton’s Headland.”
The Gift Shop
The lighthouse climb may be “breathtaking”, but the view from the top is even more so. You can catch your breath in the little souvenir shop which occupies every square inch of the Watch Room (lighthouse terminology). “The Island’s most elevated shopping experience,” is the way some have described it. Over 2,000 items are on sale, many of them crafted specifically for the Hilton Head Lighthouse. The prices are not bad at all.
The experience is also advertised as “Shop At The Top.” It is in fact the only lighthouse in the United States that rewards its visitors with a gift shop at the end of their climb. It’s the only lighthouse constructed in the United States since the late 1800s. Its beacon is visible from 15 miles at sea, so it’s not just a facsimile. Since 1970 when it was built, the Hilton Head Island Lighthouse has stood as a sentinel at the south end of the Island. It is the visual centerpiece of the Sea Pines district and the unofficial symbol of Hilton Head Island.
On your next vacation to the Island, be sure to include a visit to the Hilton Head Island lighthouse! It’s one of the most exciting Hilton Head Island attractions for the whole family. To learn more about the creation of the Hilton Head Island lighthouse and how it has become the unofficial logo of the #1 vacation destination in the continental United States follow the links below.
Who needs Hawaii, when we’ve got Hilton Head? Oliver Woods invites you to obtain more details on why Hilton Head Island is America’s most popular vacation spot at Hilton Head South Carolina To plan your stay at Hilton Head utilize the simple vacation Trip Planner Worksheet for price breaks on dining, sleeping, biking, and much more.
