Tier 2 · Notable
Santa Cruz Lighthouse
Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse
Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz County · Central Coast
Year first lit
Current structure built
Tower height
Focal plane
Optic
Light characteristic
Owner
Manager
Coordinates
Current hours
Fees
History
The original Santa Cruz Lighthouse (1870) was the 12th lighthouse established on the California coast. The current Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse (1967) was built by Chuck and Esther Abbott in memory of their son Mark, who drowned while surfing nearby in 1965. It houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, the first surfing museum in the world (opened 1986). The USCG reactivated it as an official aid to navigation in 2011.
Why it matters
The only lighthouse in the United States built as a private memorial that was later reactivated as an official aid to navigation. Houses the world's first surfing museum. Overlooks Steamer Lane, one of the most famous surf breaks in California.
The visit
Easy walk from West Cliff Drive parking. The small brick lighthouse sits on a bluff above Steamer Lane. The surfing museum inside is free and worth a visit. Excellent views of the surf break and Monterey Bay.
Logistics
Recommended base
Nearby food / coffee
Nearby lodging
Natural stop between Point Pinos (Pacific Grove) and Pigeon Point on the Central Coast circuit. Easy half-day visit combined with Santa Cruz waterfront.
Nearby lighthouses
Point Pinos Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Pacific Grove, Central Coast
The oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. The claim of the original Fresnel lens still in active use — if verified — would make it one of the most remarkable lighthouse artifacts in the United States.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Pescadero, Bay Area / Peninsula
Iconic silhouette on the San Mateo coast. One of the most photographed lighthouses in California. The on-site hostel makes it a unique overnight destination. Tower restoration is a major ongoing story.
Visited this light? Leave a note in the Keeper's Log.
Add your log entrySources
- Officiallighthousefriends.com/light.asp
- Officialhistory.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/All/Article/1988632/santa-cruz-lighthouse
- Officialsantacruzca.gov/Government/City-Departments/Parks-Recreation/Surfing-Museum
- Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_Surfing_Museum
- Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Abbott_Memorial_Lighthouse.jpg
Image rights: Wikimedia Commons images available under CC BY-SA. USCG historic photos are public domain.
Research confidence: high · Last verified 2026-05-13