U.S. Lighthouse Society
The leading non-profit dedicated to lighthouse history, preservation, and education. Hosts the West Coast Lighthouse Conference and publishes The Keeper's Log.
Resources
Support Lighthouse Preservation
The Lighthouse Circuit is free. If it helps you plan a trip, the best way to give back is to support the people keeping these lights, lenses, archives, and stories alive.
Below are preservation organizations, museums, passport programs, and field guides worth knowing about.
Preservation organizations
National non-profits that fund restoration directly and bring the lighthouse community together.
USLHS Preservation Grants
Direct funding for restoration projects at individual lighthouses. A simple, high-leverage way to support the next round of restoration work.
USLHS Lighthouse Passport Program
Buy the passport, get it stamped at participating lighthouses, and your fees support preservation. The original lighthouse road-trip companion.
National museums & archives
Where the artifacts, drawings, and primary sources live.
National Lighthouse Museum
Staten Island, NY. National collection of lighthouse artifacts and history, plus exhibits and programs about the United States Lighthouse Establishment.
National Park Service — Lighthouse Heritage
NPS maintenance, interpretation, and public access for dozens of lighthouses inside national parks, monuments, and seashores (including Cabrillo NM and Point Reyes).
Library of Congress — HABS / HAER
Historic American Buildings Survey & Historic American Engineering Record. Public-domain measured drawings, photographs, and written histories for dozens of lighthouses.
California lighthouse organizations
The local groups doing the real work at individual California stations. Most accept donations directly on their sites.
Point Arena Lighthouse
Operates and restores the 1908 tower, the museum in the fog signal building, and the vacation rentals in the keeper's houses.
Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association
Stewards Point Cabrillo Light Station and its active third-order Fresnel lens; runs the museum, tours, and the historic vacation rentals.
East Brother Light Station
501(c)(3) that restored and now operates East Brother Island Light Station as a working B&B; bookings directly fund preservation.
Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers · Point Sur
Volunteer non-profit running guided tours at Point Sur State Historic Park and maintaining the lightstation buildings.
Del Norte County Historical Society · Battery Point
Operates Battery Point Lighthouse and its museum; runs the tide-dependent tours from Crescent City.
Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers
Restores and operates Point San Luis Lighthouse near Avila Beach; runs the shuttle and hike-in tours.
Piedras Blancas Light Station · BLM
Bureau of Land Management with the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association — guided tours, restoration, and elephant-seal-coast stewardship.
Books we're using
No affiliate links for now — just useful references.
Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses
Sharlene & Ted Nelson
A classic California overview, organized south-to-north.
Guardians of the Lights
Elinor De Wire
The keepers themselves — daily life, families, and the long arc of the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
The Light Lists (U.S. Coast Guard)
USCG
The official, regularly-updated registry of active aids to navigation. Free online.
The Keeper's Log
U.S. Lighthouse Society quarterly
Member-supported journal — preservation news, restoration updates, deep dives.
We're listing these as a public benefit, not as partners. The Lighthouse Circuit has no affiliate or referral arrangements with any organization on this page.