This is the the only Manhattan lighthouse. In the early 20th century, barge captains carrying goods up and down the Hudson demanded a brighter beacon. The Little Red Lighthouse had been erected on Sandy Hook, New Jersey in 1880, where it used a 1,000 pound fog signal and flashing red light to guide ships through the night. It became obsolete and was dismantled in 1917. In 1921, the U.S. Coast Guard reconstructed this lighthouse on Jeffrey’s Hook in an attempt to improve navigational aids on the Hudson River - but the George Washington Bridge opened in 1931, and the brighter lights of the bridge again made the lighthouse obsolete. In 1948, the Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse, and its lamp was extinguished. On July 23, 1951, the Coast Guard gave the property to NYC Parks, and on May 29, 1979, the Little Red Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Little Red Lighthouse remains a stalwart symbol of the area’s heritage, lighting the way into the city’s past.

TIP: The area where the lighthouse is located is called Fort Washington Park, and there is space to walk, run, ride a bike and have a picnic. How to get there? By subway, use line A and go to 181th Station. Leaving the station, you walk west on 181th Street. You will arrive on a highway and, looking to the right, you will see a pedestrian crossing over this highway. Before that, be sure to enjoy the beautiful view of the bridge! When crossing the pedestrian path, follow the path, towards the bridge. You will find more wonderful views and also go through a tunnel. Keep walking and enjoying the view – it will not be long before you spot the lighthouse. I also suggest putting “Little Red Lighthouse” on Google Maps.