The lighthouse was built using materials shipped around Cape Horn from the East Coast.
During its operation, the light was fueled by sperm whale oil and later converted to kerosene.
The first head keeper, Captain Robert Decatur Israel, lived at the site with his wife and five children.
The lighthouse served for only 37 years before being replaced by a lower-elevation beacon in 1891.
The original lens was a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which concentrated light using a complex glass array.
The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It is one of the few remaining original Cape Cod-style lighthouses on the Pacific Coast.
The structure's interior rooms are furnished with period-accurate 1880s antiques.
The surrounding park is a prime location for spotting migrating gray whales during winter months.
The building was constructed as part of a rapid development effort following California's entry into the Union.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is a historic 1850s structure located within Cabrillo National Monument at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula. It stands at an elevation of 422 feet above sea level, intended to guide ships into San Diego Bay. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1891 because its high elevation frequently obscured the beacon in thick fog and low clouds. The site has been refurbished to represent the living quarters of the 19th-century lighthouse keepers. Exhibits inside the structure detail the domestic life and operational duties of the original occupants. The monument grounds provide a vantage point for observing the Pacific Ocean and the entrance to the bay. It remains one of the original eight lighthouses built on the West Coast of the United States. The structure is maintained by the National Park Service as a preserved historical site.
The grassy path leading up to the lighthouse door provides the best angle of the structure against the ocean backdrop.
Bring binoculars for whale watching from the nearby cliffs.
Check local weather forecasts as the Point Loma area can be significantly foggier than inland San Diego.
Visit the nearby tide pools if tide levels are low enough to access the shore.
Do not wander off marked trails or climb over safety railings near the ocean cliffs.
The interior of the lighthouse occasionally closes for maintenance or exhibit rotation; the surrounding park area remains accessible.
Do not touch the historic artifacts or climb on restricted interior stairs.
