Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse
The most powerful lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere, built in 1907. It can be seen from 28 miles at sea. Tours run twice a year.
The Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1907 on a small island at the inlet between Pompano Beach and Deerfield Beach. The light is a first-order Fresnel lens — the largest and most powerful type made — and can be seen 28 miles out to sea. It is the most powerful lighthouse in the Western Hemisphere and one of the last first-order Fresnel lenses still in operation in the United States.
The lighthouse is on a private island accessible only by boat. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society runs tours twice a year — spring and fall — that include a boat ride to the island and a climb to the top. Check hillsborolighthouse.org for dates. The tours sell out quickly.
The Fresnel lens is the original from 1907. It is 12 feet tall and weighs 5,000 pounds. It floats on a bath of liquid mercury, which allows it to rotate with almost no friction. The view from the top of the lighthouse on a clear day extends from Miami to Palm Beach.