Pt. Arena is a narrow strip of breathtakingly beautiful California coast. A masonry tower was erected on this site in 1870, fitted with a first-order Fresnel lens. The earthquake of 1906 destroyed the lens, tower, and dwellings, leaving only the fog signal builting intact. The 115 foot replacement tower was built of reinforced concrete with buttrussing at the bottom. A San Francisco company with experience building smokestacks was contracted to build the new tower, accounting for the smokestack-like design. The two-ton first-order lens shone from 1908 until 1977, when a modern rotating beacon was installed on the tower balcony.
After the earthquake, the keeper's house was replaced with four houses. The Pt. Arena Lighthouse Keeper's Association, which currently leases the site from the Coast Guard, rents the houses to overnight guests. Call 707.882.2777 or email palight@mcn.org for details. The lighthouse and museum are open daily 11:00 - 2:30, and on summer weekends 10:00 - 3:30.
