The Hilton Head Island Lighthouse Is The Unofficial Symbol Of The Island
The Hilton Head Island lighthouse has become the unofficial symbol of Hilton Head Island. It is the official symbol of the Horizon Heritage PGA golf tournament held in April each year. You might think of it as the “Washington Monument” of Hilton Head Island – a 90 foot attraction you won’t want to miss during your stay on Hilton Head.
Visitors who undertake the hike to the curio shop at the top testify that it is every bit of 90 feet too. 114 steps to be exact, with a museum built into the walls at a landing every 10 steps. “Walking up all those stairs is very tiring,” as one visitor put it, “If you have bad knees, I wouldn’t recommend it. The view, however, is awesome!”
The Museum
This “step and study, step and study” approach puts you at the top before you even have time to think about it. Every 10 steps brings you to another “room” of the museum on the self-guided Legends Tour. The historical objects and paintings are rotated on a regular basis, so there’s always something fresh and new to anticipate every time you visit the Island.
You’ll get the inside story on the creation of the lighthouse and learn the ancient history of the Island from artifacts dating back 3000 to 5000 B.C. There’s also a big emphasis on how the Island was found and developed by William Hilton In 1663 and on how the Civil War impacted life on Hilton Head.
Captain Hilton managed to find the Island without the benefit of the lighthouse on a voyage of exploration up the Atlantic coast. He was en-route from Barbados and decided to spend some time looking for suitable plantation land before heading home to England. The French and Spanish predated him, but the Island was deserted when he came ashore and staked a claim for England. He called it “Hilton’s Headland” and the name stuck.
The Gift Shop
The lighthouse climb may be “breathtaking”, but the view from the top is even more so. You can catch your breath in the little souvenir shop which occupies every square inch of the Watch Room (lighthouse terminology). “The Island’s most elevated shopping experience,” is the way some have described it. Over 2,000 items are on sale, many of them crafted specifically for the Hilton Head Lighthouse. The prices are not bad at all.
“Shop At The Top” is another way to put it. It is in fact the only U.S. lighthouse that makes you work for your gifts in this fashion. But that’s a big part of its charm. Constructed in 1970, it is the only U.S. lighthouse that dates from the 20th Century, the last one built in the last 1800s. Today it stands as the distinguishing landmark of the Sea Pines Plantation at the South end of Hilton Head. But more than just a “pretty face,” its beacon is also the landmark for vessels as far out from shore as 15 miles.
On your next vacation to the Island, be sure to include a visit to the Hilton Head Island lighthouse! It’s one of the most exciting Hilton Head Island attractions for the whole family. To learn more about the creation of the Hilton Head Island lighthouse and how it has become the unofficial logo of the #1 vacation destination in the continental United States follow the links below.
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