Beavertail Lighthouse
Jamestown, Rhode Island | Historic lighthouse
Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterPublic grounds (sourced)Occasional tower openings (sourced)
About this lighthouse
In Beavertail State Park, Jamestown. The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association runs a seasonal museum and announces scheduled tower openings in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The U.S. Coast Guard lists Beavertail Lighthouse in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “Square granite tower, attached to white dwelling”. Light List entries describe the light for mariners; they do not say whether the site is open to visitors.
The structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. A National Register listing documents historic significance. It does not mean the public can visit.
Facts panel
| Managed / operated by | R.I. Dept. of Environmental Management (state park); Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association (museum) |
|---|---|
| Navigation status | Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 17780) [1] |
| Light characteristic | Fl W 10s [1] |
| Focal height | 64 ft above water [1] |
| Nominal range | 15 nautical miles [1] |
| Structure (USCG description) | Square granite tower, attached to white dwelling. [1] |
| National Register | Listed as “Beavertail Light” (NRIS 77000024), NPGallery record dated 12/12/1977 [2] |
| NRHP significant years | 1856 [2] |
| NRHP areas of significance | Science Architecture Maritime History Invention [2] |
| County | Newport County |
| Coordinates | 41.44930, -71.39930 [3] |
Getting there
Directions should target a legal public viewing location. We have not verified a public viewpoint or parking area for this light yet, so check the official source before you go.
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map. The pin marks the lighthouse position, not a parking area or a permitted viewpoint.
Accessibility
We have no verified accessibility information for this site yet. Contact the site manager before your visit if you need step-free access.
Nearby lights
Straight-line distance between lighthouse positions, not a driving time or route.
- Castle Hill Light — 2.1 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
- Dutch Island Light — 3.3 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
- Ida Lewis Light — 4.3 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
- Rose Island Light — 4.3 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
- Newport Harbor Light — 4.8 mi straight-line (Rhode Island)
Sources
- Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 17780 “Beavertail Light” — U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (weekly edition 11/11/2026). https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/weekly-light-lists (checked 2026-11-11)
- National Register of Historic Places record 77000024: “Beavertail Light” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/77000024 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikidata item Q4878261 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4878261 (checked 2026-11-11)
- Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beavertail_Lighthouse (checked 2026-11-11)
- Visitor Information — Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association. https://www.beavertaillight.org/visitor-info/ (checked 2026-11-11)
Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.