Year of Construction: 1827 & 1851
First Lighted: 1827 1853
Electrified: 1930s
Automated: 1943
Deactivated: 1847-1853; 1989-1999; 2015-present
Tower Height: 121 feet
Focal Height: 110 feet
Type of Tower: square pyramidal skeletal
Construction Materials: brick & iron
Number of Stairs: none (formerly 122)
Daymark: brown structure & white lantern
Status: inactive
Current Optic: none
Grounds Open To The Public: yes – open water
Tower Open To The Public: no
The skeletal iron tower at Sand Key stands on piles driven into the reef, several miles offshore from Key West. Its open framework replaced a brick lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling destroyed with the island itself during the catastrophic hurricane of 1846.
The first Sand Key lighthouse was placed in service in 1827. Hurricanes damaged the station repeatedly, and the 1846 storm destroyed the tower, dwelling, and everyone sheltering there. A temporary lightship served until a new iron lighthouse was completed and lighted in 1853. Its elevated dwelling endured many later hurricanes, though outbuildings and land were repeatedly swept away. The station was automated in the early 1940s. After the light failed in 1989, a restoration removed the deteriorated dwelling and central stair cylinder; a beacon returned in 1998 but was discontinued in 2015.
Sand Key is a popular reef destination for snorkeling and diving charters from Key West. There is no dry land at the lighthouse, and the tower is closed. Visitors should approach only by boat with an experienced operator and safe sea conditions.
The lighthouse is privately owned and inactive, with no optic in the lantern and no public tower access. The surrounding reef remains open water and a recreation destination, but the historic structure should be viewed without boarding or climbing.
