The Hillsboro Lighthouse Runs on Tour Tickets, and the Fall Dates Are Set

"We get zero dollars from the Coast Guard. We get zero dollars from the government," Ralph Krugler told Local 10 in early July. He is the historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. The light on the north side of the Hillsboro Inlet in Hillsboro Beach has marked this stretch of the Broward coast since 1907. The money for its upkeep comes mostly from fundraising events, memberships and the public boat tours that bring visitors over to climb it.

That makes a fall tour more than a nice Saturday out. Each person who joins the society to board a tour boat adds to a repair fund that is well short of its goal. This fall, the climb and the restoration are paid for from the same source.

Who Keeps the Light On

People often assume a working coastal lighthouse is a federal job. Local 10 reported that the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is instead maintained by the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society, a nonprofit. It relies almost entirely on fundraising, memberships and public tours to pay for maintenance and restoration. Krugler gave that as the reason the work moves slowly. "That's why it's taking so long," he said.

The size of the gap is clear from the numbers. The full restoration is expected to cost as much as $2 million. Krugler said, "It's taken us like 10 years to get $400,000." That works out to about $40,000 a year against a goal five times the amount raised so far. Membership tours are one of the few steady sources of money that can close it.

What Salt Air Has Done to the Tower

The damage is easiest to see from inside. Krugler leads many of the society's monthly tours and describes the view from the top of the 11-story tower as the highlight for most visitors. On the climb up, though, the effects of more than a century of salt air are plain. Rust has eaten away at original iron parts, and cracks and corrosion show up in sections of the structure. "The environment is just so hard on iron," he said.

Local 10 described the work as of July this way. Crews were removing damaged material and applying new protective coatings. The plan is to replace failing iron pieces with stainless steel, which should hold up to South Florida's coastal conditions for decades. We have not found any public progress update since that report. It is fair to say the work was under way in July. How far it has come since then is a question for the society.

The structure under repair carries real history. The U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office lists its original optic as a second-order bivalve Fresnel lens. It also says the name "Hillsboro" comes from Wills Hills, Earl of Hillsborough. A society newsletter says the beam can be seen up to 28 nautical miles out. That reach is why boaters coming home through the Hillsboro Inlet have relied on it for generations.

A Boater's Campaign Changed the Fundraising

The most recent push came from the water. Camilla Pavan, a local boating influencer, often passes the lighthouse and teamed up with the society on a "Save the Lighthouse" social media campaign and a GoFundMe page. She told Local 10 the society had little social media presence before she got involved. By July the online campaign had raised thousands of dollars.

"We're trying to up our presence and get more people to realize that, hey, this is part of the community," Krugler said. "If you really want it to stick around, can you help us out?" Online giving adds momentum. The tour calendar is where neighbors can contribute in person.

The Fall 2026 Tour Calendar

The Greater Fort Lauderdale tourism bureau lists three public tours presented by the society for the rest of the year:

Visit Pompano Beach lists Sands Harbor Resort & Marina at that same Riverside Drive address. That makes it the likely launch dock, but confirm before you go. The listings do not give start and end times. The society's phone number on the event listing is 954-942-2102.

How a Tour Day Works

A tour is a short boat ride across, time on the lighthouse grounds, and the chance to climb the tower. The rules are specific, so plan ahead:

1. Join the society first. You take the tour as a member. You can join on the society's website or in person at the docks on tour day. The event listing says your ticket includes membership.
2. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the hour. Boats usually leave the departure docks on the hour and head back from the lighthouse's U.S. Coast Guard docks on the half-hour. Seats are first come, first served, and the society does not take seat reservations. It warns that boats can fill quickly in peak season.
3. Wear close-toed shoes. The listing makes them mandatory. Children must be at least 4 feet tall.
4. Plan for the stairs. A society newsletter puts the climb at 175 steps.
5. Pack light. The tour boats do not allow beach chairs, umbrellas, beach toys, towels, coolers, alcohol, recreational drugs, glass bottles, or watersport gear such as snorkels and fishing tackle.

Membership prices are not posted on the current tour page. The most recent dues schedule we found is several years old, so check the current amount with the society rather than relying on old figures.

At the station, look for the bronze Barefoot Mailman statue. A society newsletter describes it as eight feet tall on a five-foot granite pedestal. It honors the mail carriers who once walked this coastline.

The Land-Side Option

The tower is reachable only by boat. The society's story is closer to home, though. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Museum & Gift Shop is in Roy L. Rogers Family Park at 2700 N. Ocean Blvd. in Pompano Beach. The city's tourism listing gives hours of Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and notes that visitors can see the lighthouse from there. The park is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It has a boat dock, fishing access, benches, picnic areas, restrooms and a playground. That makes it an easy weekday stop for anyone who wants to see the tower without the boat ride.

Sands Harbor is also home to Lola's on the Water, with Intracoastal views. It is a convenient place for lunch before or after a sailing on tour day.

Pairing It With the City's October Calendar

The October tour falls in a busy month in Lighthouse Point. The city's newsletter lists a Fall Concert & Food Trucks at Frank McDonough Park on Saturday, October 3, from 6 to 9 p.m. The Dan Witt Park Farmer's Market runs the morning after the October 10 tour, on Sunday, October 11, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Halloween at the Point follows on Thursday, October 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Frank McDonough Park. After that, the November 15 and December 5 sailings are the last two chances this year to climb the tower and add to the repair fund.

For Lighthouse Point owners whose docks and views face the Hillsboro Inlet, that link to the water shapes daily life and the value of the home. The Aaron Buchbinder Group is glad to talk through what inlet access means for your property. Request a private consultation.