Martha’s Vineyard has five historic lighthouses spread across its six towns, and no two of them are alike. From a red brick tower perched above the most dramatic cliffs in Massachusetts to a cast-iron sentinel walkable from the center of Edgartown, the island’s lights represent one of the most concentrated and varied collections in New England. Before the Cape Cod Canal opened in 1914, Vineyard Sound and Nantucket Sound carried more ship traffic than anywhere in the world except the English Channel. The lights built to guide those vessels survive today in excellent condition, maintained by a combination of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, the Trustees of Reservations, and the town of Aquinnah.
Here’s a guide to all five, with notes on how to visit each.
The Five Lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard
Gay Head is the oldest and most dramatic lighthouse on the Vineyard. A wooden tower was authorized here by President John Adams and first lit in 1799, making it one of the earliest lighthouses established in the United States. The current red brick structure was built in 1855 and first lit on December 1, 1856. In 1856 it received a first-order Fresnel lens featuring 1,008 prisms, which had previously been displayed at the 1855 World’s Fair in Paris and won a gold medal at the exhibition. That original lens is now on permanent display at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven.
The lighthouse stands at the island’s western tip in the town of Aquinnah, atop the famous Gay Head Cliffs — multicolored clay bluffs that rise over 150 feet above the Atlantic and are sacred to the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe. Erosion has always been a threat here. In May 2015, the 400-ton tower was successfully moved 134 feet inland to buy the lighthouse another 150 years before the retreating cliffs might require another relocation. Not a single crack appeared in the structure during the move.
The lighthouse is open to visitors from late May through early October, generally 10am to 4pm, with admission of $6 for adults and free for children under 13. The surrounding park and cliff overlook are free and open to all.
Best for: Photographers, anyone visiting the Aquinnah Cliffs, travelers who want the most scenic setting on the island.
Edgartown Harbor Light is the most accessible lighthouse on the Vineyard, a 10-minute walk from the center of town along the harborfront. The original lighthouse was built in 1828 on a small man-made island about a quarter mile offshore; a footbridge was later added, and over time natural sedimentation connected the island to the mainland, so the lighthouse now stands directly on shore.
The current cast-iron tower was transported by barge from Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1939 to replace the original lighthouse, which was badly damaged in the hurricane of 1938. It’s a compact but handsome structure with views across the harbor to Chappaquiddick Island. Admission is $5 to climb to the top. The lighthouse is managed by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and is open seasonally. It’s also the venue for a number of Edgartown’s most beloved events, including Fourth of July fireworks, Pink and Green Weekend, and Christmas in Edgartown.
Best for: Walkers, families, first-time visitors to the island, anyone spending a day in Edgartown.
East Chop sits on Telegraph Hill in Oak Bluffs, on the site where one of the earliest telegraph signal stations in the country operated from 1828, relaying ship arrival news from Nantucket to the mainland. The cast-iron tower was built by the federal government in 1878, after years of a privately funded lighthouse operated by local merchants on the same site. Before it was repainted white in 1988, the tower’s distinctive brown-red color earned it the affectionate nickname “the Chocolate Lighthouse.”
East Chop is maintained by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and is open on Sunday evenings around sunset from mid-June through mid-September — one of the island’s most pleasant lighthouse experiences. Parking is limited on East Chop Drive, and the lighthouse is an enjoyable 25-minute bike ride from the Oak Bluffs ferry dock.
Best for: Sunset visits, cyclists, travelers arriving via the Oak Bluffs ferry.
West Chop stands at the northern tip of the West Chop peninsula, overlooking the entrance to Vineyard Haven Harbor. A lighthouse has stood here since 1817, and the current structure was rebuilt in the 1890s as erosion repeatedly threatened the bluff. West Chop holds the distinction of being the last lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard to be automated, in 1976, and its original Fresnel lens is still in operation.
The lighthouse is not open to the public and the surrounding land is under Coast Guard jurisdiction, but it’s easily visible from the road and makes an excellent photography subject from East Chop Drive. Ferry passengers approaching Vineyard Haven on the Steamship Authority from Woods Hole get a particularly good view as they enter the harbor. It’s about a 35-minute walk from downtown Vineyard Haven, making it a pleasant addition to a longer stroll around the peninsula.
Best for: Ferry arrivals, road-side photography, cyclists exploring the north shore.
Cape Poge is the island’s most remote lighthouse, and reaching it is an adventure in itself. It sits at the northeastern tip of Chappaquiddick Island, accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle across a long stretch of barrier beach or on foot over 3.5 miles of sand. A lighthouse was first established here in 1801, and the structure has been rebuilt and relocated four times since due to erosion and storm damage. The current 55-foot wooden tower was built in 1922. In 1985 it earned a unique distinction: it became the first lighthouse in the United States to be moved by helicopter.
The Trustees of Reservations manages the Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge and runs guided oversand vehicle tours to the lighthouse from late May through mid-October. This is the recommended way to visit, combining the lighthouse with a tour of the refuge’s barrier beach, dunes, and abundant birdlife. To reach Chappaquiddick, take the tiny three-car Chappy Ferry from Edgartown Memorial Wharf — it’s a 90-second crossing that runs daily year-round.
Best for: Adventurous visitors, wildlife enthusiasts, anyone who wants the most off-the-beaten-path lighthouse experience on the island.
Tours and Day Trips
If you’re planning a visit from Boston or the mainland and want a structured experience, two options bookable through GetYourGuide cover the island’s lighthouse highlights well.
This full-day tour handles the logistics of getting to the Vineyard from Boston, including round-trip minibus transport and the Island Queen Ferry crossing from Falmouth. Once on the island, the itinerary includes Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Gay Head Lighthouse at the Aquinnah Cliffs. It’s a good fit for visitors who don’t want to navigate ferry schedules and island transportation independently, and who want to cover the most scenically significant lighthouse in a single day.
For visitors already on the island, this narrated bus tour led by 4th and 5th generation islanders covers all six towns including stops at the Aquinnah Cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse, Oak Bluffs, and Edgartown. The local guides bring genuine knowledge of the island’s history and character that’s hard to replicate on a self-guided drive.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to the island: The Steamship Authority runs year-round ferry service to Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs from Woods Hole. The journey takes about 45 minutes. High-speed ferries also operate seasonally from Falmouth and Hyannis. Bringing a car to the island is expensive and largely unnecessary in summer; most visitors do better leaving it on the mainland and renting a bike or moped on the island.
Getting around: All five lighthouses are accessible without a car, though Cape Poge requires either a Trustees tour or a 4WD vehicle. The Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) bus serves most of the island and stops near most lighthouse sites. Bikes and mopeds are widely available for rent in Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs.
Best time to visit: Late May through early October for maximum lighthouse access. Gay Head, East Chop, and Edgartown all have seasonal hours. West Chop is viewable year-round from the road. Cape Poge Trustees tours run from late May through mid-October.
Martha’s Vineyard Museum: The museum manages Gay Head, East Chop, and Edgartown lighthouses and is the best single source for current hours and tour availability. The Gay Head Lighthouse’s original first-order Fresnel lens is also on display there. Visit mvmuseum.org for current schedules.
Martha’s Vineyard rewards lighthouse travelers who take the time to reach all five. Each is distinct in setting, architecture, and character, and together they trace the island’s full coastline from the wild clay cliffs of Aquinnah to the remote barrier beaches of Chappaquiddick. For more Massachusetts lighthouse exploration, see the full Massachusetts lighthouse guide and the Cape Cod lighthouse guide. For the neighboring island’s lights, the Nantucket lighthouse guide covers Brant Point, Great Point, and Sankaty Head. For the broadest regional overview, start with the New England lighthouse guide.
