The historic Tarrytown Lighthouse has reopened for the second time in two years after vandalism prompted more repairs to be done.
The Westchester Parks Foundation said the lighthouse reopened for tours on April 4 after an arson and vandalism spree in 2025 caused more than $100,000 in damages to the structure.
The Tarrytown Lighthouse underwent its first round of renovations from 2022 to 2024, a project that cost $3.4 million dollars. The changes included a new paint job, window and door replacements, foundation repairs and interior restoration that evoked memories of the original design from its heyday in the years it operated.
A new security gate and landing between the bridge and gangway was also included in the initial repairs.
The lighthouse reopened to the public in May 2024, but was just as quickly shut down again for a nearly a year after arson and vandalism discovered May 31, 2025 caused a fire on the first floor of the lighthouse, broken windows on the first and second floors, and damage to historic antiques and books from as early as 1883, dating back to when the lighthouse first opened.
According to a spokesperson for the Westchester County Parks Department, repairs from the damage have been completed and security enhancements are in place. In total, the county said about $175,000 in damages had occurred.
The Tarrytown Lighthouse, built in 1883, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the only lighthouse in Westchester, it was built to allow local steam ship companies a safer passage on the dangerous, rocky shores of the Hudson River.
The lighthouse is also the only conical steel structure in the county to include living quarters for its keepers. It was home to 12 keepers and their families from 1937 to 1976. In 1955, the lighthouse was no longer needed on the shores the Hudson River as the new Tappan Zee Bridge included navigation lights on the structure. It was officially decommissioned in 1963.
Westchester County acquired the lighthouse in the 1970s, for just a dollar, Curator Julia Snook said.
How to visit the Tarrytown Lighthouse
According to the website to reserve a free tour, all time slots until the end of June are booked. New tour dates will be announced via parksevents.westchestercountyny.gov, the Parks Department said.
Visitors “get a little overview about what life was like inside of the lighthouse” on tours, as well as the building’s history and the history of lighthouses on the Hudson River, Snook explained.
Curator-led tours typically occur every Saturday at 10 a.m. and last an estimated 45 minutes. For views of the lighthouse by land, head to Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow or view it from the Westchester Riverwalk at Edge-on-Hudson.
To book a free tour for the Tarrytown Lighthouse, visit the booking link here.
Contributing: Lohud’s Michael P. McKinney
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Tarrytown Lighthouse reopens after vandalism repairs. See inside
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera and Jeanne Muchnick, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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