Landmarks
Biloxi Lighthouse
Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Cast in iron and raised in 1848, the Biloxi Lighthouse stands square in the median of U.S. Highway 90, traffic splitting around it in both directions the way it has for over a century. It's the detail everyone mentions first: no other working lighthouse in the country sits in the middle of a four-lane highway. Katrina's storm surge swallowed a third of the tower in 2005, and Biloxi rebuilt it. Stop for a photo even if you skip the climb, it's the closest thing this city has to an official emblem.
Getting There
The lighthouse sits in the paved median of U.S. Highway 90 at Porter Avenue, directly across from the Biloxi Visitors Center at 1050 Beach Blvd, just west of the Beau Rivage. There's no lot at the lighthouse itself, park free at the Visitors Center and cross Highway 90 on the marked crosswalk with the pedestrian signal, not by cutting across traffic. From the beachfront bike path or the Town Green, it's a short walk or an easy ride. Coming off I-110, take the Highway 90 / Beach Boulevard exit and head west about a quarter mile.
What to Expect
On a normal tour morning, a guide takes you up 57 tight spiral steps and an eight-rung ladder through a trap door to the lantern room, a real climb, and kids under 42 inches aren't allowed up. Waterlines painted on the interior brick mark hurricanes going back more than a hundred years, Katrina's line near the top. The cast-iron shell and brick lining inside are original to 1848, even though the working lens is long gone. From the top, the view runs down the beachfront toward the Beau Rivage and out over the Sound. As of this writing, the lantern room and upper deck are closed for restoration, so the full climb is on pause, call ahead first.
Good to Know
Tours run daily, 9 to 10 a.m., weather permitting, no reservation needed unless you're bringing a group, in which case call (228) 374-3105 ahead for a discounted rate. Admission is $5 for visitors 12 and up, $2 for ages 6 to 11, and free under 5. As of August 2026 the upper deck and lantern room are mid-restoration, so full climbs are temporarily suspended; call ahead before planning around it. Fifty-seven spiral steps and a ladder through a trap door rule out strollers, wheelchairs, and anyone unsteady on their feet.
Our Take
Skip the climb debate for a second: even from the sidewalk, this is worth five minutes on any Biloxi itinerary, and it's free. Time it around sunset if you can, the light off the Gulf behind the tower beats most of what you'll pay for on a casino balcony. If the top's open when you're in town, take the 9 a.m. slot; it beats the humidity and the crowd that shows up once the casinos wake up. Either way, use the crosswalk. Cars move fast around that median.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and prices directly with the attraction.