The Key West lighthouse was decommissioned as an active navigation aid in 1969. Today it serves as a working museum, and visitors may climb all the way up into the lantern to view the third-order fresnel lens. Originally completed in 1848, the tower was 66 ft. tall, with a third-order lens. By 1894 the city of Key West had grown and a taller lighthouse was needed. At that time 20 feet was added to the original tower.
