Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: Inside The Little Red Lighthouse At Open House New York
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Oct 17, 2011
Modified Oct 17, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Jamie Feldmar/Gothamist
View all 5
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Oct 17, 2011
Modified Oct 17, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
This weekend, Open House New York threw open the doors to hundreds of the city's most fascinating, normally-off-limits historical sites. Despite some pre-OHNY weekend website snafus, most sites opened their doors without a hitch (though not without crowds). We stopped by the Little Red Lighthouse in Fort Washington Park to get a nautical view of the city—here's what we saw.
The Little Red Lighthouse is technically called Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse, named after a small point at the base of the eastern pier of the George Washington Bridge. It was built in 1880 in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and moved to its current home beneath the bridge in 1921. The lighthouse picked up its "Little Red" moniker after the publication of the 1942 children's book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward.
Today, the Lighthouse is run by the Urban Park Rangers and is only open to the public a few times a year for special occasions, like OHNY. Visitors must climb up a steep spiral staircase to the top deck, then up an even smaller ladder to miniature lantern room, where the actual light is kept, and finally through a teeny-tiny panel door to get to the outdoor gallery (deck). Once you make it to the top, you're rewarded with a 360 degree view of the city, the Hudson, the Bridge and the park, making the perilous climb totally worth it.
What OHNY sites did you see? Email us photos at [email protected]!
Tagged
gallery
George Washington Bridge
Little Red Lighthouse
ohny
open house new york
photos
Jamie Feldmar
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Challenge accepted: We went hunting for the secret bolt in Central Park
Armed with a close-up image of the bolt and two hours to be out of the office, could we find this historic artifact?
By
James Ramsay
Published Aug 6, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET
Monica Barbaro's guide to running around New York City in heels
In 'One Night Only,' the actress deftly navigates the streets in her stilettos. She explains how she did it.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Monica Barbaro's guide to running around New York City in heels
In 'One Night Only,' the actress deftly navigates the streets in her stilettos. She explains how she did it.
By
Sonia Rao
Do NYC restaurant workers have their knives out for the Anthony Bourdain movie?
By
Sonia Rao
NYC and NJ players celebrate the beginning of the Women's Pro Baseball League
By
Michael Hill
and
Amanda Rozon
August concerts in NYC means bands on a boat, in a backyard, and in parks
By
Hank Shteamer
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .