Update Sept. 27: The event to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first lighting Oct. 1 of the Bodie Island Lighthouse is postponed due to the potential for heavy rainfall and flooding late this week. A new date and time for the event will be announced in the coming weeks, officials said.
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A ceremony honoring the first lighting 150 years ago of the Bodie Island Lighthouse is set for 10 a.m. Oct. 1 at the historic Bodie Island Light Station.
The lighthouse is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and the National Park Service, Outer Banks Forever and the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society are hosting the ceremony. Expected are remarks from national seashore, Coast Guard and Outer Banks Lighthouse Society officials as well as from descendants of lighthouse keepers.
Visitors will be able to see temporary displays and exhibits within the Double Keepers Quarters and the base of the Bodie Island Lighthouse.
An informal evening gathering is planned for 5:45 p.m. Oct. 1 on the grounds of the Bodie Island Light Station. Following brief remarks, visitors can hear stories of the Life-Saving Service and view a lighting of the first-order Fresnel lens — 150 years after it was first lit Oct. 1, 1872.
Bodie replaced a previous lighthouse that was destroyed during the Civil War. Standing 164 feet tall, it’s one of only 10 still-functioning lighthouses in the country that features a first-order Fresnel lens.
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Tickets to climb the Bodie Island Lighthouse will be free of charge Oct. 1. Officials ask those interested in tickets to make advanced reservations online.
Located at the northern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the address is 8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road, Nags Head.
