Activity
Old Baldy Lighthouse & Smith Island Museum
Also known as Old Baldy and Bald Head Light
North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse, lit in 1817. Climb its 108 steps, then visit the Smith Island Museum of History in the keeper's cottage beside it.
Old Baldy has stood over the mouth of the Cape Fear River since 1817, which makes it the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina. The octagonal brick tower, about 110 feet tall under its weathered stucco, was built partly with bricks salvaged from an earlier lighthouse, and its light went dark in 1935. Today the Old Baldy Foundation keeps it open for climbing.
The climb is self-guided: 108 steps and five landings to the top, with artifacts to look at in the base on the way up. The keeper’s cottage beside the tower holds the ticket desk, the gift shop, and the Smith Island Museum of History, and the grounds around it have the old oil house and picnic tables under a live oak. If you want the island’s whole story, the Foundation’s guided history tour covers it by golf cart on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
What you'll find
- A self-guided climb: 108 steps and five landings
- Artifacts on display in the base of the tower
- The Smith Island Museum of History, in the keeper's cottage
- The museum gift shop, which supports the Old Baldy Foundation
- Grounds with the oil house, picnic tables, interpretive signs, and an old live oak
- An island-wide guided history tour by golf cart on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
- Seasonal events, including After Dark climbs at the end of October
Good to know
- Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 3 to 12, and free under 3, per the Foundation's website. Tickets are sold in the keeper's cottage, and the grounds are ticketed too.
- It's about a five-minute walk from the ferry landing along Lighthouse Wynd, an easy first stop on a day trip.
- The guided history tour ($35, admission included) starts when the 10:30am ferry arrives and often sells out weeks ahead.
- Summer hours (from the Tuesday after Memorial Day) run Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4:30pm.
Also on Lighthouse Wynd
See all things to do
Service
Island Package Center & Post Office
The island's post office and package center on Lighthouse Wynd, run by the Village: stamps and shipping, PO boxes, and the pickup counter for every package sent to an island address.
On the island
Service
Village Chapel
The island's interdenominational chapel on Lighthouse Wynd beside Old Baldy, dedicated in 1987: Sunday services at 8:30 and 10am, a chapel open for prayer, and weddings.
On the island
Service
Village Hall
The Village of Bald Head Island's government offices on Lighthouse Wynd, and the source of the island rules every visitor should know, from golf carts and beach gear to turtle-season lights.
On the island