Popular Outer Banks lighthouse closed over ‘serious structural concerns,’ park says

One of North Carolina’s popular Outer Banks lighthouses is being temporarily shuttered due to “serious structural concerns,” according to the National Park Service.

The historic Cape Lookout Lighthouse, which dates to 1857, will be closed at least three years (through 2023) to address fears the stairwell and floors won’t withstand the weight of tourists ascending its 207 steps.

Engineers inspected the 163-foot-tall lighthouse in February and found a series of dangers, park service officials say, including “separations between the iron stairs and masonry, cracks in the iron landing plates, and separation from the iron stairs and the central support.”

“As a result of these safety concerns, the lighthouse will not be open for climbing this season,” the National Park Service said in a news release.

“Cape Lookout Lighthouse is scheduled to begin a major renovation this fall/winter that will address these issues and many other needed repairs. ... We expect the renovation to take two years.”

National Park Service officials blamed “age and environmental factors” for the damage.

The lighthouse, built between 1857 and 1859, has undergone a series of repairs, most recently including flooring and rail upgrades in 2010, officials said.

The fragile nature of the structure has forced the National Park Service to create a list of rules and medical restrictions for climbers, including a 10-person limit in the upper levels.

“The climb to the top is strenuous,” the park warns visitors on its website. “It may be hot, humid, noisy and dim inside the lighthouse. Climbing the 207 steps to the gallery is roughly equal to climbing a 12-story building. The stairs are narrow and groups going up will share the stairs with groups returning to the bottom.”

Park officials say the nearby Cape Lookout Lighthouse Keepers Quarters Museum will be open for the season, which typically begins in May.

This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Popular Outer Banks lighthouse closed over ‘serious structural concerns,’ park says."