Halfway between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, Pigeon Point Light Station, one of the tallest lighthouses on the West Coast, stands over 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of visitors come each year to enjoy the stunning views of the rocky coast and native wildlife.
On the rocks offshore, harbor seals regularly bask in the sun. Humpbacks and gray whales swim by on their migrations. Cormorants, pigeon guillemots, and gulls nest in the cliffs below the fog signal building, which houses the historical Fresnel lens. Originally placed atop the lighthouse, the lens is made up of over 1,000 prisms and lit the way for ships for 100 years.
Pigeon Point offers a virtual program and an in-person field trip. Keep reading to discover more about the field trips offered at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park.
In-Person Program: Life at a Light Station
Enjoy a 2 hour in-person visit to Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park and learn what it took to be a lighthouse keeper. Students will experiment with lenses to help the lighthouse save the ship and exercise their observation skills and learn to see the world like a lightkeeper.
If you have questions, call: 669-758-1155, or email: pigeonpoint@ports-ca.us
Our program includes highly interactive discussions and hands-on activities. We recommend this experience for second grade students and above. When registering for your program, please let us know how we can support learning in your classroom.
Life at a Lighthouse has a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 35 students. We limit our in-person field trips because of the interactive nature of our program and limited indoor space. We request a total of 3-9 chaperones attend with the students.
If you have questions or need more information, please call 650-879-2120 or email pigeonpoint@ports-ca.us.
Register for an In-Person Field Trip!
Virtual Program: Lighthouse Engineer Challenge
Lighthouses do all kinds of jobs all over the world! This 45 min. program challenges students to become lighthouse engineers. Students will learn about the technology and engineering that goes into building and operating a lighthouse. They will also make decisions about how to handle the unique challenges of their lighthouse's location. Their choices will impact the effectiveness of their lighthouse. Will it stand up to the weather? Will it guide ships safely past the cliff or safely into port?
Our program includes interactive discussions and concepts such as refraction. We recommend this experience for third grade students and above. Students will need paper and a pencil.
When registering for your program, please let us know how we can support learning in your classroom.
If you have questions or need more information, please call 650-879-2120 or email pigeonpoint@ports-ca.us.
Register for a Virtual Field Trip!
Virtual Program: Could YOU run a light station?
Light stations take a lot of work! This 45 minute program asks students if they could run a light station. Would they want to live at a lighthouse? What would be fun? What would be hard? Students will explore how life in the past was different from what they are used to. This program is designed for elementary students.
When registering, please let us know how we can support learning in your classroom. If you have questions or need more information, please call 669-758-1155 or email pigeonpoint@ports-ca.us.
When registering for your program, please let us know how we can support learning in your classroom.
If you have questions or need more information, please call 650-879-2120 or email pigeonpoint@ports-ca.us.