Sankaty Head Lighthouse
Illuminating the way for over 175 years
A Beloved Island Icon
Sankaty Head Lighthouse is a beloved Nantucket icon. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the care of the ’Sconset Trust Board of Directors, and the dedication of volunteers, government officials, and island businesses, the 9-acre site is here for the pleasure of everyone. The ’Sconset Trust maintains the lighthouse and occasionally opens it to the public.
Visitor Guidelines
We welcome you to enjoy the Lighthouse grounds daily from dawn until dusk. To ensure your safety, preserve the landscape, and allow all visitors a pleasant experience, please observe the following guidelines:
- Stay within fenced areas. (Remember—if the poison ivy doesn’t get you, the drop will!)
- Avoid the neighboring golf course
- Keep voices and music low to help maintain the peacefulness of this beautiful site.
- Walking is welcome around the site. If you bike to the site, please park your bike before walking around.
- Dogs are welcome but must be leashed. Please clean up after them using dog-walk bags.
- Pack in, pack out. Be sure to take all trash and belongings with you.
Hours
Daily from dawn until dusk
Address
122 Baxter Road
Siasconset, MA 02564
Lighthouse Open Day 2026
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Traditionally the Lighthouse is open twice a year for tours in June and October. Reservations are required through our online registration system. We will post on our website when our registration page is open.
Lighthouse Passport Program
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2007 Relocation Effort
Due to severe erosion starting in the 1980’s, Sankaty Head Lighthouse stood a mere 68 feet from the bluff’s edge when the ‘Sconset Trust undertook the herculean effort of moving it 405 feet in 2007 to a spot 250 feet away from the edge. You can watch this epic move in the above video produced by Monster Moves. The historic move of this beloved Nantucket icon was also photographed by photojournalist extraordinaire, Rob Benchley and is documented in the book Keeping the Light written by Rob Benchley and Bob Felch.
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Erosion Monitoring
The ‘Sconset Trust has partnered with Town’s Coastal Resilience Coordinator to have three separate sites on the 9 acre lighthouse property added to the Town’s erosion monitoring efforts. Measurements are taken monthly in the winter and after big storms.
Right Whale Monitoring
Our ‘Sconset Trust team—including Sankaty Head Lighthouse Keeper Rob Benchley—met with Moses Calouro, President of MotionInfo, in the spring of 2025 to install its Right Whale Monitoring system at the Lighthouse. With this installation, Sankaty Head Lighthouse became the first StationKeeper site in Massachusetts and 19th nationwide, joining a national effort to protect endangered marine life—most critically, the North Atlantic Right Whale.
We’re proud of our partnership with the StationKeeper initiative and are excited about this innovative marine conservation network using real-time technology to protect coastal waters and endangered marine life.
For years, the ‘Sconset Trust has been committed to preserving open spaces, protecting historic landmarks, and maintaining the character of our beloved community. Now, we’re thrilled to extend those efforts to the ocean. As a newly designated StationKeeper site, we’re helping safeguard the vital marine habitats just off our shores.
Our ‘Sconset Trust team—including Sankaty Head Lightkeeper Rob Benchley—met with Moses Calouro, President of MotionInfo, to install the Right Whale Monitoring system at the Lighthouse. With this installation, Sankaty Head Lighthouse is now an official StationKeeper site, joining a national effort to protect endangered marine life—most critically, the North Atlantic Right Whale.
We’re proud to announce our partnership with the StationKeeper initiative and that Sankaty Head Lighthouse was the first StationKeeper in Massachusetts and 19th nationwide. We are excited about this innovative marine conservation network using real-time technology to protect coastal waters and endangered marine life.
For years, The ‘Sconset Trust has been committed to preserving open spaces, protecting historic landmarks, and maintaining the character of our beloved community. Now, we’re thrilled to extend those efforts to the ocean. As a newly designated StationKeeper site, we’re helping safeguard the vital marine habitats just off our shores.