A 1,000-watt incandescent bulb replaces Cape Blanco s soot producing oil lamps of old. Gone are the keepers who spent hours polishing the magnificent lens and winding the clockworks. Fresnel s system used prisms to focus the light lost above and below the light source, back into a single beam of light. Today thousands of visitors make this trip to view the lighthouse. As we begin a new era, the lighthouse is open to the public for inspection.
Tours begin at the Greeting Area , where historic information and photographs are displayed.
Tours of the lighthouse move from the Greeting Center to the foyer of the lighthouse, where R.S. Williamson placed his name on the arch stone above the door. The workroom is next, where keepers performed some of their daily chores. Entering the tower, the keeper began the 64-step climb to the lantern room, where the Fresnel lens resides. As guests enter the lantern room, they can inspect and photograph the beautiful Fresnel lens. Visitors are asked to watch their step and keep their hands on the railing at all times.