History:
Nobska Light, located at the division between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, is one of the most easily seen lighthouses of Cape Cod. Each year thousands view it on the rocky headlands high above Woods Hole Harbor from the ferries leaving Woods Hole and New Bedford for Martha's Vineyard. Every summer hundreds of runners competing in the Falmouth Road Race pass the lighthouse.

The first Nobska Light, built in 1828 for $2,249, was a typical Cape Cod style structure with the octagonal lantern room located on top of the keeper's house.

In 1876 Nobska Light was rebuilt as a 40-foot cast-iron tower lined with brick, with a fifth order Fresnel lens. In 1888 Nobska was upgraded to a fourth order light, and the Fresnel lens installed that year still remains in place. A covered walkway joining the tower to the keeper's house was added in 1899, along with a new water cistern.

The light was automated and the Coast Guard keepers removed in 1985. Nobska Light remains an active aid to navigation.

Source: New England Lighthouses - A Virtual Guide

Latitude/Longitude: 41°31'N 70°39'W

• Take Route 28 into Falmouth.
• In Falmouth Center take a right onto Woods Hole Road (basically follow signs for the Wood's Hole Ferry Terminal).
• Turn left onto Church St. and follow it to the lighthouse. There is a small parking area at the lighthouse.

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