Photos

The New Cape Henry Light is located only about 200 yards from the original Cape Henry Light. The old light is still standing and is open to the public. Both lights are within the boundaries of a U.S. Army base called Fort Story and to get to the lighthouses you need to go through some pretty intensive security checks at the front gate of the fort.

There are signs to tell you that the new lighthouse is not open to the public. In order to get this photo I walked to the front porch of an old house now used as an office building. Just as I finished taking a few photos an office worker stepped out to the porch for smoke, both of us saying 'hello' to each other as I walked away from the building. As I was walking along the road to where my car was parked a guy came up to me demanding to see some ID and telling me I had breached a high security area. As I pulled out my driver license the guy (he was not in uniform, just shorts and a t-shirt and all sweaty) was visibly shaking. He wrote down a lot of information from my license and then let me go after a stern warning. I looked back on where I had "breached security" and all that was there were signs saying the lighthouse is not open to the public. I still don't know what I did wrong because I didn't go anywhere near the lighthouse.

Anyway, if you go there, keep an eye out for the old guy with shorts, t-shirt and note pad.