Sandy Hook Visitor Center, Gateway National Recreation Area

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Sandy Hook Unit Home Page

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LOCATION

The Sandy Hook Visitor Center at Gateway National Recreation Area is located in the Sandy Hook Lightkeeper’s Quarters at the north end of the park.

OPERATING HOURS

Operating hours for the Sandy Hook Visitor Center vary per season. Get the current schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Gateway National Recreation Area.

All facilities and grounds are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.

AMENITIES

• Information desk where you can get a park brochure and a Fort Hancock Walking Tour map, sign up for a guided tour of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, and speak with a park Ranger about what there is to do at the park
• Lighthouse Museum
• Small book and souvenir store
• Theater
• Restrooms

LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

The Lighthouse Museum has been housed in the Lightkeeper’s Quarters building long before it became the Sandy Hook Visitor Center. While it features a Sandy Hook Lighthouse exhibit, the bulk of the museum focuses on all of the lighthouses in the New York City and New Jersey area.

Exhibit at the Lighthouse Museum, Gateway National Recreation Area

The exhibits are comprised mainly of information panels, though there are a few interactive lighthouse maps and some lightkeeper memorabilia.

Exhibit on the lightkeepers in the Lighthouse Museum inside the Sandy Hook Lightkeeper’s Quarters, Gateway National Recreation Area

If you are interested in walking around Fort Hancock and want to know more about the buildings, there is an interactive exhibit that covers the fort in great detail. The exhibit compares historical photos of the buildings to recent photos.

Fort Hancock interactive photo exhibit inside the Sandy Hook Lightkeeper’s Quarters, Gateway National Recreation Area

PARK FILMS

There is a separate video screening room inside the Lightkeeper’s Quarters. Seats are arranged around an HDTV, and off to the side is a computer screen with a list of available films and run times. If no film is currently playing, use the touch screen to select the one that you want to see. There are three films on Fort Hancock, a couple on birds found in the park, and one each on the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, New York Harbor, and the lighthouses of the area. I had time to watch a film on osprey, but that’s it. In all, there is about an hour’s worth of videos.

Sandy Hook Visitor Center theater, Gateway National Recreation Area

THE BARN

Also on the lighthouse property is a small barn that serves as a screening room for a video specifically about the Sandy Hook Lighthouse.

The Barn at the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Gateway National Recreation Area

Inside the Barn at the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Gateway National Recreation Area

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Most people come to the Sandy Hook Visitor Center to either pick up a park map or register for a lighthouse tour. With up to a half hour between tours, a good way to spend your time waiting is to browse through the Lighthouse Museum. You can read all of the information and see the exhibits in fifteen minutes, but you could spend another hour watching movies. I suggest allotting a half hour to an hour for your stop at the Visitor Center, depending on your interest in lighthouses.

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