Cape Egmont Lighthouse

★★★★★ 4.3/5 (3,673 reviews) Very Good

About This Museum

Out here on the windswept Taranaki coast, the Cape Egmont Lighthouse stands as a stoic sentinel against the Tasman Sea. It's hard to imagine now, but this very structure was first assembled on Mana Island near Wellington in 1865 before being dismantled, shipped, and painstakingly rebuilt on this spot in 1881. The view from its base is pure Taranaki—an uninterrupted line of sight to the majestic mountain that dominates the region. It’s a place that feels steeped in stories of shipwrecks, lonely keepers, and guiding lights.

Collection Highlights

While you can't go up the tower itself, the grounds tell the tale. You can see the original cast-iron segments that were bolted together and read about its incredible relocation. The old keeper's cottage sits nearby, adding to the sense of a bygone era of coastal watchfulness.

Visitor Information

It's a public reserve, so you can wander the grounds any time, but the best light for photos is late afternoon when the sun sets behind the mountain. Just watch for sheep—they're often your fellow visitors in this working farm landscape.

Architecture & Building

A classic, white-painted cast-iron tower, built in sections that were shipped over from England. It’s all elegant simplicity and sheer resilience, designed to withstand whatever the wild west coast throws at it.