Exploring the Historic Hereford Inlet Lighthouse and Gardens

The historic Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is a Victorian-style lighthouse located in North Wildwood, New Jersey in the village of Anglesea. This beautiful lighthouse was built back in 1874 and is still in operation. The light is fully automated thanks to the technology that exists today. The lighthouse was added to the list of US National Register of Historical Places in 1977.

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You can enter the lighthouse and pay a small fee to take a tour. This tour gives you the history of the lighthouse and the mini video/movie that they show you really helps to take you back in time when these buildings were the guiding light for mariners. If you have mobility issues, you won't be able to climb the steps to the top of the light. After the tour...you can visit the small gift shop for souvenirs and gifts which are reasonably priced.

One of the things I love about this place is that you can walk around the front and back botanical gardens for FREE! They have a gazebo and plenty of benches where you can sit down and relax for awhile. The gardens are really well-kept and beautiful to look at in the spring, summer and fall seasons. The gardens are popular with visitors who want to take family photographs.

In front of the lighthouse you'll find several information plaques that give you information about this lighthouse, other lighthouses in New Jersey, information about the area, etc. Please take the time to read them as they really give you a good history lesson and all of its FREE. As you wonder around you'll also see a few memorial stones that honor fallen military heroes and behind the lighthouse you'll find the memorial stone that honors all the men & women who have been lost at sea.

As you walk around the gardens you will come to an area called the butterfly garden and you will see colorful flowers, greenery (plants), and brightly-painted butterfly houses. We like to sit on one of the park benches and watch the butterflies fly around. If you sit still, you may get lucky enough for one of them to land on you. Please watch where you're walking as you roam around their beautiful gardens. You don't want to accidentally step on a butterfly!

Take a walk through the botanical gardens behind the lighthouse and follow the marked path up that leads up onto the North Wildwood Seawall. There are several wooden boardwalk-style benches up there that you can sit on to get some spectacular views of Hereford Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. In my honest opinion, these ocean views are the BEST on the entire Wildwood island.

A few tips for when you're visiting:

1. Wear walking shoes. You'll be doing a lot of walking.
2. Dress appropriately for the weather.
3. If you're going to be spending time in the gardens consider apply sunscreen and spray yourself with bug spray. Sometimes the gnats and flies are awful!
4. Bring along your own bottled water (during the warmer weather) to stay hydrated.
5. Don't forget your camera!

The Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is open year-round, although their hours of operation will depend on the season. Throughout the year they host educational events, festivals and fairs which are really cool to attend too! You can learn more by visiting the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse site online. If you're going to be visiting the south Jersey Shore area...we highly recommend that you pay a visit to this beautiful place in North Wildwood.