Mile Rocks Lighthouse for kids
The Lighthouse With a Helicopter Hat. The true story of the Mile Rocks Lighthouse, near San Francisco, CA, told for kids.
Read along
Look out toward the ocean. Far, far away, there is a tiny lighthouse sitting on a rock. It is called Mile Rocks. A long time ago, the waves here were so strong that a floating bell kept getting dragged under the water!
Then a big ship hit the rocks in the fog, and people knew a real lighthouse was needed. The builders worked in rough, splashy seas, and the first crew said no, it was too dangerous! So the boss hired sailors from San Francisco instead. They finished it in 1906.
Here is the silly part. Later, they took the tall tower down and put a helicopter landing pad on top, like a flat hat! Can you spot the little white lighthouse out in the water?
Quiz the back seat
What did people put on top of Mile Rocks Lighthouse later?
Show the answer
A helicopter landing pad. A helicopter pad! Today the light runs by itself, with no keeper needed.
3 fun facts
- Mile Rocks Lighthouse was completed in 1906.
- The original 85-foot tower was replaced by a helipad after the light was automated in 1966.
- The first construction crew refused to work in the dangerous conditions.
For grown-ups
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