Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Ñaño house with mausoleum skull in foreground.
Ñaño Casa Museo
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
Honningsvåg Bamse Statue
The salt cairn.
The Lewis and Clark Salt Works
South entrance.
Reigate Tunnel
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
13 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
13 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
13 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
13 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New Jersey Highlands Navesink Twin Lights

Navesink Twin Lights

These unassuming lighthouses have seen the first reading of the Pledge of Allegiance, the first wireless transmission, and more than one mystery.

Highlands, New Jersey

Added By
Jane Weinhardt Goldberg
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  wheelslarge0k / Atlas Obscura User
The original lens.   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  Jane Weinhardt Goldberg / Atlas Obscura User
  wheelslarge0k / Atlas Obscura User
View from lighthouse of an excavation where previous tower stood.   Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
  Julius Spada / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The site of the two lighthouse towers at Sandy Hook, originally built to help ships navigate the entrance to the New York Harbor, have played an outsized role in history.

In 1893 the first official reading of the Pledge of Allegiance occurred here around the 135-foot Liberty Pole. It is also where Guglielmo Marconi set up his wireless telegraph in 1899. Then in 1935, it was the place where the Army tested its Mystery Ray—what is now known as radar.

It is also here that a mystery cannon was unearthed, believed to be of Dutch origin. Some speculate it may have come from a pirate ship; others think that it was a signal cannon used by the British when they occupied Sandy Hook during the Revolutionary War.

Some unknown bodies have also been discovered here. In 1850 a skeleton was found sitting at a table in a hidden room under the keeper's house. In the mid-1900's the corpses of four men and one woman were discovered buried at the base of the lighthouse.

Related Tags

Lighthouses History

Know Before You Go

Open Wednesday through Sunday, 10-4 (closed one hour for lunch from 12-1)

Community Contributors

Added By

Jane Weinhardt Goldberg

Edited By

wheelslarge0k, Julius Spada

  • wheelslarge0k
  • Julius Spada

Published

November 1, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.pbs.org/legendarylighthouses/html/natlgl.html
  • http://www.twinlightslighthouse.com/history.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navesink_Twin_Lights
Navesink Twin Lights
7 Ocean St
Highlands, New Jersey
United States
40.397528, -73.984731
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Sandy Hook Nike Launch Site

Highlands, New Jersey

miles away

Christ Church Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, New Jersey

miles away

Garfield Tea House

Long Branch, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Highlands

Highlands

New Jersey

Places 2

Nearby Places

Sandy Hook Nike Launch Site

Highlands, New Jersey

miles away

Christ Church Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury, New Jersey

miles away

Garfield Tea House

Long Branch, New Jersey

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Highlands

Highlands

New Jersey

Places 2

Related Places

  • Seguin Light Station, the highest off of Maine’s coast, was established in 1795.

    Phippsburg, Maine

    Seguin Island Light Station

    George Washington commissioned this centuries-old lighthouse off the coast of Maine.

  • In addition to over 1,300 works of art, the Monhegan Museum shares its location with a historic lighthouse.

    Monhegan, Maine

    Monhegan Museum of Art & History

    This remote museum highlights the island’s impressive creative legacy.

  • Green Island, Taiwan

    Green Island Lighthouse

    An American lighthouse stands on an island cliffside in Taiwan.

  • An aerial view of Inishtrahull lighthouse on Inishtrahull Island.

    County Donegal, Ireland

    Inishtrahull

    Ireland's most northerly island is hauntingly beautiful. Its lighthouse was the last glimpse of home for many Irish emigrants bound for the U.S.

  • Gantheaume Point

    Minyirr, Australia

    Gantheaume Point

    Spectacular rock formations host dinosaur footprints and an old hydrotherapy pool.

  • Watch Tower over the Atlantic

    Salvador, Brazil

    Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra

    This 17th-century Portuguese fort now houses a nautical museum.

  • Faro della Vittoria (Victory Lighthouse)

    Trieste, Italy

    Faro della Vittoria (Victory Lighthouse)

    One of the tallest lighthouses in the world also serves as a monument to the fallen of World War I.

  • The lighthouse being seen farther by the beach.

    Talacre, Wales

    Point of Ayr Lighthouse

    This 1776 beacon on the coast of Wales is said to have a ghost called Raymond, the last lighthouse keeper.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.