Biloxi is home to a plethora of historical monuments. The Biloxi Lighthouse Park acts as a beacon of the area’s heritage and history. Adjacent to the Mississippi Sound on Beach Boulevard in the heart of Biloxi, the centerpiece of this park is the historic lighthouse.

Built in 1848, the Biloxi Lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses in the South made of cast iron. The most notable lightkeepers were Maria and Miranda Younghans, a mother-daughter duo who tended the light for 63 years.

In 1939, the United States Coast Guard took ownership of the Lighthouse until 1969, when it was handed over to the City of Biloxi. Soon after, it was opened for public tours. It was eventually added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was declared an official Mississippi Landmark in 1987.

The 64-foot-tall lighthouse took a beating from multiple weather events over the years. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made a big impact after much of the structure was damaged by the winds, which toppled many bricks that lined the interior of the cast iron tower. The storm’s winds also broke many of the windows in the light cupola and destroyed the electrical system. The lighthouse reopened in March 2010 as a symbol of the area’s resilience during the post-Katrina era.