Long Island Bug Lighthouse Cruise and Tour
There’s always something fun to do on Long Island’s North Fork, but one of the more popular attractions has to be the Bug Light. Long Beach Bar “Bug” Lighthouse helps mariners navigate the hazardous sandbar between Orient Harbor and Gardiner’s Bay. The original structure was built in 1870 on screw piles which left an opening beneath the structure and inspired its nickname “Bug” Light because when the rocks were covered at high tide, the lighthouse looked like a giant water bug. After arsonists set fire to it in 1963 `The East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation established ta group to reconstruct Long Beach Bar “Bug” Light.
Considering coming to the North Fork for a weekend, consider this romantic trip to the Bug Light. Come to Greenport, on Long Island’s North Fork, for a Long Island Bug Lighthouse Cruise and Tour.
The lighthouse is a gateway to Greenport, Shelter Island, and Peconic Bay and is officially known as the Long Beach Bar Light. It became known as the “Bug” Light because it was initially constructed on a screw-pile platform that elevated it above Gardiner’s Bay. The name had stuck when the light was converted from a screw-pile platform to a concrete caisson foundation. From a distance, the spindly pilings supporting the structure made the lighthouse look like a giant bug walking on water.
Long Beach Bar Lighthouse was constructed in 1871 and decommissioned in 1948 after a sandbar had grown to make the beacon useless as a channel marker. Various groups tussled over buying the historic light until 1963, when arsonists solved the ownership issue by burning the lighthouse to the foundation.
The foundation sat unencumbered until the summer of 1990 when the organization floated out a replica to replace the original. The “replica” was so complete that, in 1993, the Coast Guard recognized the beacon as federal aid to navigation. The Bug Light has been back in service ever since.
The Greenport’s East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation owns, operates, and maintains the Bug Lighthouse. As part of their funding and outreach, they offer a variety of lighthouse tours from late May through late October.
Bug Lighthouse cruises are narrated, often by a local guide, Bob Allen. Bob was raised in Greenport and is a descendant of a Bug Lighthouse keeper. Consequently, his narrations can take you behind the scenes of the lighthouse, as well as back in time.
Bug Lighthouse Cruise and Tour Schedule
- Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours
- When: Saturdays, September, October, and November 2022, from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
- Where: East End Seaport Museum and Marine Foundation
- Cost: $59.00, 10% discount for seniors & veterans
- Tickets: are available online at
You can also pick them up at the East End Seaport Museum here.
Bug Lighthouse Cruise Lodging
Locally owned and operated, Arbor View House Bed and Breakfast is a Long Island B&B that offers upper-tier amenities, delicious breakfasts, and an insider’s knowledge of the area. Give yourself the reward of luxury, comfort, and uncommon service during your Long Island getaway with a stay at Arbor View House Bed and Breakfast!
“The owner is so very nice,; headvised of places we could go and things we could do! And the beds!!! I have back issues, and it’s hard to sleep comfortably in a bed! I don’t know where they got them from, but I woke up feeling amazing”!!! Kashia B