The Uff Da Maritime Museum at Viking Village historical site.
The museum signage on the site.
I came across this interesting little museum on a recent trip to Viking Village for their Christmas Craft Show in December 2023. The museum explores the history of the fishing industry not just in Barnegat Light and Long Beach Island but the State of New Jersey.
The small gallery describes the fisherman who were once part of the trade, the years and development of the fishing industry in Barnegat Light, NJ and pictures of the boats and ships that made up the fishing industries creation and expansion over the years.
The inside of the small gallery is packed with information on the fishing industry of Long Beach Island.
The fisherman gallery
What I like about this museum is that it gives you a localized view of fishing industry and its history at the Jersey Shore.
The fishing industry on Long Beach Island in Barnegat Light, NJ on the tip of the island.
The fishing industry and its history on Long Beach Island.
Fisherman outfit
Boats and fisherman
It’s a small gallery packed with information and many interesting pictures. It is nice to visit when Viking Village is open for business.
A wonderful tour of Viking Village with the NJ Secretary of Agriculture.
Viking Village at the holidays.
Viking Village display at Christmas time.
Viking Village is still an active fishing business.
The Viking Village fishing community is still strong.
Viking Village during the Christmas Craft Fair in November 2023:
The Viking Village Holiday Craft Fair.
Santa arrives at Viking Village during the holiday Craft Fair
I was on Long Beach Island for the afternoon and had wanted to visit the Barnegat Light Museum on my last trip to the island but it was closed for the afternoon. When I checked the site to see if it was open this weekend, I found that it was and since I had to be in Beach Haven that afternoon I made it my first trip.
The Barnegat Light Museum sign in the off season.
The museum is now open ‘by appointment only’ in the off season, so I called the number provided and the President of the Museum Board opened the museum up for me and gave me a personal tour. What an interesting little museum packed with information and artifacts.
The Barnegat Light Museum main gallery
The museum is a former one room school house that was built in 1903 and used by island school children until 1954. The building still houses the original heating unit, a coal burning furnace and books of the children’s notes from school that had been handwritten (now typed) of current events and school notes.
The main gallery of the Barnegat Light Museum
The main gallery of the museum
The main attraction is the original light, a 1052 prism lens, for the Barnegat Lighthouse on display since 1927. The glass panels and sheer size and beauty of light shows how it was once the beacon for ships along the New Jersey coast. It had been brought to museum after moving around to various places over the years.
The original Barnegat Light for the Lighthouse
The Lighthouse and light display in the museum
Along the walls are all sorts of local artifacts such as dinosaur bones that had been found in the bay and donated to the museum (the president of the museum said today there are certain laws on this), local housewares from families that lived on the island and various types of fishing equipment.
Display cases filled with local fishing artifacts and net configuration for ‘Pound Fishing’
Shark Teeth, Native American Artifacts and prehistoric fossils
There is even a mini display of ‘Pound Fishing”, which is a series of poles and nets are used to catch the fisherman’s prey. This small display shows how it is constructed and used to catch the fish. There is an extensive display of Duck decoys, showing the island’s past and present as a hunting ground for water fowl. The displays come in all colors and types of ducks. There is also an interesting display of whale vertebrae and other fishing displays.
The Whale Vertebrae exhibit
There is an extensive history of the resort hotels that used to be on this part of the island that had been effected by the changing tides of the island. Like the old lighthouse and lighthouse keepers home, one of the hotels just gave way to erosion. This part of the island just keeps shifting.
The Resort and Hotels display of menus
The Resort and Hotels display-The former hotels
The Resort and Hotels display-Dishware and resort artifacts
Hotels disappeared because of shifting tides
Water sports and fishing displays
Since the building was once home to Barnegat Light’s School house, the original furnace is still in the building along with a display of items from old schools in the area.
The School gallery
The Schoolhouse Gallery
The schoolhouse furnace
The retail trade in the early part of the century leading from the old railroad track to the island was the local General Store. The railroads were a big part of the growth of this area until automobiles to the shore became the preferred mode of transportation.
The railroad display
The General Store exhibit
The General Store exhibit
The Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens behind the museum in all seasons:
One beautiful benefit of the museum is the beautiful gardens that surround the museum, The Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens. The pathways are maintained by the Long Beach Island Garden Club. These wondering paths surround the property and especially elegant looking in the back of the building.
The Gardens from the back of the museum
The Garden plaque to Edith Duff Gwinn
The Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens are on the side and behind the museum
The Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens that surround the museum are maintained by the Long Beach Island Garden Club. The gardens are at their peak in the late Spring and early Summer months. The paths are filled with seasonal flowers and shrubs.
In the off season, you can visit the museum by calling ahead and you can schedule an appointment with the staff of volunteers that work at the museum.
The Gardens in the late Summer of 2024
The Beehive
The Gardens in the late Summer of 2024
The Gardens in the late Summer
The Gardens in the late summer
The Garden paths are filled with colorful flowers and plants
The back of the Gardens and the seating area
The back of the Gardens
The Gardens also looked beautiful in the late fall when I arrived for the early holiday activities in Viking Village. I was able to walk around when the museum was closed for the season.
The Gardens during the late fall:
The Gardens during the late fall:
The Gardens during the late fall:
The Gardens during the late fall:
The gardens around Halloween time
The gardens in the Spring and Summer are quite spectacular and the volunteers do a nice job with the landscaping around the museum.
The gardens in the early Summer of 2024
The Gardens in the Summer of 2024
The Gardens in the Summer of 2024
The Gardens in the Summer of 2024
The gardens are really nice in the summer months
Both on the personal tour and when the museum is open during the summer months, the museum is a real treat both inside and out. This small museum is chock full of information not just on Barnegat Light but on the areas development for tourism and business.
It is such an interesting piece of Jersey Shore history.
I was able to visit the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on a recent trip to Long Beach and what a beautiful park with wonderful views of the inlet and of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Barnegat Lighthouse in the fall 2023.
The view of the lighthouse from the parking lot in the summer months
The lighthouse through the woods in the Summer of 2024
In 2020, the lighthouse was closed because of COVID so I had to wait in the future to climb the stairs which is noted for people who like to explore lighthouses but still you are able to admire the building from the outside. In the fall of 2023, the lighthouse was opened for limited hours during the fall after Labor Day weekend and I was able to climb all 216 stairs in ten minutes.
The Barnegat Lighthouse on the inlet side of the park
The paths around the dunes in the summer months
The beginning of the dunes in the winter months
The dunes in the summer months
The dunes in the fall
The beginning of the dunes path as you leave the lighthouse.
The start of the path in the summer months
The start of the path in the Summer of 2024
The pathway through the dunes
There is a walking path through the bush areas of dunes. In all season, you can admire the trees and what is left at this point of the season of flowering plants. It was interesting to read how these species survive the ocean and salt air. It is amazing how these plants can survive the storms and how they keep the beach from eroding.
The pathway through the Dunes
Path through the Dunes woods
The turn by the beaches
The Maritime Forest Trail is a 1/5 mile long, self-guided loop through one of the last remnants of maritime forest in New Jersey. The forest, which is dominated by black cherry, sassafras, eastern red cedar and American Holly, which is an important resting and feeding area for migratory birds on their long journey to and from their breeding areas (Park Literature).
The pathway through the dunes
The path in the summer months
Walking through the pathway
It is also the home for migrating birds. There were all sorts of ducks swimming around and there a a bird that looked like a crane who looked like it was getting vain from all the pictures that people were taking of it.
The pathway leading back to the lighthouse.
Walking through the pathways
The pathway from a distance
The Dunes woods at its thickest point
The Inlet Movement sign on the pathway
Exiting the woods
Exiting the woods near the entrance of the light house path
The park has a 1033 foot concrete walkway that the fisherman use and people were sitting along the benches watching people fish and boaters come and go from the inlet. The walkway was a nice place to see the waves crash along the sides of the park.
The lighthouse and the walkway.
The pathway out to the bunker
The pathway during the Summer of 2024
The bunker that protects the shoreline and the lighthouse.
The bunker and the lighthouse
Following the pathway to the bunker head
I just saw a lot of dumb people walking along the wet rocks with waves crashing by which is not smart. Still you got great views of Seaside Park and the Atlantic Ocean from this part of the park. It is fun watching the fisherman casting lines, sharing stories and the fishing boats in the distance go out to sea close to the beach.
The view of the Barnegat inlet from the top of the lighthouse.
The boats on the inlet on a cool December day
The boats passing by
On a nice day take the time to walk through the nature trails and the dunes that face the ocean. It is a small but interesting trail with all sorts of native plants and a very nice description that the park gives you about each and their place at the shore. Each has a place with the wild life and the migration patterns for birds on their way to their next home. It shows what an important place that New Jersey serves for wildlife.
The inlet and dunes from the top of the lighthouse.
I revisited the park in November of 2021 and on a very windy day, the lighthouse was open and I finally made my way to the top. It was quite a hike up those narrow stairs on a extremely windy day but I made it to the top in about fifteen minutes. Along the way, there was small landings with sweeping views of the ocean.
The view of Barnegat Light from the Barnegat lighthouse in 2023.
Once to the top, there was a landing that surrounded the top of the lighthouse with views of the park and lagoon areas and the surrounding tip of the island. The strong winds prevented me from staying there too long plus there was not much space to move around and you felt like you were caged in but the views were spectacular. I made it down in ten minutes since there were only six other people there.
The view of all of Long Beach Island from the Barnegat Lighthouse in November 2023.
I finally got back to Long Beach Island in November of 2023 and was able to tour the lighthouse and the grounds again with time on my hands. The COVID restrictions had been long lifted and even in the off season the lighthouse was busy with people climbing to the top of it and taking pictures and then admiring the grounds.
The Barnegat Lighthouse from the approach.
It gave me a chance to really spend time inside the lighthouse, walking through the dunes pathway, exploring the bunker and the surrounding park. I also took time to admire the statuary and read the signs. During COVID when the lighthouse was open, you felt rushed not to be around anyone. Now I was able to converse with people as I walked up and down the stairs and in the park. Walking through the dunes you can just relax and enjoy nature in the quiet sense. It was nice of them to finally open the lighthouse where we could just enjoy it again.
The History of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park:
Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island along the New Jersey Atlantic coastline, is one of New Jersey’s most recognized landmarks and a veteran of service to seafarers for 68 years. The park is easily accessible from the Garden State Parkway by taking exit 63 and following Route 72 east to Long Beach Boulevard northbound.
The Barnegat Lighthouse in the fall of 2023.
Park visitors can picnic, sunbathe, fish, bird watch, climb the historic lighthouse (post COVID), walk the Interpretive Center (post COVID) and enjoy the seashore. Swimming, however is not permitted. Barnegat Lighthouse is included as a maritime site on the New Jersey Heritage Trail Route (Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Pamphlet).
The Massacre of Long Beach during the Revolutionary War.
Barnegat Lighthouse stands on the south side of Barnegat Inlet, The inlet was named “Barendegat” or “Breakers Inlet” by early Dutch explorers because of the large cresting waves that made navigation difficult. The site of the lighthouse was considered on of the most important “change of course” points along the eastern seacoast for vessels sailing to New York from Europe. Sailors depended on Barnegat Lighthouse as a navigational aide to assist them in reaching their posts and to avoid the dangerous shoals that extended from the shore.
The historic marker at the lighthouse.
In 1834, the U.S. Congress appropriated $6,000 to establish a lighthouse as Barnegat Inlet. The lighthouse was completed and placed into service in July of 1835. At only 40 feet tall with a non-blinking light, the first lighthouse at Barnegat Inlet was a miserable failure doing little to reduce the number of shipwrecks. In 1856, guided by recommendations from then Lieutenant George G. Meade of the U.S. Army Bureau of Topographical Engineers, Congress appropriated another $60,000 to construct a “first class light” at Barnegat Inlet.
The Lieutenant George Meade statue outside the lighthouse.
Lieutenant Meade drew up the plans and Lieutenant W.S. Raynolds supervised the construction of the new lighthouse. On the night of January 1, 1859, the majestic new Barnegat Lighthouse was lit for the first time. Its first order Fresnel lens, at 175 feet above sea level was so powerful that it could be seen for 19 nautical miles.
The Lighthouse keeper statute.
The Lighthouse keeper listing
The maritime plaque outside the pathways
The lens was made in 1856 by Henri Le Paute of Paris, France from glass produced at the famous furnace at St. Gobian. The beehive-shaped Fresnel lens is six feet in diameter, ten feet high and is formed from over 1,000 separate glass prisms and twenty four bull’s eye lenses mounted in a brass frame.
The lens frame at the top of the lighthouse.
It weighs nearly five tons. Today the lens is on display in the Barnegat Light Historical Museum on Central Avenue and 5th Street in Barnegat Light, New Jersey. For hours of operation, please call the museum at (609) 494-8578.
The lens at the Barnegat Light Museum around the corner from the lighthouse.
Turned by a clockwork mechanism, the lens rotated once every four minutes. The speed of the rotation and the 24 individual beams of light from the 24 bull’s eye lens gave Barnegat Lighthouse it’s characteristic” of one flash every ten seconds.
The old light is on display at the Barnegat Light Museum down the road
At the turn of the century, due to the encroaching sea and seemingly inevitable collapse, the Lighthouse Board considered abandoning Barnegat Lighthouse and replacing it with a lightship anchored off the coast. The popularity of the lighthouse as a landmark caused the Lighthouse Board to reconsider their plan and to erect temporary measures to hold back the sea. Later, local residents raised two thousand dollars to construct permanent jetties to protect the lighthouse.
In 1926, Barnegat Lighthouse and surrounding property were transferred from the Federal government to the State of New Jersey… to maintain this reservation for historical purposes and for the preservation of the lighthouse tower. The lighthouse was decommissioned and replaced by the Barnegat Lightship in 1927. Barnegat Lighthouse State Park opened to the public in 1957.
A bust of General George G. Meade was unveiled at the dedication ceremony in honor of his distinguished service during the Civil War as the Commanding General of Federal troops at the Battle of Gettysburg and for his role at Barnegat Lighthouse.
The sign that welcomes you to the park all year round.
Today, the beloved Barnegat Lighthouse is shining again thanks to the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park who purchased a new lens that casts a single beam visible up to 22 nautical miles. The new light was illuminated at a ceremony on January 1, 2009 exactly 150 years to the day that it was originally lit in 1859 with over 1200 people witnessing the lighthouse becoming an official aid to navigation once again.
The lighthouse and the park in its glory
Sunset at the lighthouse
Sunset at the lighthouse
(This information comes from a combination of the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park pamphlet and website/Wiki-I give them full credit for the information provided).
Visiting a Museum: The Unique, Unusual, Obscure and Historical 