The Point Arena Lighthouse was first lit on May 1st, 1870. Its brick and mortar tower featured ornate iron balcony supports and a large Keepers’ residence with enough. and had to be completely deconstructed. Rebuild The new Lighthouse began operation on September 15, 1908, nearly 29 months after the quake. It stands 115 feet tall and features a 1st-order Fresnel Lens, seven feet in diameter and weighing 4,700 pounds. The lens is composed of 258 hand-ground glass prisms, all focused toward three sets of double bull’s-eyes. It is these bullseyes that gave the Point Arena Lighthouse its unique “light signature” of two flashes every six seconds.  On  Friday, May 1, come celebrate 156 years of lighting the way on the Pacific Coast with free admission to the Indoor Museum, Outdoor Museum, and Light Station Store. Tower tours are available to anyone 4 years and older for a $5 fee. 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.