At the end of the spiral staircase inside Montauk Lighthouse you step into a small chamber directly beneath the panels of glass (the lantern) that surround the guiding light that shines across the waters. A state park employee greeted my entrance into the chamber by informing me that I am not permitted to stand in the glass enclosed area above us. I can only take 4 or 5 steps and peer into the very top of the lighthouse. In the black and white image above you can see the small Fresnel lens (beneath the triangle plate) that currently sends light to signal ships and sailors. Compare that lens to this one! – https://rutakintome.com/2019/05/17/fresnel-art/

I was SO tempted to step into that lantern area, but, I chose to behave. The exit into the lantern wasn’t the only way out of the chamber. There was a small archway that faced north outside to a small space large enough for one person to stand and lookout. Here is what I saw:

Turning around and walking east across the chamber I was surprised to see this:

Just another day at the office. Thanks for stopping by.