The Hughes House, located in Cape Blanco State Park near Sixes, and the Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum, located in Port Orford, are now open to the public. The Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS) provides tours at the Hughes House and Lifeboat Station from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays through September. The outside of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, also located in Cape Blanco State Park, is available for viewing during park open hours.
Each site is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is located in beautiful settings with ocean views and hiking trails.
The inside of the Cape Blanco Lighthouse is not currently open as it is in need of repairs, but a separate building, which used to be a garage, houses lighthouse artifacts, living history films, an art exhibit, and a gift shop with lighthouse and ocean-themed items for sale. The Lighthouse Greeting Center/Gift Shop is open 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. every day except Tuesdays until October.
Nearby, the Hughes House is a restored Victorian farmhouse, built in 1898 by pioneers Patrick and Jane Hughes.
In Port Orford, the Lifeboat Station housed U.S. Coast Guard surfmen from 1934 into the 1960s. Besides touring the former barracks and office building, visitors can see a 36 foot self-righting motor lifeboat that was in use at the station and others on the Oregon coast until it was retired in 1979. The Lifeboat Station is located at Port Orford Heads State Park.
For more information about the lighthouse, Hughes House, and Lifeboat Station, visit the Cape Blanco Heritage Society website. For updates on when lighthouse tours might begin for summer 2024, check the Cape Blanco Heritage Society Facebook page.
Photos by Emily Kolkemo
