The iconic Cape Florida Lighthouse in Key Biscayne is the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County and it’s marking its 200th anniversary on Wednesday night with a celebration.
The unique historical landmark is perched on the southern tip of Key Biscayne and its first lighting to guide ships around the Florida Reef, from Key Biscayne to the Florida Keys, happened on December 17, 2025.
Wednesday’s bicentennial commemoration is being organized by The Friends of Cape Florida. It begins at 5 p.m. at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
“Marking two centuries of maritime history, the Cape Florida Light, as it was called, and ‘Cape Florida’, the land surrounding it, feature importantly in the complex and layered histories of South Florida and Key Biscayne,” say The Friends of Cape Florida in a statement announcing this week’s celebration.
They note the “complex histories” witnessed during the past 200 years that include:
- Thousands of years of Indigenous stewardship.
- The U.S. military reservation at Cape Florida and the era of the Lighthouse in service to maritime traffic.
- The violence the Seminoles suffered at the hands of U.S. military leading to an attack on the Lighthouse in 1836.
- It’s role as the launching point for formerly enslaved peoples to flee from encroaching violence via the Saltwater Underground Railroad to the islands.
- “Cape Florida Light is the focal point of many of these stories that traverse centuries of south Florida history,” said The Friends of Cape Florida.
Wednesday’s events are being held at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and throughout the county in collaboration with local advocates, artists, and institutions, including the local educational, cultural, and creative communities.
IF YOU GO:
What: Cape Florida's Bicentennial
When: Wednesday, December 17, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, 1200 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, FL 33149
For ticket information, click here.
