I wholly recommend stopping by the museum before going to the see the lighthouse. Situated in The old Barnegat Light Elementary School, decommissioned as a school in the 1950's, this museum has some rare gems. The most notable is the original Fresnal lens from Old Barney. The lens is displayed better than any of the other Fresnel lenses I have seen. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and are more than happy to show you around. The museum is not large, but gives a wonderful look into the lives of people in the Barnegat area at the turn of the century. The kids didn't find this museum as intriguing as I did, but still loved learning about Sinbad, the first chief petty officer of the Coast Guard during World War II that was also a dog.
The kids did really love the Edith Duff Gwinn Gardens. There were loads of butterflies when we went and the flowers and plants were beautiful.
For more information visit:
http://www.lbinet.com/nonprof/blhist.htm
