The Jupiter Lighthouse Usually Closes at 5. For Four Nights This December, It Stays Open After Dark.

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum stops admitting visitors at 4 p.m. and closes at 5 p.m. most days, Tuesday through Sunday. For four evenings next month, the grounds at 500 Captain Armours Way will stay open from 6 to 9 p.m. for Luminary Nights. The museum calls it "a new holiday tradition." The plans include local artisans, live entertainment, food, shopping, family activities, a tunnel of lights leading to the tower, and the big tree on the grounds lit up.

The dates are Friday, Dec. 11; Saturday, Dec. 12; Friday, Dec. 18; and Saturday, Dec. 19. The organizer bills it as a "limited engagement." It's also the biggest piece so far of something the lighthouse has been building all fall: a calendar of evening programs, each sold separately from the daytime ticket you may have bought for visiting relatives.

What an Evening Ticket Covers That a Daytime One Doesn't

A regular daytime visit is a good deal. General admission costs $15 for adults, $12 for U.S. veterans and seniors 60 and up, and $8 for ages 6 to 18. Children 5 and under get in free. The ticket includes the lighthouse climb, the exhibits and the smartphone tour app.

The museum also states that general admission doesn't cover special evening events or the sunset and moonrise tours. Those are separate tickets, priced as events.

Here is the math for a family of four with two school-age kids. A daytime visit comes to $46. Luminary Nights costs $75 with the family ticket, or $100 if you buy four individual tickets. The prices above are from the ticket page for the Dec. 11 night, which is run by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society.

The price difference pays for the setting and for the cause. According to the Luminary Nights page, all proceeds go toward preserving the landmark, its history and its educational programs.

Climb Slots Are Limited

Most of the evening needs no planning. You can walk the tunnel of lights, shop the artisan booths, listen to the music and eat whenever you like during the three hours.

The climb works differently. The event listing says climbs during Luminary Nights are "limited and on a first come first served basis." On a regular afternoon, a general admission ticket gets you up the tower. On these four nights, the ticket gets you onto the grounds, and a spot on the stairs depends on how early you get there.

The usual climb rules still apply. Climbers must be at least 48 inches tall. Children under 16 must climb with an adult. Every climber must go up without help, and shoes are required. The museum calls the climb strenuous.

If your group has a child close to the height cutoff, measure before you buy. A child under 48 inches can still enjoy the lights, the music and the tree from the ground.

The tree is a familiar sight on the grounds. The Luminary Nights listing calls it "our iconic Banyan tree." The museum's visit information calls it the "Giant Ficus Tree" and lists it among the stops on the wheelchair-accessible lighthouse deck.

The Lighthouse Already Runs Programs After Hours

You don't have to wait until December to see the lighthouse after hours. The museum's events calendar already lists three regular evening programs.

Sunset tours run on Wednesdays, 5 to 6:30 p.m., with tour dates on Nov. 4, 11 and 18. That puts you up the tower around sunset, right when daytime visitors would normally be leaving. Tickets are sold online.

The Moon Rise Tour is on Tuesday, Nov. 24. It costs $30 per person, or $25 for lighthouse members. It lasts about 60 minutes and depends on the weather. Children climbing must be at least 48 inches tall and go with an adult. That Tuesday falls two days before Thanksgiving, which is one of the days the museum is closed. If you have guests arriving early in the week, the Moon Rise Tour page lists the details.

Twilight Yoga takes place on Mondays, the day the museum is closed to regular visitors. The weekly all-levels class costs $15, or $10 for members, and requires online registration.

These programs share a format: small groups, a fixed time and a set price. Luminary Nights uses the same format at a much larger scale. It runs three hours each night with vendors, performers and a lit path to the tower, and the museum is looking for sponsors to keep it going as an "event series."

Choosing Your Night

You have two December weekends to choose from. Here are a few things to consider when booking.

1. Match the date to your guest list. The Dec. 11 and 12 nights come before most holiday travel. The Dec. 18 and 19 nights fall the weekend before Christmas, which may suit family arriving for the holiday. The museum is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so Dec. 19 is the last Luminary Nights date before the holiday.
2. Arrive at 6 if you want to climb. Climbs are first come, first served, so the earlier you get in line, the better your chances. You can see the tunnel of lights and the illuminated tree any time before 9.
3. Use the family ticket if it fits your group. The $75 rate covers two adults and two children, $25 less than four individual tickets on the Dec. 11 ticket page.
4. Buy tickets for the exact night you want. The Luminary Nights page has a separate ticket link for each date, and each checkout page shows the 6 to 9 p.m. hours.
5. Try an evening program in November. The Nov. 18 sunset tour or the Nov. 24 Moon Rise Tour will show you the grounds after hours before the December crowds.

Daytime hours stay the same through all of this: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, with last entry at 4 p.m. The changes are all in the evenings, and Luminary Nights adds four of them.

If Luminary Nights is part of your December plans with family in town, the team at Premier Properties of South Florida is happy to help you make room for them. Through First Premier Builders, our in-house construction team, we can refresh a guest room, update a bath or freshen up the lanai before guests arrive on Dec. 18. Schedule a Consultation, and we'll work out a timeline that has everything finished before your guests arrive.