The Fire Island Lightouse stands tall at an astounding 168 feet and was repainted from it's original red brick and creamy yellow to alternating black and white bands in 1891. It proudly guarded Long Island's southern shore since its construction in 1958 but was put out of commission in the early 1970s. That is, until a group of private citizens formed the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society and through their fundraising efforts had the lighthouse restored, full-functioning, and re-lit on Memorial Day, 1986; reinstated as an official aid to navigation. It's a steep climb up the lighthouse's tower (flat footwear is suggested) but those 156 iron steps will be worth the view atop Long Island's tallest lighthouse.