Region: Southwest

GASPARILLA ISLAND STATE PARK
Boca Grande, Florida

Contact Information
P.O. Box 1150
Boca Grande, 33921
(941) 964-0375

Driving Directions
Gasparilla Island is a barrier island on Florida's southwest coast. Access to the island is via the Boca Grande Causeway at C.R. 775 and Placida.

Hours of Operation
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.

Museum: The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed the month of August and major holidays and extends its hours to include Tuesday during the months of February, March and April. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities and an enclosed vertical lift from the ground up to the first floor has been newly installed. The museum's phone number is (941) 964-0060.

Chapel: The Amory Chapel, located in the park, is available for rent for weddings, receptions and meetings. Call the lighthouse museum at (941) 964-0060 to make reservations.

Come visit the island that plays seasonal host to many of the nations' most prominent fishermen as well as some of the most prominent families in the country. They come to fish for tarpon in Boca Grande pass, which separates Gasparilla Island and Cayo Costa Island. Each spring thousands of these giant fish, known also as "silver kings" migrate into the deep water pass, which today is known famously as the "Tarpon Capital of the World." Also located in the park is the Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum.

Museum
The Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum and Visitors Center

The Boca Grande Lighthouse is the oldest building on Gasparilla Island and its most recognized landmark. It is not only a working U.S. Coast Guard light, it is a museum of local history, open to the public Wednesday through Sunday, 10 AM till 4 PM. The museum is closed in August and all major holidays.

Lighthouse keepers and their families lived and worked in the lighthouse, and the adjacent assistant light keeper's house, from 1890 until 1951 when the light was automated. In 1966 the Coast Guard removed the light from the building which was deteriorating due to neglect and beach erosion. In 1972, Lee County took over ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding 13 acres and began a long process to save the building.

The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and in 1985-86 the island property owners' association, the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association funded its total restoration with help from the State of Florida and local citizens. In 1986 the lighthouse was re-commissioned as a working Coast Guard light, and in 1988 the lighthouse and surrounding acreage was transferred from Lee County to the State of Florida and became Gasparilla Island State Recreation Area.

Exhibits in the museum include displays on the Native Americans who first visited these shores, the Spanish who arrived in the 1500's, the local fishing industry, the history of the lighthouse, the development of the railroad, Port Boca Grande and the town of Boca Grande. The museum houses a unique gift shop which features lighthouse memorabilia and souvenirs. Revenue from all sales supports the museum.

Park Activities

Fishing, Picnicking, Scuba Diving, and Swimming

Fishing
The Gulf of Mexico beaches provide year-round excellent saltwater fishing in the waters adjacent to the park and in the deep waters of Boca Grande Pass.

Picnicking
Two picnic areas, with covered tables and restroom facilities, are located in the park which offer scenic views of the surrounding water.