Now, the USLS sells about 10,000 passports per year and Gales says the “scope of the program has grown
so much” thanks to “strength in numbers.” With about 600 participating locations, passport enthusiasts can
discover artistic passport stamps on every American coastline as well as the Great Lakes.
Gales explains that the Lighthouse Passport appeals to all ages, but that there’s a special draw for
grandparents and grandchildren. Partly, there is a “challenge of filling up a passport book,” but there is a
philanthropic lesson, too. With each stamp earned, passport visitors are encouraged to make a $1 donation
and this aspect of the program is why Gales feels the program is unique when compared to other tourism
passports. “We are able to engage people in a meaningful way to get interested in lighthouses.”
Two such collectors are Sierra and Kayla Farrell of Valrico, Fla. The girls are just 5 and 2 years old, but they
are already working to earn a badge for completing a passport book. It’s a monumental task that requires
60 stamps for completion. Sierra used birthday money to purchase her passport and so far has 17 stamps;
however, the family has two trips planned to visit Gulf Coast lighthouses soon, so there are more to come!”
It’s this multi-generational zeal for stamp collecting that the USLS credits for instilling a “lifelong love for
lighthouses.” Thanks to the popularity of the Lighthouse Passport, Gales says the society is “constantly
adding properties to the program.” Although there are not many lighthouses withstanding to add to the
program, Life Saving Stations are another matter.
Long before the Coast Guard, the United States Life Saving Service was set up to rescue shipwrecked
mariners. Today “only about 25 or 30 life-saving stations are still standing. It’s a part of history that has
almost been lost,” says Gales. Of the surviving stations, about half are in the Lighthouse Passport Program.
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EASTERN HOME & TRAVEL