On a wooden bluff overlooking the mouth of Newport bay sits the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. It's not a tall stately concrete tower like many other lighthouses, but it is built atop the roof of the keeper's cottage and is the only wooden lighthouse in Oregon. The light was first lit on November 3, 1871 and was only active as a navigational aid for three years, when the much larger Yaquina Head Lighthouse was built. After the light was extinguished in 1874, the structure was neglected and fell into disrepair until it was restored a hundred years later, in 1974. The lighthouse was officially restored as a privately maintained aid to navigation on December 7, 1996. At 161 feet above sea level, the steady white light shines from dusk to dawn, controlled by a photocell. The lighthouse is open to the public year round. Memorabilia from Oregon's maritime past are on display in several rooms.