[2][5][6] Made in Paris in 1868 and shipped to Oregon, Yaquina Head Light was first lit August 20, 1873, and automated in 1966.

[7][1] A two-story keepers' dwelling was built at the time the lighthouse tower and its adjoining oil house were constructed.

During World War II, 17 servicemen were stationed at Yaquina Head to keep a lookout for enemy ships.

The lighthouse still uses its original 1868 French-made, 1st order, Fixed Fresnel lens,[1] visible 19 miles (31 km) out to sea.

The Yaquina Head Interpretive Center opened in 1997 and includes exhibits about the history and preservation of the lighthouse, and the marine life found in tide pools and along the coast.