Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association

What Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association does

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association (PCLK) is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in 2001 that operates the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park in Mendocino, California under a public-private partnership with California State Parks. The organization preserves and interprets a 1909 lighthouse containing an original, operational Chance Brothers 3rd Order Fresnel lens (an active Federal Aid to Navigation maintained by US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 87) situated on a 300-acre coastal headland. Core products include self-guided lighthouse tours, specialized lantern-room Lens Tours offered approximately eight days per year, a Marine Science Exhibit featuring a 240-250 gallon saltwater aquarium, school field trip education programs serving over 1,000 students annually, and an on-site plus online gift shop. PCLK also operates four vacation rental properties (Head Lightkeeper's House, Assistant Lightkeeper's House, and two cottages) managed through a third-party channel partner, Mendocino Coast Reservations.

The organization is run with 1-10 paid staff and a large volunteer docent corps, holding 365-day public access to the lighthouse, museums, and marine science exhibit. Revenue is diversified across one-time rental bookings, gift shop transactions (including a Lightkeepers Blend Coffee partnership yielding recurring per-bag royalties from Thanksgiving Coffee Company), $5 lens tour tickets, donations, and grants. Distribution is omnichannel: physical site visits, an online gift shop, third-party vacation rental management, and digital channels including a Matterport 3D virtual tour and active social media presence. Strategic priorities center on preservation, restoration (including a Historic Barn rebuild campaign), educational programming around gray whale migration and marine ecology, and event-driven visitation tied to the annual Whale Festival.

Name

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association

Legal name

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association

Website

https://pointcabrillo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that preserves and operates the 1909 Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park in Mendocino, California, offering public tours, school education programs, four vacation rentals, a marine science exhibit, and a gift shop, sustained by a small paid staff and large volunteer corps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Site & Museum Operations

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

National Park & Conservancy Lodges (THAGAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotourism & Geology/Volcano/National Monument Tours (THAAAEAG), Coastal & Marine Nature Lodges (THAGAIAH)

Keywords

• Historic lighthouse preservation
• State historic park operations
• Vacation rental properties
• Marine science education
• Nonprofit museum tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Mendocino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Vacation Rentals: Four vacation rental properties including two larger houses (Head Lightkeeper's House, Assistant Lightkeeper's House) and two cottages. Managed through Mendocino Coast Reservations. Provides ongoing revenue for site maintenance.
2. Gift Shop Sales: Physical and online gift shop selling lighthouse-themed merchandise, books, apparel, and locally-made products. All proceeds support lighthouse maintenance and education programs.
3. Lens Tours: Guided tours to the lantern room and Fresnel lens offered 8 days per year (typically around Whale Festival and special occasions). Tickets $5 per person, with proceeds supporting lighthouse maintenance fund.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from visitors and supporters; raffles for education programs; annual appeals. Organization is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit.
5. Coffee Partnership: Lightkeepers Blend coffee sold through Thanksgiving Coffee Company partnership. PCLK receives $1.50 per 12oz bag sold, with additional $1.50 when using promo code LIGHTKEEPERS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association preserves and operates Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park, a 300-acre California State Historic Park featuring an active 1909 lighthouse with the original Chance Brothers 3rd Order Fresnel lens. The organization delivers visitor experiences including self-guided and guided lighthouse tours, rare lantern-room Lens Tours, vacation rentals in four restored Lightkeeper homes and cottages, a marine science exhibit with saltwater aquarium, K-12 education field trip programs, on-site and online gift shop sales, and annual events such as the Whale Festival.

Product overview

Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association operates the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park, a 300-acre California State Historic Park featuring a fully operational 1909 lighthouse with original 3rd order Fresnel lens. The organization offers visitor experiences including lighthouse and lens tours, vacation rentals in historic Lightkeeper residences, a marine science exhibit with saltwater aquarium, school education programs, and a gift shop. The portfolio includes seasonal events like the annual Whale Festival and specialty offerings like 3D virtual tours and the Lightkeepers Blend Coffee (partnered with Thanksgiving Coffee Company). Revenue supports preservation, restoration, and education programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lightkeepers Blend Coffee: A signature collection of gourmet coffees grown by farmers worldwide and expertly roasted by Thanksgiving Coffee Company, with proceeds supporting Point Cabrillo Light Station maintenance and restoration.

Products and services

• Point Cabrillo Light Station Tours

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ annual visitors welcomed to the site
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thanksgiving Coffee CompanycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 December 2015Partnership to produce and sell Lightkeepers Blend coffee. PCLK receives $1.50 per 12oz bag sold, plus additional $1.50 when customers use promo code LIGHTKEEPERS. Coffee is certified Organic and Fairtrade, available in medium roast, dark roast, and decaf. Proceeds support ongoing maintenance and restoration at Point Cabrillo.
• Mendocino Coast ReservationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party vacation rental management company handling bookings for all four PCLK rental properties: Head Lightkeeper's House, Assistant Lightkeeper's House, East Cottage, and West Cottage. Contact: (707) 937-5033 or [email protected]
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private partnership for management of Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park. Property transferred to California Department of Parks and Recreation in 2002. PCLK manages programs, restoration activities, and public access while State Parks maintains ownership.
• US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 87coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer organization responsible for maintaining the Point Cabrillo Light Station's lantern room and historic 3rd order Fresnel lens. Auxiliary volunteers keep the lens shining and operational as Federal Aid to Navigation.
• Mendocino Rotary ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated marine aquarium chiller to maintain the saltwater aquarium in the Smithy at optimal temperature (approximately 50 degrees) even during hot weather.
• Noyo Center for Marine ScienceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for gray whale education programs and presentations, including hosting Dr. James Sumich of Oregon State University for public presentations.
• Mendocino CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner co-sponsoring public presentations on gray whale populations and marine science topics at Fort Bragg campus.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Battery Point Lighthouse (Del Norte County): California North Coast lighthouse operated as a museum with seasonal tours and overnight stays; comparable as a small California lighthouse preservation site relying on volunteer docents and donations, though smaller in scale.
• Mendocino Area Parks Association: Mendocino-area nonprofit supporting California State Parks on the North Coast; comparable regional nonprofit partner operating in adjacent State Historic Park properties, including Russian Gulch and Mendocino Headlands.

Direct peers

• St. George Reef Lighthouse (Del Norte Historical Society): Offshore California lighthouse preservation nonprofit focused on restoration and access; comparable as a small California 501(c)(3) preserving a historic lighthouse site through volunteer labor and donations.
• Heceta Head Lighthouse (Oregon State Parks): Pacific coast lighthouse preserved as a bed-and-breakfast inside the lightkeeper's home with interpretive programs; closely comparable West Coast lighthouse heritage tourism model with overnight stays and educational tours.
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park (Hostelling International USA): Operates a historic 1871 California lighthouse as a hostel and visitor attraction under partnership with California State Parks; directly comparable as a California coastal State Historic Park lighthouse offering overnight accommodations and educational programming.
• East Brother Light Station: California nonprofit that preserves and operates a historic 1904 lighthouse island in San Pablo Bay with a bed-and-breakfast in the lightkeeper's quarters; directly comparable as a California lighthouse preservation nonprofit using overnight stays, tours, and donations for stewardship.

Broad incumbents

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit that funds and advocates for preservation of historic sites; broader incumbent in the same heritage preservation space and a potential funding/technical assistance partner for PCLK.
• California State Parks Foundation: Statewide nonprofit supporting California State Parks through fundraising and advocacy; comparable as a preservation-focused 501(c)(3) with broader portfolio but operates in the same partnership ecosystem as PCLK.

Others

• U.S. Lighthouse Society: National membership nonprofit dedicated to lighthouse preservation and education; thematically related as a peer preservation community that shares donor bases, advocacy, and educational content with PCLK.
• Save the Redwoods League: California nonprofit protecting and interpreting coastal redwood parks with education programs and visitor experiences; adjacent conservation nonprofit with comparable education, fundraising, and State Parks partnership dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PointCabrillo
• Facebookfacebook.com/PointCabrilloLight
• Instagraminstagram.com/pointcabrillo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/point-cabrillo-lightkeepers-association

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association