The focus of Bald Head Island is its lighthouse, nicknamed "Old Baldy." The Bald Head Island Lighthouse is the oldest in North Carolina, and it stands ninety feet high. After decommission, it was restored with the aid of the Old Baldy Foundation. Now, guests of the island can climb the lighthouse as well as visit the adjacent Smith Island Museum of History, which houses over four hundred decades of this region's maritime history as well as a gift shop.
Old Baldy and the Smith Island Museum's summer hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Tuesday through Saturday and 11 AM to 4 PM on Sunday. Winter hours are 10 AM to 4 PM Friday through Saturday and 11 AM to 4 PM Sunday. The cost is $3 per person.