Sure, almost every born-and-bred 305er grew up going to the beach at el farito (AKA Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park), but you’d be surprisingly hard-pressed to find a Miamian who has toured the Cape Florida Lighthouse. And as one of the oldest lighthouses in South Florida, Cape Florida has a fascinating history — not to mention one of the best views of Key Biscayne, Stiltsville, and beyond. Built in 1825 as a 65-foot structure, the lighthouse has survived everything from hurricanes to attacks, including one by the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War in 1836, which resulted in a fire that nearly led to the lighthouse’s demise. Later, Confederate sympathizers destroyed its lamp and lens during the Civil War in 1861. While Cape Florida was abandoned and decommissioned several times over the years before being rebuilt, relit, and eventually raised to 95 feet, it has served several functions throughout the decades. Among them, it was used as U.S. Signal Station Number Four during the Spanish-American War and, most notably, was part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, where hundreds of black Seminoles escaped from Florida to the Bahamas. Sure, Cape Florida’s history is interesting itself, but nothing beats the spiraling 109 steps to drink in the views of the Magic City from the top. And luckily, you can experience it free Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.