The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is scheduled to reopen today for public tours, two months after the historic site closed for about $105,000 in repairs to the outside brick, lens, roof and doors.

Visitors have been unable to scale the 105 steps to the lighthouse top and the 3,000-pound lens has been dark since Oct. 16. The work was scheduled to be completed on Dec. 1, but Hurricane Wilma and the rainy weather that followed delayed the opening, said Loxahatchee River Historical Society Executive Director Jamie Stuve.

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse closed Oct. 16 for scheduled maintenance and repairs. Its planned Dec. 1 reopening was delayed because of damage from Hurricane Wilma. This view of the lighthouse shows the lens.

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"Some people were disappointed when they found out the top of lighthouse was closed. But you could tell some were relieved. They weren't looking forward to making that climb," said Stuve. "If the weather cooperates, we'll open for tours to the top (today)."

Since the walking tours to the top of the lighthouse were closed, visitors paid half the regular $6 fee for an outside tour of the lighthouse base. They received a free ticket to climb to the top. The lighthouse and museum have about 30,000 visitors a year. About half climb the lighthouse, said Stuve.

Special red paint made in Germany costing about $175 per gallon was used on the outside bricks. The paint allows moisture to escape from the bricks. New rust-resistant paint was applied to the railings and doors, and roof repairs were required. Damage to the ceiling in the lens room also was fixed, said Stuve.

The metal frames — called astragals — holding the triangular pieces of glass that surround and protect the lens also were repaired. A ticket-only relighting ceremony was held Saturday.

"The light looks beautiful, it's so much better than it was before," said Stuve after seeing a test of the lens. While most of the damage to the outside of the lighthouse was due to Wilma, the work to the lens was mostly maintenance, said Joe Cocking, a lighthouse lens cleaning expert who has worked on the lighthouse since 1992. Cocking and his associate, Nick Johnston from North Carolina, packaged the lens — which is about 9 feet tall and about 7 feet in diameter — in plywood in early December to protect the device while the painting and other work was being completed.

The two later unpacked the lens and cleaned the rotation mechanism, lubricated the gears, adjusted the lens to make it level and made sure the speed reducers work correctly. They also adjusted the copper blanking panels, which determine the sequence of the lighthouse signal seen by sailors.

"It's neat to work on a piece of history. It's very gratifying to look up when it's done," said Cocking, who has worked on about 80 lighthouses in places such as Hawaii, Alaska and Maine.

The inch-thick pieces of glass in the lens — the biggest piece is about 30 inches by 9 inches — requires extra care and cleaning, said Cocking.

"You don't just squirt the glass with Windex and wipe it clean. You are dealing with antique glass, and you have to use special chemicals. Each piece is hand-polished," he said.

The historical society, which oversees the Lighthouse Museum, will pay for the repairs with an $88,000 reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and a $5,000 contribution from a private donor, said Stuve. The rest will be paid for from proceeds from the gift shop, museum and donations, such as Saturday's relighting event, Stuve said.

The Jupiter Lighthouse — first lit on July 10, 1860 — is one of only six Florida lighthouses that are open for public tours. The Jupiter Lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.