Oksøy fyr marks the western side of the main shipping channel into Kristiansand. It was first lit on 25 November 1832 and holds a small place in Norwegian lighthouse history: it was the first in the country to be fitted with a dioptric apparatus, meaning a Fresnel lens that focused the light into a powerful beam rather than relying on simple reflectors.
The original tower was a 23-metre brick structure. In 1900 it was replaced by the current 36-metre cast iron tower, painted white with two red bands. The light was electrified in 1951. The lighthouse sits on Oksøy, a low rocky islet at the mouth of Kristiansandsfjorden, and is visible from the coast and from boats passing through the strait between Flekkerøya and the mainland.
The original tower was a 23-metre brick structure. In 1900 it was replaced by the current 36-metre cast iron tower, painted white with two red bands. The light was electrified in 1951. The lighthouse sits on Oksøy, a low rocky islet at the mouth of Kristiansandsfjorden, and is visible from the coast and from boats passing through the strait between Flekkerøya and the mainland.
