In 2009, the landmark underwent a 14-month $400,000 restoration, finished in 2010 and according to a local newspaper, "saw nearly a thousand people ascend its spiral staircase on Feb. 21." The paper also claims the "tours of the historic 65-foot tall structure were popular before Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. "If mass tourism, like mass media, is successful as a result of "a parade of hits driven by proven formulas," as Mitchell Schwarzer suggests, and those "formulas must be modulated from time to time," then the Biloxi Lighthouse has what it takes to draw crowds with every physical wind and water blown 'hit' it takes. It did not hurt the Light's reputation, either, when it became the only lighthouse in the United States to stand in the middle of a U.S. Highway (U.S. Route 90). Today, if you are lucky and at least 42 inches tall, you can climb the Light's 57 steps and 8-rung ladder, through a 19-by-23 inch trap door, into the light room. For those that cannot make the climb or trek across traffic, there is the reassurance that an image of the lighthouse, in this case, is more enduring than any specific visit.