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All the United States California Livermore Centennial Bulb
AO Edited

Centennial Bulb

The longest burning light bulb in the world.

Livermore, California

Added By
mrobscurity
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108 years and counting.   centennialbulb.org
108 years and counting.   centennialbulb.org
The bulb hangs in the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department.   centennialbulb.org
  Wikimedia
  vomsorb/Flickr
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Fire station sign   jddarcy / Atlas Obscura User
  MadeByKemo / Atlas Obscura User
Centennial Bulb, April 2019   jddarcy / Atlas Obscura User
  MadeByKemo / Atlas Obscura User
  katerayne / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
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About

With only a few brief exceptions, the light bulb hanging in Fire Station 6 in Livermore, California, has burned continuously since 1903 straight.

It wasn't until 1972 that a local reporter first took note of the unusually long-lived bulb. News of its existence spread, and the bulb soon appeared on On the Road with Charles Kuralt and in the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not.

The bulb has been moved a few times, once unceremoniously (it was only two years old) in 1903, and then with much more pomp in 1976 when it was transferred with a full police and fire truck escort to its present site. The bulb is now cared for by the Centennial Light Bulb Committee. 

You can check if the bulb is still going on a live camera feed on the Centennial Bulb's website.

Update as of July 2021: Visitors are no longer allowed inside to see the bulb.

Update as of December 2022: Visits are allowed again.

Related Tags

Electrical Oddities World's Oldest Electricity Fire Fighters

Know Before You Go

See the website for opening hours.

Community Contributors

Added By

mrobscurity

Edited By

michelle, CoolCrab, Super Trampoline, Allison...

  • michelle
  • CoolCrab
  • Super Trampoline
  • Allison
  • jddarcy
  • katerayne
  • MadeByKemo

Published

June 7, 2009

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Centennial Bulb
4550 East Avenue
Livermore, California, 94550
United States
37.68219, -121.741072
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Livermore

Livermore

California

Places 2

Nearby Places

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Livermore, California

miles away

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Livermore

Livermore

California

Places 2

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