For Immediate Release
July 13, 2012
Media Contacts:
United States Coast Guard
First District Public Affairs
(617) 223-8515
Kevin Gove
On behalf of the Maine Office of Tourism
(207) 620-9072
Bob Trapani, Executive Director
American Lighthouse Foundation
(207) 594-4174
AUGUSTA, Maine – The fourth annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day will take place rain or shine Sept. 15, with many of the state’s coastal, island and river lighthouses planning to welcome the public for tours and special activities.
Owls Head Lighthouse is one of two dozen lights that will be open to the public during Maine Open Lighthouse Day on 9/15/12 (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
More than 15,000 people visited 24 open light stations during last year’s event, and 4,100 people climbed light towers for the lantern room view. The event is coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard, in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism and the American Lighthouse Foundation. It is the largest event of its kind in the country.
Most lights will be open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for guided or self-guided tours of keeper’s houses and light towers. Some light stations will have limited accessibility or special restrictions. The event website, www.lighthouseday.com, will soon have details about visitor hours, fees, activities and transportation to each participating lighthouse. People can also contact the friends group of an individual light for more information.
Maine lighthouse fans can learn about participating lights and share their Lighthouse Day plans on the event Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MaineOpenLighthouseDay.
More than half of the 55 working lighthouses in Maine are accessible to the public during the summer months thanks in part to programs like the landmark Maine Lights Program passed by Congress in 1996.
The program transferred the ownership of lighthouses from the Coast Guard to local preservation groups and organizations like the American Lighthouse Foundation, and served as a model for the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
Participating Sites
(All lighthouses will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm unless otherwise noted)
Browns Head Lighthouse – Vinalhaven Island (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only…contains a Fresnel lens
How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Rockland to Vinalhaven http://www.maine.gov/mdot/msfs/vinalhaven.htm
Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse – Swan’s Island (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house
How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Bass Harbor to Swan’s Island http://www.maine.gov/mdot/msfs/swansisland.htm
Burnt Island Lighthouse – entrance to Boothbay Harbor (offshore) 9 am to 12 noon
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living history museum inside)
How to get there: Balmy Days Cruises, Boothbay Harbor, Pier 8, Boothbay Harbor
http://www.balmydayscruises.com
Curtis Island Lighthouse – entrance to Camden Harbor (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only
How to get there: Boat
Doubling Point Lighthouse – Arrowsic (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only
Dyce Head Lighthouse – Castine (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only
Fort Point Lighthouse – Cape Jellison near Stockton Springs (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and bell tower (exhibits inside)
Grindle Point Lighthouse – Islesboro (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
How to get there: Maine State Ferry from Lincolnville to the island of Islesboro
http://www.maine.gov/mdot/msfs/islesboro.htm
Kennebec River Range Lights (two towers) – Arrowsic (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Front and Rear Range light towers only
Little River Lighthouse – entrance to Cutler Harbor (offshore) 9 am to 12 noon with live music at the site
Historic buildings open: Light tower, boathouse and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight stays)
How to get there: Friends of Little River Lighthouse boats (leave from Cutler Town Boat Landing)
Marshall Point Lighthouse – Port Clyde (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
Monhegan Island Lighthouse – Monhegan Island (offshore) 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
How to get there: Boats from Port Clyde, New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor
Monhegan Boat Line: http://monheganboat.com
Hardy Boat Cruises: http://hardyboat.com/monhegan_ferry.htm
Balmy Days Cruises: http://www.balmydayscruises.com/day/index.shtml
Owls Head Lighthouse – Owls Head (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only…contains a Fresnel lens
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse – Bristol (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light) – South Portland (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only
Portland Head Lighthouse – Cape Elizabeth (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
Note: Approximately 300 tickets will be made available for visitors on a first-come-first serve basis the day of the event, which are necessary for climbing the tower.
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse – Rockland (land-based via a breakwater)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house
Seguin Island Lighthouse – Off Popham Beach (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight member stays)
How to get there? Seguin Island Ferry by Fish’N’Trip Charters
http://fishntripsmaine.com/seguinislandferry.html
Spring Point Lighthouse – South Portland (land-based via a breakwater)
Historic buildings open: Light tower
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse – Lubec (land-based)
Historic buildings open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
Whitehead Lighthouse – Entrance to Penobscot Bay, Whitehead Island (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower only
How to get there? Whitehead Light Station boat
Limited transportation will be available upon request…please call (207) 200-7957
Wood Island Lighthouse – Biddeford Pool (offshore)
Historic buildings open: Light tower and keeper’s house
How to get there? Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse boats (reservations required)
http://www.woodislandlighthouse.org For reservations, please call (207) 200-4552
Other Lighthouse Attractions
Maine Lighthouse Museum – One Park, Drive, Rockland
Roy Harper says
Last year I visited three of Maine’s lighthouses on Open Lighthouse Day. At each lighthouse the volunteers were friendly and the staffing levels were more than adequate. The day was also blessed with great weather. This is an opportunity for anyone to get out and enjoy some of Maine’s best, our lighthouses.