September 9, 2023
Maine Open Lighthouse Day Information…
This popular annual event, which is sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, the Maine Office of Tourism and the American Lighthouse Foundation, attracts between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors each year and offers the general public the rare opportunity to climb and learn about more than a dozen historic Maine lights.
List of participating sites:
The following is a list of the 2022 participating lighthouses and are subject to change
…please check back in early summer as we update the list for 2023.
All lighthouses will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm unless otherwise noted.
Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse
Location: 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. Please see ferry’s website for schedule and fees at: www.maine.gov/mdot/ferry/swansisland/ or call (207) 244-3254.
Coordinates: 44°08′ 03″ N 68°26′ 50″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station is owned by the Town of Swan’s Island, and the historic buildings are cared for by the nonprofit Friends of Swan’s Island Lighthouse. For more info, visit: www.burntcoatharborlight.com
Burnt Island Lighthouse
Location: Boothbay Harbor (offshore)
**NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 9am to 12pm only
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living history museum inside)
How to Get There: Offshore…visitors must find their own transportation to the island.
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. For more info, visit: www.maine.gov/dmr/programs/education-division/burnt-island-lighthouse
Coordinates: 43°49′ 31″ N 69°38′ 27″ W
Curtis Island Lighthouse
Location: Camden Harbor (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower only
How to Get There: Offshore…visitors must find their own transportation to the island. Kayak tours may be available from Camden Harbor.
Coordinates: 44°12′ 06″ N 69°02′ 54″ W
Doubling Point Lighthouse
Location: Arrowsic, Kennebec River (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower only
Special Activities: Visitors will have the chance to meet Karen and Danny McLean, former Coast Guard keepers at Doubling Point and Doubling Point Range Lights.
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°52′ 57″ N 69°48′ 25″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The lighthouse is owned and managed by the Friends of Doubling Point Lighthouse. The remainder of the light station’s historic buildings are privately owned (please respect the owners privacy). For more info, visit: www.doublingpoint.org
Dyce Head Lighthouse
Location: Castine (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower only
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 44°22′ 57″ N 68°49′ 07″ W
The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the Town of Castine. The keeper’s house is a private residence (please respect the tenant’s privacy).
Fort Point Lighthouse
Location: Stockton Springs (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens)
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 44°28′ 02″ N 68°48′ 42″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and contains a beautiful fourth order Fresnel lens. The light station’s historic buildings are owned by the State of Maine and managed by the Fort Point State Historic Site. The keeper’s house is the residence of the Park Ranger and his family (please respect their privacy).
Goat Island Lighthouse
Location: Cape Porpoise (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house
How to Get There: Offshore…visitors must find their own transportation to the island. If you enjoy kayaking, please call Kayak Excursions at (888) 925-7496 or Coastal Maine Kayak at (207) 967-6065 for rates and details.
Coordinates: 43°21′ 30″ N 70°25′ 30″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. For more info, visit: www.kporttrust.org
Grindle Point Lighthouse
Location: Islesboro (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Keeper’s House Sailor’s Museum, Oil House and Gift Shop *Tower is closed for climbing.
**NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 8:30am to 4:30pm
How to Get There: Maine State Ferry from Lincolnville to the island of Islesboro. Please see ferry’s website for schedule and fees at: www.maine.gov/mdot/ferry/islesboro/ or call (207) 633-2284.
Coordinates: 44°16′ 56″ N 68°56′ 34″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the Town of Islesboro. For more info, visit: grindlelight.com
Kennebec River Range Front & Rear Lights
Location: Arrowsic (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Both the front and rear range lights
**NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 10 am to 2pm
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°53′ 00″ N 69°47′ 42″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The two historic light towers (front and rear range) are owned and managed by The Range Light Keepers. For more info, visit: www.rlk.org
Marshall Point Lighthouse
Location: Port Clyde (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum & gift shop inside)
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°55′ 03″ N 69°15′ 41″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the St. George Historical Society. For more info, visit: www.marshallpoint.org
Monhegan Island Lighthouse
Location: Monhegan Island (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
**NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 11:30am to 3:30pm
How to Get There: Offshore…Boats from Port Clyde, New Harbor and Boothbay Harbor. Please see websites for the following companies for schedules and fees:
Monhegan Boat Line: http://monheganboat.com
T:(207) 372-8848
Hardy Boat Cruises: http://hardyboat.com/monhegan_ferry.htm
T:(207) 677-2026
Balmy Days Cruises: www.balmydayscruises.com/day/index.shtml
T:(207) 633-2284
Coordinates: 43°45′ 54″ N 69°18′ 54″ W
Moose Peak Lighthouse
Location: Mistake Island (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower
How to Get There: The private owners will be making two boat trips (7 passengers per trip) from Jonesport to Mistake Island. Please contact the owners of Moose Peak Light at the following email address for more information: moosepeaklighthouse@gmail.com
Coordinates: 44°28′ 27.7″ N 67°31′ 55.3″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station structures are privately owned.
Owls Head Lighthouse
Location: Owls Head (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower & keeper’s house (Interpretive center & gift shop inside)
Special Activities: Book Signing: Author Angeli Perrow will signing copies of her popular children’s book, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, inside the keeper’s house from 1pm to 4pm.
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 44°05′ 33″ N 69°02′ 39″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and contains a beautiful fourth order Fresnel lens. The light station’s historic buildings are cared for by the American Lighthouse Foundation and serves as the headquarters for the nonprofit organization. For more info, visit: www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/owls-head-light/
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Location: Bristol (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (Museum inside, which is operated by the Town of Bristol)
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°50′ 12″ N 69°30′ 21″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and contains a beautiful fourth order Fresnel lens. The light tower is cared for by the Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. For more info, visit: www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/pemaquid-point-light/
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light)
Location: South Portland (land-based)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower only. New interpretive panels for 2015.
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°39′ 20″ N 70°14′ 06″ W
The lighthouse is a private aid to navigation and is owned by the City of South Portland.
Portland Head Lighthouse
Location: Cape Elizabeth (land-based)
**SPECIAL 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. You must be at least 48 inches tall and able to handle 85+ steps unassisted to climb the tower.
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside & adjacent gift shop)
How to Get There: Land based
Coordinates: 43°37′ 24″ N 70°12′ 30″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and managed by the Town of Cape Elizabeth. For more info on the Museum at Portland Head Light, visit: www.portlandheadlight.com
Spring Point Lighthouse
Location: South Portland (land-based via a breakwater)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower
How to Get There: Land based via a breakwater at the Southern Maine Community College
Coordinates: 43°39′ 07″ N 70°13′ 26″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and is owned and managed by the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust. For more info, visit: http://springpointledgelight.org/
Squirrel Point Light
Location: Arrowsic
**NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 10am to 3pm
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house
Coordinates: 43° 49′ 00″ N 68° 48′ 06″ W
How to Get There: Land based. Squirrel Point Light lies at the end of 2/3 mile trail in Arrowsic, Maine, approximately 10 miles from the City of Bath. The footpath through protected forests and wetlands is well-marked, but uneven and rough in places.
Wood Island Lighthouse
Location: Biddeford Pool (offshore)
Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house
How to Get There: Aboard the boat “Light Runner,” which is operated by the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse.
Reservations are required…visit their website for more information: woodislandlighthouse.org/tours/make-a-reservation/ .
Coordinates: 43°27′ 25″ N 70°19′ 45″ W
The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are cared for by the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. For more info, visit: www.woodislandlighthouse.org or
www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/wood-island-light/
Other Lighthouse Attractions:
Maine Lighthouse Museum
Location: One Park Drive, Rockland
The Museum has the largest collection of Fresnel lenses on display in the nation. Other exhibits pay tribute to our lighthouse history (both the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Coast Guard eras), as well as the United States Life-Saving Service. The Museum is a must-see while visiting Maine’s lighthouses.
FMI: Visit www.mainelighthousemuseum.org or call (207) 594-3301.
Maine Maritime Museum
Location: 243 Washington Street, Bath
The Museum’s exhibit “Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience”, featuring a full-scale replication of the Cape Elizabeth Two Lights lighthouse tower lantern room, allows visitors to see the original second-order Fresnel lens from the east tower at Two Lights and experience the environment of the lantern room through time-lapsed video projections featuring a panorama of the Gulf of Maine that changes with the weather and seasons. This immersive exhibit is the first of its kind anywhere.
FMI and Admission Fees Visit: www.mainemaritimemuseum.org or call (207) 443-1316.
Maine Open Lighthouse Day – Participating Sites Map
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