Maine Open Lighthouse Day

Location: Bass Harbor, Mount Desert Island

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower

How to Get There: Land based.

Coordinates: 44°13′ 19″ N 68°20′ 14″ 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 USCG.

Location: Swan’s Island (offshore)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house

Special Activities: An exhibit entitled “Lights in the Neighborhood” is on display inside the Keeper’s House, which also is home to other works by local artists. Be sure to check out the light station’s 1.8 miles of scenic trails.

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/msfs/swansisland.htm 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

Location: Boothbay Harbor (offshore)

NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 9am to Noon

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living history museum inside)

How to Get There: Offshore…access from Pier 8 via Balmy Days Cruises, Boothbay Harbor. Please see website for schedule and fees at: www.balmydayscruises.com or call (207) 633-2284.

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/burntisland/index.htm

Coordinates: 43°49′ 31″ N 69°38′ 27″ W

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

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

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).

Location: Stockton Springs (land-based)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and bell tower (exhibits inside)

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).

Location: Cape Porpoise (offshore)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house

Special Activities: Monitors are set up as a walking museum in the covered walkway between the keeper’s house and lighthouse, which show old photos of lightkeepers, island life and a home video from the Worrell’s, who were keepers at Goat Island from 1968 to 1972.

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

Location: Islesboro (offshore)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum & gift shop inside)

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/msfs/islesboro.htm 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: http://townofislesboro.com/departments/grindle-point-sailors-museum/

Location: Isle Au Haut (Offshore)

Historic Buildings Open: Light Tower

Coordinates: 44° 03′ 54″ N 68° 39′ 06″ W

How to Get There: Boat transportation by the Isle au Haut Boat Services in Stonington.

The Isle au Haut Boat Services is offering a special cruise that will stop and go ashore for a guided tour of Isle au Haut Lighthouse as well as cruise by Mark Island, Goose Rocks, Brown’s Head, Heron Neck, Saddleback lighthouses on Sat. September 9th.

In addition, on Sunday, September 10, they are offering a special cruise to see four lighthouses east of Stonington. (Hockamock Head Light (Swan’s Island), Great Duck Island, Bass Harbor Head Light and Blue Hill Bay Lighthouse)

For more info visit the Isle au Haut Boat Services website at: http://www.isleauhaut.com/lighthousetour.html.

Location: Arrowsic (land-based)

Historic Buildings Open: Both the front and rear range lights

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

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

Location: Monhegan Island (offshore)

NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 11am to 4pm

Special Activities: Art Exhibition entitled “Reckoning With Nature: Andrew Winter at Monhegan Island” is on display in the assistant keeper’s house.

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)

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

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/

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/

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.

Location: Cape Elizabeth (land-based)

SPECIAL NOTE: Approximately 280 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

Location: Off Popham Beach (offshore)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum and gift shop inside)

How to Get There: Offshore…

Seguin Island Ferry- please see website of Fish’N’Trips
Charters by Captain Ethan DeBery at: http://fishntripsmaine.com/seguinislandferry.html
or call (207) 841-7977

Coordinates: 43°42′ 30″ N 69°45′ 30″ W

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://springpointlight.org/

Location: Arrowsic

NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 10am to 3pm

Historic Buildings Open: Grounds Only

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. For more information visit: www.squirrelpoint.org/visit.html

NOTE: Though the lighthouse will not be open, the light station grounds are open to the public. The Citizens for Squirrel Point, a nonprofit group restoring the historic site, will have volunteers at the light station to talk with visitors about the present efforts and future plans to preserve the lighthouse, keeper’s house, oil house, barn and boathouse.

Location: Lubec (land-based)

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)

How to Get There: Land based

Coordinates: 44°48′ 55″ N 66°57′ 04″ W

The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and contains a beautiful third order Fresnel lens. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and maintained by the Maine Department of Parks and Lands. The Museum inside the keeper’s house is operated by the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association. For more info, visit: www.westquoddy.com

Location: Whitehead Island (Offshore)

NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Historic Buildings Open: Light tower and grounds

How to Get There: Special boat transportation available by reservation. RSVP with arrival time, number of adults & children (12 & under) at: www.whiteheadlightstation.org/openhouse/

Coordinates: 43°58′ 43″ N 69°07′ 27″ W

The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light station’s historic buildings are owned and maintained by the Pine Island Camp. For more info, visit: www.whiteheadlightstation.org

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…use their online reservation system. .

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/

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.

Location: 243 Washington Street, Bath

The Museum’s newly opened exhibit “Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience”, 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: Visit http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org or call (207) 443-1316.

Event Location: Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Castle, NH FYI

Whaleback Day is sponsored by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse will be open for tours and offers great viewing opportunities to see Whaleback Lighthouse.

NOTE SPECIAL TIME: 1pm to 5pm

FMI: Whaleback Lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The light tower is owned by the American Lighthouse Foundation, and cared for by its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. For more info, visit: www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org or
www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/whaleback-light/

Event Location: 1 West Street, Bar Harbor

FMI: Somes sound is a famous and spectacular fjord-like sound with mountains, waterfalls, and cliffs. On this tour we visit Somes Sound and see Egg Rock, Winter Harbor, Baker Island and Bear Island Lights. This narrated trip offers ample time at each light for excellent photography. For more info, visit: www.barharborwhales.com/whale-watching-tours/lighthouse-and-national-park-tour/ or 1-888-WHALES-4