Take in the View from the Top of a Maine Lighthouse!
Maine Open Lighthouse Day 2023 is on September 9th, 2023! For one day only you can get an up-close and personal experience inside several Maine lighthouses and keeper’s houses. Aside from incredible views staff is available to teach visitors about the history of the lighthouses, many of which have museums on site. There are 20 participating locations for the 2023 season which takes place from 9 am to 3 pm unless otherwise noted in the list below.
Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse
Location: Swans Island- Offshore
Getting There: Maine State Ferry out of Bass Harbor https://www.maine.gov/mdot/ferry/swansisland/ or call (207) 244-3254
What you can See: Light tower and keeper’s house
For More Information: http://www.burntcoatharborlight.com/
Burnt Island Lighthouse
Location: Boothbay Harbor- Offshore
Getting There: Balmy Days Cruises out of Boothbay Harbor is the ferry to the island, adults are $34 and children are $24. There are also scenic cruises that visit the lighthouse, including Cap’n Fish’s Whale Watch, as well as the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath.
What you can See: Light tower and keeper’s house
For More Information: https://www.maine.gov/dmr/programs/education-division/burnt-island-lighthouse
Curtis Island Lighthouse
Location: Camden Harbor- Offshore
Getting There: The only way to access this lighthouse is by private boat transportation
What you can See: Light tower
Doubling Point Lighthouse
Location: Arrowsic, Kennebec River- Mainland
Getting There: 43°52′ 57″ N 69°48′ 25″ W
What you can See: Light tower, and visitors have the chance to meet Karen and Danny McLean, former Coast Guard keepers.
For More Information: http://www.doublingpoint.org/
Dyce Head Lighthouse
Location: Castine- Mainland
Getting There: 44°22′ 57″ N 68°49′ 07″ W
What you can See: Light tower, the keeper’s house is a private residence and not open to the public
Fort Point Lighthouse
Location: Stockton Springs- Mainland
Getting There: 44°28′ 02″ N 68°48′ 42″ W
What you can See: Light tower, the keeper’s house is a private residence for the park ranger and not open to the public
Goat Island Lighthouse
Location: Cape Porpoise- Offshore
Special Note: Open from 6 am to 11 am
Getting There: The only way to access this lighthouse is by private boat transportation
What you can See: Light tower and keeper’s house
Grindle Point Lighthouse
Location: Islesboro- Offshore
Special Note: Open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Getting There: Maine State Ferry Service out of Lincolnville https://www.maine.gov/mdot/ferry/islesboro/ or call (207) 633-2284
What you can See: Keeper’s house, Sailor’s Museum, oil house and gift shop (light tower is closed)
For More Information: https://grindlelight.com/
Kennebec River Range Front & Rear Lights
Location: Arrowsic- Mainland
Special Note: Open from 10 am to 2 pm
Getting There: 43°53′ 00″ N 69°47′ 42″ W
What you can See: Both range lights
For More Information: http://www.rlk.org/
Marshall Point Lighthouse
Location: Port Clyde- Mainland
Getting There: 43°55′ 03″ N 69°15′ 41″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house (a museum and gift shop are inside the keeper’s house)
For More Information: http://www.marshallpoint.org/
Monhegan Island Lighthouse
Location: Monhegan Island- Offshore
Special Note: Open from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm
Getting There: Monhegan Boat Line: http://monheganboat.com (207) 372-8848, Hardy Boat Cruises: http://hardyboat.com/monhegan_ferry.htm (207) 677-2026, Balmy Days Cruises: www.balmydayscruises.com/day/index.shtml (207) 633-2284
What you can See: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside)
For More Information: https://monheganmuseum.org/
Moose Peak Lighthouse
Location: Mistake Island- Offshore
Getting 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
What you can See: Light tower
Owls Head Lighthouse
Location: Owls Head- Mainland
Special Note: Book Signing – Author Angeli Perrow will sign copies of her popular children’s book, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, inside the keeper’s house from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Getting There: 44°05′ 33″ N 69°02′ 39″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house (a museum and gift shop are inside the keeper’s house)
For More Information: https://www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/owls-head-light/
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
Location: Bristol- Mainland
Getting There: 43°50′ 12″ N 69°30′ 21″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house (a museum is inside the keeper’s house)
For More Information: https://www.lighthousefoundation.org/lighthouses/pemaquid-point-light/
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light)
Location: South Portland- Mainland
Getting There: 43°39′ 20″ N 70°14′ 06″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse
Portland Head Lighthouse
Location: Cape Elizabeth- Mainland
Special Note: Around 300 tickets will be available for visitors on a first-come-first-serve basis to climb the tower. You must be at least 48 inches tall and able to handle 85+ steps unassisted to climb the tower.
Getting There: 43°37′ 24″ N 70°12′ 30″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house (a museum and gift shop are inside the keeper’s house)
For More Information: http://www.portlandheadlight.com/
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
Location: Rockland- Mainland
Special Note: The lighthouse is accessible via walking an uneven 7/8-mile breakwater and the hours are 10 am to 4 pm
Getting There: 44°06′ 15″ N 69°04′ 39″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house
Spring Point Lighthouse
Location: South Portland- Mainland
Getting There: 43°39′ 07″ N 70°13′ 26″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse
For More Information: http://springpointledgelight.org/
Squirrel Point Light
Location: Arrowsic- Mainland
Special Note: Open 10 am to 3 pm
Getting There: 43° 49′ 00″ N 68° 48′ 06″ W
What you can See: Lighthouse and keeper’s house
For More Information:https://www.squirrelpoint.org/visit.html
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse
Location: Lubec- Mainland
Getting There: 44°48′ 55″ N 66°57′ 04″ W
What you can See: Keeper’s house (museum inside)
For More Information: http://www.westquoddy.com/
Learn More About Maine’s Lighthouses not Just on Maine Open Lighthouse Day 2023!
There are two fantastic maritime museums located on Maine’s coast you can visit to learn more about Maine’s lighthouses and maritime history. Maine Maritime Museum, located on a 20-acre campus in Bath with indoor and outdoor displays, is open year-round. The museum currently has a special exhibit on display called “Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience,” which is a full-scale replication of the Cape Elizabeth Two Lights lighthouse tower lantern room, and allows visitors to see the original second-order Fresnel lens from the east tower at Two Lights. Maine Lighthouse Museum, located in Rockland, is home to the largest collection of lighthouse, lifesaving, and U.S. Coast Guard artifacts in the nation, including the largest collection of Fresnel lenses.
Maine Lighthouse Museum
Location: One Park Drive, Rockland
Days & Hours: Daily from 10 am to 4 pm
Phone: 207-594-3301
Website: http://www.mainelighthousemuseum.org/
Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $8, Kids 12 and under Free, All active and retired U.S. Coast Guard members free
Maine Maritime Museum
Location: 243 Washington Street, Bath
Days & Hours: Daily from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm ***The Museum is closing at 3 pm on Maine Open Lighthouse Day 2023***
Phone: 207-443-1316
Website: https://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/
Admission: Adults $20, Seniors $18, Kids 17 and under Free
Additional Ways to Gain Admission: We are proud participants of Blue Star Museums, a free admission program for active military and their families, and Museums for All, providing free admission for up to four adults for those receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits).
You can also show your membership card for the Council of American Maritime Museums or the North American Reciprocal Museum Association for free admission.
New England Museum Association members receive free admission with one additional guest. MemberCard holders at Maine Public receive one free admission per year.
Are you a museum professional? As a professional courtesy, we are proud to offer free admission to current museum staff from other institutions. Please be ready with your photo ID and business card!
Maine residents can also borrow a day pass from your local library! Current library pass holders are: