Ten Must-See Maine Lighthouses
10 Famous & Favorite Maine Lighthouses
If you like lighthouses, Maine is the place to visit. There are more than 60 lighthouses that dot the coastal regions of Maine. The lighthouse has become a symbol for Maine and they have guided many mariners around rocky ledges and dense fog for more than 200 years. Michigan is the only state that can say it has more lighthouses than Maine. Ask us about Maine Lighthouses or share comments. To feature your Maine business, contact us.
Top Maine Lighthouses
PEMAQUID POINT LIGHTHOUSE
Commissioned by John Quincy Adams in 1827, this Maine lighthouse not only features a Fisherman’s Museum, but it also offers weekly rentals on the second floor. The museum contains artifacts of local maritime history, as well as items from the lighthouse itself. The Pemaquid Point light is located at the entrance to Muscongus Bay and John Bay, near the town of Bristol.
PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT STATION
Located on Cape Elizabeth, at the southwest entrance to Portland Harbor, this lighthouse is Maine’s oldest. Commissioned by George Washington in 1787, Portland Head lighthouse is one of Maine’s most photographed and features a beautiful keeper’s house with Victorian architecture and a red roof.
NUBBLE LIGHTHOUSE
Perched at the tip of Cape Neddick in York, Maine, this favorite lighthouse was first put into use in 1879. Nubble Lighthouse has one of only two Fresnel lenses still used in Maine today. Although not open to the public, Nubble is one of Maine’s most photographed and can be viewed by telescopes mounted in Sophier Park. Nubble Lighthouse is a short drive from Ogunquit, Kittery, and southern Maine.
CAPE ELIZABETH LIGHT
Also known as ‘Two Lights”, the Cape Elizabeth lighthouses were originally built in 1828. Although the western tower is privately owned and no longer in service, the eastern tower continues to function today. Cape Elizabeth light has seen several shipwrecks, including the schooner Australia, and was painted several times by artist Edward Hopper. Cape Elizabeth is not open to the public and is best viewed by boat.
WEST QUODDY HEADLIGHT
Located in Lubec, Maine, the West Quoddy lighthouse was first built in 1858 and is most well known for its vivid red and white stripes, topped by a black lantern and red dome. Located near the Canadian border, West Quoddy is the easternmost lighthouse in the United States and participates each year in the annual Lights Across the Border Lighthouse Challenge.
PORTLAND BREAKWATER LIGHTHOUSE
Also known as the ‘Bug Light’, the Portland Breakwater Light was first built in 1855 in South Portland, Maine. Portland Breakwater’s most distinguishing characteristic is its architecture. This lighthouse was fashioned after the Greek ‘Choragic Monument’ in Athens and features six Corinthian columns. The Bug is currently an active lighthouse, but the public can view its spectacular details up close from the nearby Bug Light Park.
HENDRICK’S HEAD LIGHTHOUSE
Perched on the edge of the Sheepscot River in West Southport, Maine, Hendrick’s Headlight comes with some of the most interesting stories. Not only has Hendrick’s been the site of several rescue missions, but it is also said to be haunted by a ghost known as ‘The Lady of the Dusk”. The further myth surrounding Hendrick’s lighthouse suggests that the notorious pirate Blackbeard hid treasure here. This light is not open to the public.
SEGUIN ISLAND LIGHT STATION
Located at the mouth of the Kennebec River, the Seguin Light has one of only two Fresnel lights still in use today. Perched 180 feet above the ocean, the Seguin lighthouse is Maine’s tallest and can be seen from Popham Beach State Park near Bath, Maine. The schooner ‘Gondola’ and the Boston-based “Jos. W. Bartlet was both shipwrecked at Seguin Island, and the lighthouse is said to be haunted by former lightkeepers.
MONHEGAN ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
Located ten miles offshore of the mainland community of Port Clyde, Monhegan Island lighthouse is constructed of granite and was first built in 1850 by noted architect, Alexander Parris. With alternating red and white flashes, Monhegan Island Light was Maine’s first colored lighthouse. Both the grounds and the keeper’s house museum are open to the public.
ISLE AU HAUT LIGHT STATION
Also known as Robinson Point Light, the Isle Au Haut lighthouse stands 40 feet tall and is perched slightly offshore. The lighthouse is connected to the keeper’s house by a wooden catwalk and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Up until 2007, this lighthouse featured a Victorian bed & breakfast known as “The Keeper’s House”. Robinson Point Light is part of Acadia National Park, is open to the public, and can be reached by mailboat.
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