One of my favorite things about living in Maine is how many lighthouses I can drive to see in a day. Just today we swung by the Nubble Lighthouse in Cape Neddick, York. It’s my favorite lighthouse. Also, I never thought I would ever have a favorite lighthouse but I do.
Lots of Mainers and others love lighthouses, too, and look forward to the annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day. In 2024, that day is September 14.
About Maine Open Lighthouse Day
The United States Coast Guard, the Maine Office of Tourism and the American Lighthouse Foundation together sponsor Maine Open Lighthouse Day. This popular annual event 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. All lighthouses will be open 9:00 am to 3:00 pm unless otherwise noted.
Southern Maine Open Lighthouses
In 2024, there are 16 lighthouses throughout Maine that are open to the public. Only four are in Southern Maine. They are:
- Goat Island Lighthouse, Cape Porpoise
- Portland Breakwater Lighthouse aka the Bug Light, South Portland
- Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth
- Spring Point Lighthouse, South Portland
Sadly, the Nubble isn’t included in the tour.
Here’s what you need to know about visiting each of these four participating lighthouses on Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Also, here is our roundup of Southern Maine Lighthouses. If you’re heading further up the coast and over to Canada, you’ll want to check out these Nova Scotia lighthouses, too.
Goat Island Lighthouse
The Goat Island Lighthouse is off the coast of Cape Porpoise, in the Gulf of Maine. If you want to tour it, you’ve got to get yourself out to Goat Island. As it is, Cape Porpoise is a popular place for people to launch kayakers from, and many do kayak out to Goat Island to tour the Light. It’s about a mile off shore.
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.
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse
The Portland Breakwater Lighthouse is also known as the Bug Light. It is located in and owned by the City of South Portland. During the summer, you can take outdoor yoga classes at the Bug Light Park in South Portland.
Portland Head Light
On Open Lighthouse Day, you can climb the tower at the Portland Head Light, but you’ve got to get there early to do it. Only 300 people are allowed to access the Portland Head Light. Free admission tickets are given out on a first come, first-served basis to climb the tower. Also, you must be taller than 48 inches and able to climb (and descend) the 85-plus steps.
Spring Point Lighthouse
The easiest way to access the Spring Point Lighthouse in South Portland is to park on the water’s edge of the Southern Maine Community College campus. The lighthouse is located at the end of a rock jetty, which abuts a long-abandoned fort. The lighthouse is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation and is owned and managed by the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust.
List of other open lighthouses
In case you’re in the mood for a Maine daytrip, here is a list of the other lighthouse that will be open to the public on Maine Open Lighthouse Day:
- Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse, Swan’s Island
- Burnt Island Lighthouse, Boothbay Harbor
- Dyce Head Lighthouse, Castine
- Fort Point Lighthouse, Stockton Springs
- Grindle Point Lighthouse, Isleboro
- Marshall Point Lighthouse, Port Clyde
- Monhegan Island Lighthouse, Monhegan Island
- Moose Peak Lighthouse, Mistake Island
- Owls Head Lighthouse, Owls Head
- Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol
- Squirrel Point Light, Arrowsic
- West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec