I love September in Maine. The weather is gentle, the light is soft, the air is clear, and autumn is staging its annual fiery flash dance. Even better, it’s the height of fair season (my favorite is the Common Ground Fair). Equally fun:
Light up your life at Maine Open Lighthouse Day: Sept. 15, 2012, statewide
Lighthouses along the Maine coast will be open for guided or self-guided tours of the towers and/or keeper’s houses on Saturday, Sept. 15. Most will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m; some l will have limited accessibility or special restrictions. Here’s more information, including how to access the offshore lights.
The event website, www.lighthouseday.com,Here’s a list of participating beacons.
Brown’s Head Lighthouse, Vinalhaven Island: Light tower only.
Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse, Swan’s Island: Light tower and keeper’s house.
Burnt Island Lighthouse, off Boothbay Harbor: Light tower and keeper’s house (Living-history museum inside).
Curtis Island Lighthouse, entrance to Camden Harbor: Light tower only.
Doubling Point Lighthouse, Arrowsic: Light tower only.
Dyce Head Lighthouse, Castine: Light tower only.
Fort Point Lighthouse, Cape Jellison near Stockton Springs: Light tower and bell tower (exhibits inside).
Grindle Point Lighthouse, Islesboro: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).
Kennebec River Range Lights (two towers), Arrowsic: Front and Rear Range light towers only.
Little River Lighthouse, entrance to Cutler Harbor, 9 a.m. to noon. Live music at the site. Light tower, boathouse and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight stays).
Marshall Point Lighthouse: Port Clyde: Light tower and keeper’s house (Museum inside)
Monhegan Island Lighthouse, Monhegan Island, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).
Owls Head Lighthouse, Owls Head: Light tower only.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, Bristol Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside).
Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light), South Portland: Light tower only.
Portland Head Lighthouse, Cape Elizabeth: Light tower and keeper’s house (museum inside). Note: On Open Lighthouse Day, approximately 300 tickets will be made available to visitors on a first-come-first-served basis. A ticket will be required to climb the tower. You must be at least 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Visitors must be able to climb 85+ steps unassisted.
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, Rockland: Light tower and keeper’s house.
Seguin Island Lighthouse, off Popham Beach (offshore): Light tower and keeper’s house (furnished for overnight member stays).
Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, South Portland: Light tower.
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, Lubec: Light tower (contains a Fresnel lens) and keeper’s house (museum inside).
Whitehead Lighthouse, entrance to Penobscot Bay, Whitehead Island: Light tower only.
Wood Island Lighthouse, Biddeford Pool: Light tower and keeper’s house.
And of course, don’t miss the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland.
The annual event, coordinated by the U.S. Coast Guard, in partnership with the Maine Office of Tourism and the American Lighthouse Foundation, is the largest event of its kind in the country.
