Portland Head Light
A lighthouse commissioned under Washington and lit in 1791, standing on the rocks at the entrance to Portland harbour.
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Construction was authorised while Maine was still part of Massachusetts and the light was first lit in January 1791, which makes it the oldest lighthouse in the state - the tower has been raised and altered since, but it has been working continuously. It stands at the edge of Fort Williams Park on a shelf of dark rock where the sea breaks hard, with the keeper's house beside it now holding a small museum on the light and the wrecks off this shore. The park around it is the old coastal artillery post, open ground with paths, gun emplacements and a beach. It is routinely called the most photographed lighthouse in the country and behaves accordingly.
What you actually see
- A tower first lit in 1791 - the oldest in Maine, still working.
- The keeper's house museum - on the light and the local wrecks.
- Fort Williams Park around it - old gun emplacements and paths.
- Dark rock and heavy surf - the setting that made the photographs.
When to go
May to October; early morning for light and space. Two hours.
Honest expectations
Summer weekends fill the park and the parking. The tower itself is not open to climb. The museum keeps a short season. Wind off the water is cold even in July.
Nearby
Portland is north; Cape Elizabeth's beaches are south.
What to pack for Portland Head Light
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
