MAY 30 FIRST SEASON TOUR

On Sunday, May 30, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse will launch their 10th season with the first open house of 2010. This year's open houses will take place every Sunday through mid-October. (Continued below)

There will be a special added attraction at this open house: bagpiper John Daggett will be on hand to provide musical entertainment.

Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. No reservations are needed; tours are on a first come, first served basis. No children under 42 inches tall are permitted to climb to the top, and adults are not permitted to carry children up the stairs. Visitors are invited to climb to the lantern room to enjoy the magnificent view and to see the fourth-order Fresnel lens up close. Volunteers will tell visitors about the history of the light station, and there will be souvenirs for sale.

There are 44 stairs to the watch room and a 7-rung ladder to the lantern room. Flat shoes (not sandals or flip-flops) are required to climb the ladder into the lantern room.

The lighthouse is being painted and there may be scaffolding around the tower during this open house. Access to the tower will not be affected. The lighthouse is located off Route 1B in New Castle, adjacent to Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor and Fort Constitution. For more information, visit the official web site.

JUNE 1 CRUISE

On June 1, Captain & Patty's Cruises is offering a special evening cruise from Kittery Point. All proceeds will benefit Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in the effort to preserve Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse and Whaleback Lighthouse.

The 80-minute narrated cruise leaves at 6:30 p.m. from the town dock at Pepperrell Cove in Kittery, behind Frisbee Store and Capt'n Simeon's Galley restaurant on Route 103 (Pepperrell Road). Captain Neil Odams will provide a historical tour of the Piscataqua River basin, with points of interest on both the Maine and New Hampshire shore including historic forts, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Whaleback Lighthouse, and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse. A representative of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse will be on board to tell about current preservation efforts.

The cost is $18 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under. Call 603-431-9155 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to make a reservation.

JUNE 12 HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE TOUR

Join author and radio personality Ron Kolek of the New England Ghost Project, along with author and lighthouse historian Jeremy D'Entremont, on Saturday, June 12, for a rare nighttime walking tour of Fort Constitution and Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.

The fort and lighthouse have been featured on TV, including the popular show "Ghost Hunters." You'll hear about the paranormal investigations at the fort and lighthouse that have indicated the presence of a number of otherworldly residents. Ron will discuss investigation methods, and Jeremy will fill in the history behind the ghostly tales.

$15 per person. There will be four tours during the evening (8:00, 9:00, 10:00, and 11:00); each tour will last about one hour and will be limited to 16 persons. Not recommended for children under 12.

JUNE 13 SUNSET CRUISE

Join Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse at 7:00 p.m. on Friday evening, June 18, for a sunset cruise aboard the M/V Granite State, departing from Rye Harbor on Route 1A in Rye, NH.

The cruise will pass close to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, Whaleback Lighthouse, and White Island Lighthouse in the Isles of Shoals. There is a snack bar on board and there will be raffles and narration on the history of the lighthouses. Tickets are $20 each. The boat will return to the dock at about 9:00 p.m. Call Granite State Whale Watch at (603) 964-5545 for reservations.

OFFICIAL web site link