MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is sponsoring narrated lighthouse tours and the chance to go inside a lighthouse until the first week of October. Check the schedule and summary (click to see below) and don’t miss out. Fall is the perfect time for lighthouse viewing – inside and out.

LIGHTHOUSE CRUISES 
On September 14, 21, 28, October 6

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. These cruises are taking place every Tuesday evening through early October.

The 80-minute narrated cruise leaves at 6:00 p.m. from the town dock at Pepperrell Cove in Kittery, behind Frisbee's 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 to make a reservation. 

LIGHTHOUSE TOURS
On Sunday, September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10  

From 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse will hold an open house at the lighthouse in New Castle, also known as Fort Point Light. 

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 located off Route 1B in New Castle, adjacent to Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor and Fort Constitution. This year's open houses are every Sunday afternoon through October 10.

CLICK HERE for official web site