Burnt Island Lighthouse

Burnt Island Light, established in 1821 at the western entrance to Boothbay Harbor, is Maine’s second-oldest surviving lighthouse. Constructed from granite and brick, the 30-foot conical tower stands 61 feet above sea level and originally used whale oil lamps with parabolic reflectors. In 1857, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed, and the keeper’s dwelling was replaced with a wooden cottage connected to the tower by a covered walkway. The lighthouse was automated in 1988 and is now managed by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Today, it operates as a living history museum, offering educational programs and tours that depict the life of a lighthouse keeper’s family in the 1950s. Accessible by boat, the island is open to visitors from May 15 to October 15.