Shedding Light on the Subject The nation's largest lighthouse museum located in touristy Rockland, Maine. The Good: *Tours available *Huge collection of artifacts and Fresnel lenses *Nice gift shop *Park Street Grille located in same building The Meh: *Admission $12/adults; $8/seniors; $6/military; & kids 12 and under free. *Seasonal March - December (check their FB page before visiting or call) *Not the biggest museum we've ever been to as you can probably be in and out in around an hour. The Ugly: *Parking can be difficult during busy times of year (i.e., summer) Conclusion: Nice museum for lighthouse lovers like ourselves. If you happen to be in town then it's worth a visit, but not necessarily go out of your way for. read more

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This was one of our excursion stops on our Maine Harbor cruise. Enjoyable, informative, takes maybe two hours to go through the museum itself. The staff were amazing and friendly. A good visit. read more

If you are visiting Rockland (a great little port town), this is a fun and informative stop. We were especially impressed with the gift shop, where we learned a lot and got some really helpful information. Staff in general were terrific. Who doesn't love lighthouses? read more

We stopped by the Lighthouse Museum on a whim and I'm so glad we did. The entry fee was affordable and the museum was very informative. You can walk around at your own pace without feeling rushed. Even if your just driving through Rockport, like us, this is worth the visit if you're interested in learning more about the lighthouses on Maine's coast. You should also be sure to read about the story of lighthouse keeper, Abbie Burgess, it's fascinating. read more

Maine Lighthouse Museum - Fresnel Lens - Museums Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Small but nice museum for those folks who like lighthouse. I especially enjoyed seeing the different lamps used. Everything can be seen in under an hour. We lingered longer to read more closely. . read more

Maine Lighthouse Museum - Museums Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Overall a nice museum but could be better. It seems to be operating on a shoestring budget unfortunately. Many of the exhibits are very interesting. It might be better if the exhibits were in chronological order. They building is wheelchair accessible however they need some repairs to the sidewalk at the bottom of the ramp. They have an accessible bathroom. I would go again if I was in the area but would not go out of my way to see it. read more

It was lovely! I loved the Fresnel lights! The models of the lighthouses were awesome too! Glad we went! Wish the gift shop had more Maine lighthouses. read more

This was a great take in when on my trip to Maine this year. I love Museums and I love lighthouses so it was a win win for me. I had no trouble at all parking although I was there early enough in the year to beat the touristy season (May). There's a small charge ( I think it was 6 bucks) but so worth it. Lots of lighthouse history and memorabilia to walk thru and learn about. It could be a quick 30 minuet walk thru but if you're into history as much as I am there's lots to read so I spent over an hour here. Also, there is a lady who can point things out to you and answer any questions you have but she's not pushy if you want to go it alone. Paintings, t-shirts, magnets etc on sale here in the tiny gift shop and they have a bathroom you can use as well that's nice and clean. Only if you pay to see the museum though. Excellent walk thru and so happy I checked this place out on my trip. Highly recommend especially if you like history/lighthouses. read more

I love the ocean and also history. So, a lighthouse museum is squarely in my wheelhouse. The museum is small, but very well done. I've been through a number of lighthouse museums, but this one is the most comprehensive. It has everything from artifacts to large dioramas to supplement the information provided in text and video form throughout the museum. Since lighthouses and the US Coast Guard are so closely connected, there is a wealth of USCG information and memorabilia here as well. Until the USCG museum i New London, CT opens, this may be one of the best collections of CG materials open to the public. Even in the middle of high tourist season, the museum was not crowded. So, we had plenty of time to spend with the exhibits feel rushed. Be warned: this is not a huge museum with lots for small children to see and do. However, for children maybe 10 and up, there is a lot of information to take in. read more

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If you're interested in Lighthouses and their history, this is the place to go. It's small and it's combined with the tourism facility for the Rockland-Camden area, but it's packed full of interesting things. They mostly showcase a lot of the parts of a lighthouse and what life was like for the keepers and some of the facilities related to that particular lifestyle and work. There was quite a large amount of the museum dedicated to the most important bits: the actual light and the fog horns. There are models of several lighthouses and their grounds scattered throughout the space and a nice thorough section of Female Keepers. Most of the items here are actual items taken from defunct lighthouses or after replacements and so they are all original. The video on the design of the actual magnifying lens used in some of the modern lighthouses does a nice job in explaining the design which is very interesting. The largest lens they have on display is a 2nd order Fresnel lens which is neat to see. Unfortunately you're not allowed to touch any of the objects, but it gives a bit more context to all the beautiful towers that line the coast. Don't forget to grab the cute scavenger map and match the name to the photo as you go through the museum. Makes for a great souvenir. The cost is 8$ to get in and they don't offer student discounts, but if you're older than 60 you get in for $6. read more

Great little attraction. Interesting stuff (not what you find at run-of-the-mill museums). It's small but so is the price. You get your money's worth. Lots of interesting things to see and read. Helpful docents to add more facts and elaborate on the stories. The Fresnel lenses are amazing. My only complaint? So much cool stuff the kids want to touch but it's not to be touched. This would be great for adults and older kids. Unfortunately, our 5 and 7 yr wanted to touch the lenses, play with the models, and move the ropes. My 7 yr old who reads very well loved it, my 5 yr old who doesn't read that well was bored after about 30 minutes. If you stop to read all of the interesting information it could take a good two hours to get through there. Nice little gift shop, too. read more

Had plans to visit and were in the area but was getting close to end of day and instead called to inquire for the following day the rate. Learned of the rate and then asked about a Senior and Military Veteran rate. The woman said seniors over 65 free and military veterans free, but only Coast Guard. I asked about any other veteran and she laughed on the phone and said it was a Coast Guard run museum so why would other services benefit from a rate discount. I asked why only Coast Guard or why offer to Only one branch? Could not get a straight answer. read more

If you are the least bit into fresnel lenses this place is breathtaking. It's a pretty small and consists of 2 large rooms but they do pack in enough to make the $5 admission worth it. They have on display everything from 2nd to 6th order fresnel lenses as well as a bunch of lighthouse info/items, 3 miniature replicas of lighthouses, and a large collection of coast guard memorabilia. The people here are very friendly and there's always someone in the museum available to answer your questions. The gift shop is also quite nice and has some great gifts for any budget. read more

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This was a very nice, clean beautiful museum! I loved walking around it worth the 8 Dollars it cost to get in. The women that worked there were supper nice and friendly as well read more

This has apparently now been greatly enlarged and is packed with lighthouse memorabilia from Maine's golden age of lighthousing including lots of photos, uniforms, fresnel lamps, small boats and equipment and hero stories, etc. It has an antiquarian feel as it has not yet been professionally organized academically or in a historical fashion. Nevertheless, for $12 you get your money's worth and the docents will answer any questions you may have. And yes, don't let your kids finger everything as this is not an amusement park and these items have historical value. read more

Maine Lighthouse Museum - view from street - Museums Near Me - Rockland, Maine

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If you happen to be in Rockland, Maine and have an interest in lighthouses, visit this museum! They have so many real artifacts and so much historical information about every aspect of lighthouses. If I could, I would have been here for at least three hours. It is a pretty small museum, but very well organized. They have several replicas and models of the lighthouses throughout Maine and there are lots of stories to be found about the lighthouse keepers. The location is stellar being on the harbour and on Main St. It shares a building with the visitor center and a small police dept. read more

Maine Lighthouse Museum - Model replica of lighthouse - Museums Near Me - Rockland, Maine

Oh, boy, is this place fun. If you like looking at Fresnel lenses and reading about the quirky people who inhabited lighthouses, this is the place to go. Even the young woman cashier in the gift shop grew up in a lighthouse. read more

Rockland is fortunate to have several small museums: the Farnsworth Art Museum, the Owls Head Transportation Museum a few miles outside of town and the less often mentioned, but equally worthy, Maine Lighthouse Museum. If you enjoy visiting lighthouses (Maine has among the largest number in the US), you'll be fascinated by the exhibits in this museum and by the responsibilities of the lighthouse keepers who were stationed in them in bygone times, many living miles out at sea and having to endure the harshest weather conditions. Just about everything you would ever want to know about lighthouses and their operation is covered. Perhaps the most impressive items in the collection are the Fresnel lenses, which were manufactured in six sizes. The museum has examples of all the sizes, except the largest. As soon as we walked into the main gallery, a staff member offered to give us a personal tour. This was no five-minute overview. He spent more than a half hour taking us through the entire museum. He gave us a lot of information that we would have missed by just going through the museum by ourselves and answered all our questions. After his tour, we went back through the exhibits and were able to appreciate them more. The museum is now located in the same building as the local Chamber of Commerce/visitors center. While you are there, you can pick up maps and brochures for a multitude of other attractions in Rockland and the surrounding area. read more

8$ to get in to the museum. We had a great time looking at the exhibits. The gift shop was cute and the staff were a lot of fun to talk with. read more

Didn't really get to experience much except an excuse from the Visitor's Center that the museum was closed for the weekend due to illness. Come on now, something like the museum, a part of the local economy should be open no matter what. Shame on the Trustees for not stepping up and being there for the public. Came all the way across the state to go there for nothing. Oh yeh, I did get to use the bathroom. The Museum didn't even have a sign outside saying it was CLOSED or anything on their WEBSITE which I checked just before we left the house in the morning. Poor management as far as I'm concerned. Don't know if I'll ever be by that way again. Oh well, at least EMMA at THE PEARL saved our day by being the best waitress ever and we had great food.Come on LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM, it's time you saw the light! read more