The Maine Lighthouse Museum

In 2006, a group of enthusiasts opened The Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland. The gathered up many smaller collections of lighthouse gear in a building they now share with the Rockland Chamber of Commerce. The museum is located just across the street from where Captain Jack's lobster boat is moored at the city pier.

The museum has an incredible collection of lights. They range from this size, which was probably on a buoy --

to the large glass prisms used in the actual lighthouses --

Maine has over three thousand miles of rocky coastline with many islands. One of the most interesting exhibits was this topographic map of the coast with lights lit for every warning device on every outcropping.

This display had a variety of all the different types of lights used --

Even though the US Coast Guard now manages all the navigational aids on both of our coasts, there used to be an actual service of lighthouse keepers, the US Lighthouse Service  with their own uniforms and traditions.

The museum also has collected a nice selection of the huge bells and horns used as warnings during fog --

The Lighthouse Museum is young and seems to be run entirely by volunteers. As time goes on, I can foresee them getting some assistance from curator professionals to better present their displays. But, even for now, it is a fascinating place to browse.