Massachusetts - Massachusetts Lighthouses

New England lighthouses offer a peaceful reminder of stormy maritime history

Visitors to New England are entranced by our lighthouses. The coast bristles with the towers and keepers’ houses, charming children and families, photographers, and boaters. Lighthouses function almost as small maritime museums, and many have gift shops offering lighthouse paraphernalia. Understanding the background of these study functionaries of maritime safety makes visiting them more fun.

Why do people find these starkly beautiful structures so entrancing? For one thing, lighthouses live in the most beautiful of settings, including the harbor islands, rugged coastlines and wind-blasted bluffs of Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Often, the foot of a lighthouse is a front-row seat to spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Lighthouses appeal to our admiration for fine, functional design and engineering. Visitors who are not mariners may not realize that every lighthouse has a distinctive combination of foghorn blasts and light flashes (e.g., alternating red and white; steady white; occulting green) that are indicated on mariners’ charts, so that ships captains can identify a specific lighthouse or a cluster of them in a fog. (See details in listings below.)

Cape Cod, which juts 70 miles into the Atlantic, had a particular and urgent need for lighthouses from the first days of exploration. The history and nature of Cape Cod lighthouses is founded on two geographical realities: the frequency of shipwrecks in the treacherous waters off the Cape, and the wave and wind action that constantly reshapes the outline of Cape Cod itself.

From its earliest years of European settlement, the waters around Cape Cod were a hazard to navigation, earning them the nickname an ‘ocean graveyard.’ One response to this was construction of lighthouses. The first on the Cape was Highland Light in Truro, authorized by George Washington in 1796. During the 1800s, many new lighthouses sprang up along the shores of Cape Cod. Through the 19th century, as wave action eroded and undermined the bluffs up to the lighthouses’ doorsteps, many of the towers were moved about like pieces on a chessboard. Some were shifted away from the shoreline; some were picked up and moved to new sites. The sturdy towers and plain houses seem serene in our times, but don’t be surprised: their young days were packed with drama.

Our thanks to the generous help of Jeremy D'Entremont. See more lighthouses at www.lighthouse.cc. Photos by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Chatham Light at Chatham Harbor
Shore Road
Chatham, MA  02633
Phone: 508-430-0628

Location: Chatham Harbor, southeast corner of Cape

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Open: In 2007, open from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on June 6 and 20; July 4, 11, 18, 25; August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; September 5 and 19; October 3 and 17; open from noon to 2 p.m. on December 31. Directions: From State Route 28, bear southwest at the Chatham rotary to Main Street. At the end of Main Street, turn right onto Shore Road.
The facility: This lighthouse is a U.S. Coast Guard station and an aid to navigation. The lighthouse and keeper’s house were built in 1808; it consisted of two lights to distinguish it from Highland Light in Truro. In November 1870 a nor’easter smashed the barrier beach and started a pattern of erosion that would later undermine 228 feet of land in front of the lighthouse. In 1877 two new lighthouses and a keeper’s house were built west of the road. Within the next four years, the earlier lighthouses toppled into the sea. In 1923, the north tower was moved to Nauset in Eastham to replace one of the Three Sisters lighthouses. During a nor'easter in October 1991 part of the overlook and parking lot washed away, but the overlook has been restored.

Cleveland Ledge Light
Cleveland Ledge Channel
Buzzard's Bay, MA  02532

Location: Cleveland Ledge Channel, Buzzards Bay

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Open: The lighthouse is not open to the public and is best viewed by boat. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Station established and current lighthouse tower built in 1943. Light flashes white every 10 seconds and fog signal is one blast every 15 seconds.

Highland Light on Cape Cod National Seashore
Highland Road
North Truro, MA  02652
Phone: 508-771-2144

Location: Cape Cod National Seashore, east side of Cape Cod

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Open: The grounds are open year-round; the lighthouse is open from May 1 to late October. Directions: From the south, take State Route 6 and turn right east on Highland Road. Watch for signs to Highland (Cape Cod) Light. Follow the signs to the lighthouse.
The facility: The building houses an Interpretive Room where guests can watch a 10-minute video showing the history of the lighthouse. An observation deck is located at the edge of a cliff 120 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Gift shop in the keeper’s house. Guided tours of the lighthouse tower are offered by the Truro Historical Society daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. This lighthouse is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation, owned by Cape Cod National Seashore. Built in 1797 and reconstructed in 1857, Cape Cod Highland Lighthouse is the oldest and highest lighthouse on Cape Cod. Highland House (home of the Truro Historical Museum) is a short walk from the lighthouse.

Hyannis Harbor Light (South Hyannis Light)
Hyannis Harbor
Hyannis, MA  02601

Location: Hyannis Harbor

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Open: The lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. The best views are from the water or from nearby Keyes Beach.
The facility: Station established: 1849; Present tower built: 1849; Deactivated: 1929

Long Point Light
Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown, MA  02657

Location: Cape Cod Bay / Provincetown Harbor

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Open: The grounds are open to the public, but the lighthouse is not. Accessibility: Long Point is accessible in summer from Provincetown via a boat shuttle run by Flyer's. The lighthouse can also be reached after a long strenuous hike across a breakwater to Wood End, then across sand to Long Point. The facility: This lighthouse is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Station established in 1826; current lighthouse tower built in 1875. The lighthouse operates a fixed green light; the foghorn sounds once every 15 seconds.

Monomoy Point Light
Eastham, MA  02633
Phone: 508-945-0594

Location: South end of South Monomoy Island

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Accessibility:The Monomoy Island Ferry offers a variety of trips, including visits to the island. The Friends of Monomoy may offer programs that include an overnight stay in the keeper's house; call 508-945-0594 for current information.
The facility: Station established in 1823; present lighthouse and keeper’s house built in 1849; deactivated in 1923. The property is now managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Nauset Light
Ocean View Drive
Eastham, MA  02642
Phone: 508-240-2612

Location: Ocean View Drive

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Open: In 2010, open all Sundays from May 9 through October 31. Also open on Wednesdays in July and August. Tours held 1-4 p.m.
Directions: Take Route 6 to Bracket Road; turn right onto Bracket Road. Follow to end and turn left onto Nauset Road. Take first right onto Cable Road. At end of Cable Road, turn left onto Ocean View Drive.
The facility: The current beacon at Eastham was originally built in 1887 as one of the twin lights at Chatham. In 1923, it was moved from Chatham to replace the last of the Three Sisters Lighthouses. Erosion threatened the survival of the lighthouse, and in 1993 the Coast Guard proposed decommissioning it. The Nauset Light Preservation Society financed a project to move the lighthouse further inland. By 1996, the light was moved away to its present location. It is located in the Cape Cod National Seashore and managed by the preservation society.

Nobska Point Light at Woods Hole Harbor
Church Street
Woods Hole, MA  02543

Location: Church Street

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Open: The grounds are open year-round; the lighthouse tower is open in 2007 on April 14; May 19; June 2; July 5 and 19; August 2, 11, 16, and 30; December 1. Directions: Follow State Route 28 through Falmouth. From the north, turn right on Woods Hole Road (from the south, turn left and follow signs to Woods Hole). Travel three miles and turn left on Church Street. Parking in front of the lighthouse.
Information: E-mail Abtda@aol.com.
The facility: Tours offered from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Admission is free. Attendance is heavy and it is not uncommon to wait an hour or more to tour the lighthouse. Early arrival is recommended. Station established in 1829; present tower built in 1876. Light flashes white every six seconds; fog signal is two blasts every 30 seconds. The keeper's house is home for the commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.

Point Gammon Light
Great Island, entrance to Hyannis Harbor
West Yarmouth, MA  02673

Location: Entrance to Hyannis Harbor

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Accessibility: The land surrounding the lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. The best views are from the water.
The facility: Station established and present tower built in 1816; discontinued in 1858

Race Point Light, northern tip of Cape Cod
Race Point Road
Provincetown, MA  02657
Phone: 508-487-9930

Location: Northern tip of Cape Cod

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Open: Public tours on May 19, 20; June 2, 16; July 7, 21; August 4, 18; September 1, 15; October 6. The grounds are open year-round. Accessibility: Visitors can reach the lighthouse by parking at Race Point Beach and walking to the lighthouse (about 45 minutes). Visitors can also use their own four-wheel drive vehicle or contact Provincetown dune tour operators.
The facility: Gift shop is open. The keeper's house is available for overnight stays from spring through fall. Oversand transportation to the lighthouse is offered to the public on May 20, 9 a.m.-3 p.m This lighthouse is an aid to navigation, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Race Point Light began operating in November 1816 and was one of the earliest revolving lights. A keeper’s house was built in 1840 and another was added in 1876; a fog bell was installed in 1852.

Sandy Neck Light
Barnstable, MA  02630

Location: Entrance to Barnstable Harbor, Cape Cod

Accessibility: The lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. It is best seen by boat and can be seen from whale watches leaving Barnstable Harbor. The facility: The station was established in 1826; present tower was built in 1857 and deactivated in 1931. The keeper’s house, built in 1880, still stands.

Stage Harbor Light
Chatham, MA  02633

Location: Stage Harbor, Harding's Beach, Nantucket Sound

Accessibility:The lighthouse is privately owned and is not open to the public. Good views are possible from Harding's Beach.
The facility: Station established and keeper’s house and tower were built in 1880; deactivated in 1933. Keeper’s house still stands.

Three Sisters of Nauset
Cape Cod National Seashore
Eastham, MA  02642
Phone: 508-771-2144

Location: Off Nauset Road

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Accessibility: The lighthouse grounds are open year-round as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Ranger-guided tours of the buildings are offered during the summer months. Directions: State Route 6 to Eastham; turn right on Nauset Road. Follow signs to Nauset Lighthouse.
The facility:The original lighthouse at Nauset was built in 1837, and was constructed as three brick towers to distinguish it from the single light at Highland and the twin lights at Chatham. In 1892, three movable wooden towers were built to replace the original brick towers, which later were undermined by erosion and toppled into the sea. In 1911, because of continuing erosion, the central tower was moved and the north and south towers were taken out of service. The central tower served until 1923, when the north tower at Chatham Light – one of the original Chatham twins -- was moved to Eastham. It replaced the last of the original three sisters, which was sold. Between 1965 and 1975, the National Park Service purchased the three original sisters; in 1983, the three towers were moved to a site about a quarter mile from their original location and restored.

Wing's Neck Light
Pocasset (Bourne), MA
Phone: 508-460-0506

Location: East side of Buzzards Bay

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Accessibility: The lighthouse and grounds are not open to the public. It is best seen by boat. The facility: The lighthouse is available for rent. Contact Wing's Neck Lighthouse Trust at 508-460-0506. Lighthouse built 1890.

Wood End Light
Entrance to Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown, MA  02657

Location: West End of Provincetown

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public, but the property can be reached by foot across the breakwater from Provincetown's West End. The facility: This lighthouse is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Station established and present lighthouse built in 1872. Fog signal is a horn (originally a bell), one blast every 30 seconds

Boston Light
Boston Harbor, MA
Phone: 781-740-4290

Location: Little Brewster Island, outer Boston Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is open to private boaters by arrangement. Call 617-223-8666. Boaters must drop off passengers and anchor offshore. There are also public tours in season, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands also run occasional cruises to the island. The Friends can be reached at 349 Lincoln Street, Hingham MA 02043; 781-740-4290. The facility: Lighthouse built 1783. Light flashes white every 10 seconds; fog signal is one blast every 30 seconds.

Deer Island Light
Boston Harbor, MA

Location: Near Deer Island, Boston Harbor

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Accessibility: This lighthouse no longer exists (replaced by modern fiberglass structure). The modern tower can be seen from many sightseeing cruises leaving Boston and from a public trail around Deer Island. The facility: Lighthouse built 1982. Light flashes alternately white and red every 5 seconds.

Graves Light
Boston Harbor, MA

Location: Outer Boston Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. It can be seen from points along the shore in Winthrop (Shore Drive), Hull (Nantasket Beach), and Nahant, but is best seen by boat. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1905. Light flashes two white flashes every 12 seconds; fog signal is two blasts every 20 seconds.

Long Island Head Light
Boston Harbor, MA

Location: Long Island, Boston Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse and grounds are not open to the public; the lighthouse is best seen by boat. The facility: Active aid to navigation managed by U.S. Coast Guard. Lighthouse built 1901. Light flashes white every 2.5 seconds.

Brant Point Light
Nantucket, MA

Location: Nantucket Island

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Accessibility: The grounds are open to the public; the lighthouse is within walking distance of the ferry landing. The tower is not open to the public. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1901. Light flashes red, eclipsed every four seconds; fog signal is one blast every 10 seconds.

Cape Poge Light (Cape Pogue Light)
Chappaquiddick Island, MA
Phone: 508-627-7689

Location: Chappaquiddick Island

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Accessibility: A 75-minute tour is available through the Trustees of Reservations (phone: 508-627-7689). Reservations are required. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. The lighthouse may be open to the public periodically in summer to those with their own four-wheel drive vehicles. Check at the gatehouses. Property managed by Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Chappaquiddick Island, Martha's Vineyard, MA; 508-627-9931. Lighthouse built 1893. Light flashes white every six seconds.

East Chop Light
Vineyard Haven, Martha's Vineyard, MA
Phone: 508-627-4441

Location: East side of Vineyard Haven entrance, Martha's Vineyard

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Accessibility: Sunset tours are offered on Sundays from mid-June to mid-September. Tours are available from 90 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after. Contact the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society for details. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Maintained by Martha's Vineyard Historical Society, Box 827, Edgartown, Massachusetts 02539; phone: 508-627-4441. Lighthouse built 1878. Light is a three-second green flash alternating with three seconds of darkness.

Gay Head Light (Aquinnah Light)
Aquinnah (Gay Head), Martha's Vineyard, MA
Phone: 508-627-4441

Location: Aquinnah (Gay Head) Cliffs, Martha's Vineyard

Accessibility: Sunset tours are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from mid-June to mid-September. Tours are available from 90 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunset. Call the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society for more information at 508-627-4441 or 508-645-2211. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1856. Light alternates red and white flashes each 15 seconds.

Great Point Light (Nantucket Light)
Nantucket, MA
Phone: 508-228-5646

Location: Northeast point of Nantucket Island

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Accessibility: From May to October, the Trustees of Reservations present a daily natural history tour at Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge (phone: 508-228-5646). A naturalist guide leads participants on an over-sand vehicle tour through the salt marsh to learn about the geology, ecology, and history of the area and to climb the Great Point Lighthouse. The facility: U.S. Coast Guard active aid to navigation, leased to the Trustees of Reservations. Lighthouse built 1784. Light flashes white every five seconds.

Sankaty Head Light
Nantucket, MA

Location: East coast of Nantucket

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Accessibility: The grounds are open to the public but the lighthouse is not. Reaching the lighthouse from the ferry requires a car or bicycle. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1850. Light flashes white every 7.5 seconds.

West Chop Light
Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard, MA

Location: Entrance to Vineyard Haven Harbor, Martha's Vineyard

Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public, but good views are possible from the road. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1891. Light is white, occulting every four seconds with red sector.

Annisquam Light
Gloucester, MA

Location: Wigwam Point, northern end of Annisquam River, Ipswich Bay

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Accessibility: There is limited, short-term parking for visitors at the lighthouse. Directions: From Route 127 in Gloucester, turn onto Leonard Street. Turn right at the sign that says Norwood Heights and follow to the end. Annisquam Light may also be viewed from across the river, from Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation; keeper's dwelling serves as housing for a Coast Guard family. Lighthouse built in 1897. Light flashes white every 7.5 seconds; fog signal is two blasts every 60 seconds.

Derby Wharf Light
Salem, MA

Location: Derby Wharf

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is at the end of Derby Wharf, which is open all year. The lighthouse itself is not open to the public. The facility: Managed by the National Park Service, Salem Maritime National Historic Site, 174 Derby St., Salem, MA 01970. Lighthouse built 1871. Light flashes red every six seconds.

Eastern Point Light
Gloucester, MA

Location: East side of Gloucester Harbor entrance

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Accessibility: The station is closed to the public, but there is a parking lot nearby and the breakwater next to the lighthouse is open all year, with good views of the lighthouse. There are private road signs posted in the Eastern Point neighborhood, but visitors are permitted to drive to the lighthouse. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation, duplex keeper's house serves as housing for Coast Guard families. Lighthouse built 1890. Light flashes white every five seconds

Fort Pickering Light
Winter Island
Salem, MA
Phone: 978-45-9430

Location: Winter Island, north side of entrance to Salem Harbor

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Accessibility: Winter Island Park is open all year. In summer there is a parking fee, except for residents of Salem. To reach the park, follow Webb Street toward Salem Willows; turn right at the sign for Winter Island. The facility: Lighthouse built 1871. Managed by Winter Island A Marine Recreation Park, 50 Winter Island Road, Salem, MA 01970; phone: 978-45-9430. Light flashes white every four seconds.

Marblehead Light
Follett Street
Marblehead, MA  01945

Location: Northern tip of Marblehead Neck, entrance to Marblehead Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is located in Chandler Hovey Park on Marblehead Neck. The grounds are open all year; there is a small parking lot at the park. The lighthouse is open by special arrangement only. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; tower is maintained by Town of Marblehead. Lighthouse built 1896. Light is fixed green.

Newburyport Harbor Range Lights
Newburyport, MA

Location: Newburyport Harbor, Merrimack River

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Accessibility: The lighthouses are not open except by special arrangement. The rear tower is easily seen on Water Street between Federal and Independent streets. The facility: Lighthouse built 1873.

Plum Island Light (Newburyport Harbor Light)
Newburyport, MA

Location: Northern tip of Plum Island, Ipswich Bay, entrance to Merrimack River

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Accessibility: The grounds are open all year; the lighthouse is sometimes open for open houses. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; the lighthouse is owned by the City of Newburyport and is leased to the Friends of Plum Island Light, P.O. Box 381, Newburyport, MA 01950. Lighthouse built 1898. Occulting green light has two eclipses every 15 seconds.

Straitsmouth Island Light
Rockport, MA

Location: Straitsmouth Island, off east side of Cape Ann

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Accessibility: The island is closed to the public; the lighthouse is best seen by boat. It can be seen distantly from the end of Bearskin Neck in Rockport. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; island is owned by Massachusetts Audubon Society. Lighthouse built 1896. Light flashes green every six seconds; fog signal is one blast every 15 seconds.

Ten Pound Island Light
Gloucester, MA

Location: Gloucester Harbor

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Accessibility: The island is open to private boaters, but there is no landing facility except a small sandy beach. The lighthouse is not open to the public and is best seen by boat. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation; grounds managed by the City of Gloucester. Lighthouse built 1881. Light flashes three seconds red alternating with three seconds darkness; fog signal is two blasts every 20 seconds.

Thacher Island Twin Lights
Rockport, MA
Phone: 978-546-2326

Location: Thacher Island, off east coast of Cape Ann

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Accessibility: Members of the public can visit using their own boat or kayak, but there is no dock on the island, only the ramp used by the Thacher Island Association's launch. Only small rowboats and kayaks are allowed to land on the ramp. Two guest moorings are available about 50 yards offshore. To use one of these moorings, call the caretaker in advance at 978-546-2326. Bring a dinghy to land on the ramp.
The facility: The south light is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. The north light is managed by the Town of Rockport and the Thacher Island Association, P.O. Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966. A six-room apartment is available in the assistant keeper's dwelling; call 617-599-2590 for information and reservations. Those wishing to camp on the island may obtain a permit by calling 978-546-2326. Lighthouse built 1861. South light flashes red every five seconds; north light is fixed yellow; fog signal is two blasts every 60 seconds.

Bird Island Light
Marion, MA
Phone: 508-748-0550

Location: Entrance to Sippican Harbor, Buzzards Bay

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public and is best seen by boat. The facility: Private aid to navigation maintained by Bird Island Lighthouse Preservation Society at 2 Spring Street, Marion, MA 02738; phone: 508-748-0550. The facililty: Lighthouse built 1819. Light flashes white every six seconds.

Borden Flats Light
Fall River, MA

Location: Taunton River / Mount Hope Bay

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. It is best viewed from the Borden Light Marina in Fall River. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1881. Light flashes white every 2.5 seconds; fog signal is one blast every 10 seconds.

Butler Flats Light
New Bedford, MA

Location: New Bedford Channel, mouth of Acushnet River

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. It can be seen from the shore along East Rodney French Boulevard, and from the ferries leaving New Bedford for Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk. The facility: Active private aid to navigation. Maintained by City of New Bedford. Lighthouse built 1898. Light flashes white every four seconds.

Clark's Point Light
New Bedford, MA

Location: Fort Taber, Entrance to New Bedford Harbor and Acushnet River

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Accessibility: Fort Taber Park and the Clark's Point Lighthouse are reached by following Route 18 in New Bedford to a traffic light at its southern end. Turn left at the light and continue for two miles to the park entrance. The fort and lighthouse are not open to the public, but good photo opportunities are available from the grounds. The facility: Maintained by the City of New Bedford. Lighthouse built 1869. Light is fixed white.

Duxbury Pier Light (Bug Light)
Plymouth, MA

Location: Duxbury Bay, main channel to Plymouth Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. It can be seen distantly from the Plymouth waterfront but is best seen by boat. The facility: Active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation maintained by Project Gurnet and Bug Lights, P.O. Box 2167, Duxbury, MA 02331. Lighthouse built 1871. Light is two red flashes every five seconds; fog signal is one blast every 15 seconds.

Minot's Ledge Light
Scituate, MA

Location: Cohasset Rocks, outside Boston Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. It can be seen distantly from points along the shore of Cohasset and Scituate, but is best seen by boat. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Lighthouse built 1860. Light flashes white; fog signal is one blast every 10 seconds.

Ned's Point Light
Mattapoisett, MA

Location: North side of entrance to Mattapoisett Harbor

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Accessibility: The tower is open during July and August, Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon. Contact Bert Theriault at nedspointlight@comcast.net for more information. The grounds are open to the public every day. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; grounds are the property of the Town of Mattapoisett. Lighthouse built 1838. Light flashes three seconds of white alternating with three seconds darkness.

Palmer's Island Light
New Bedford, MA

Location: New Bedford Harbor

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public except by special arrangement. It can be reached on foot at low tide via the hurricane wall in New Bedford Harbor, and can be seen from the ferry from New Bedford to Cuttyhunk Island. Maintained by the city of New Bedford. The facility: Lighthouse built 1849. Light flashes white, two seconds on, six seconds off.

Plymouth Light (Gurnet Light)
Plymouth, MA

Location: Gurnet Point / Plymouth Bay

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Accessibility: The lighthouse is not open to the public. The Gurnet is accessible by four-wheel-drive vehicle from Duxbury Beach, but the road to the lighthouse is not open to the general public. There may be occasional open houses, including during Duxbury's Opening of the Bay festival in May. The facility: Active Coast Guard aid to navigation; lighthouse managed by Project Gurnet and Bug Lights, P.O. Box 2167, Duxbury, MA 02331. Lighthouse built 1843. Light flashed three times every 30 seconds with a red sector; fog signal is one blast every 15 seconds.

Scituate Light
Scituate, MA
Phone: 781-545-1083

Location: Cedar Point, Scituate Harbor

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Accessibility: The grounds around the lighthouse are open all year. The tower is open only during occasional open houses. The facility: Active private aid to navigation, managed by Scituate Historical Society, Scituate, MA 02066; phone: 781-545-1083. Lighthouse built 1811. Light flashes white every 15 seconds.