Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
4.5
About
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, located next to Fort Constitution in New Castle, New Hampshire, is open for guided tours every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., late May through mid-October. For a small suggested donation, visitors can climb to the top and see the Fresnel lens as well as a breathtaking view of Portsmouth Harbor. Visit our website for more information on open houses and special events.
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4.5
101 reviews
Excellent
53
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36
Average
9
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3
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0
Leamer
Ontario1,445 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
This is still an operational lighthouse on coast guard property. Plan your trip accordingly as this little gem is only open on Sunday's 1-5pm. When walking up to the lighthouse stay on the other side of the blue line in the lot as the other side is active coast guard property. When you arrive at the lighthouse your greeted with friendly staff who are very knowledgeable of the property. You are aloud to climb to the top and look out, the view is spectacular. A fee to enter is more of a donation that they request.
Written 21 February 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MerryMary08
Yaphank, NY117 contributions
July 2013 • Family
Visiting a family friend who is stationed in the coast guard, we came out to see the lighthouse and fort. It is a lovely drive out here. The lighthouse happened to be offering tours on our day and it was so informative. We even got to go all the way up to the lamp room! The view is beautiful! I am so glad we visited!
Written 18 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob F
Goshen, NY285 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
I travel the country to visit lighthouses and this is a good one.
It is located on an active Coast Guard Base so be aware, and parking is limited. It's also located on the grounds of an old fort so plan on spending some time to explore and enjoy.
Beautiful views and a cool old fort, what could be better.
It is located on an active Coast Guard Base so be aware, and parking is limited. It's also located on the grounds of an old fort so plan on spending some time to explore and enjoy.
Beautiful views and a cool old fort, what could be better.
Written 13 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MaineMountainOwl
Maine281 contributions
Sept 2021
This 48-foot (15 m) tall, stately, black and white conical lighthouse (built 1878) was visible from Fort Constitution and other points around Portsmouth Harbor. It stood on two acres (0.8 ha) on New Castle Island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River. Access was off US 1B at the US Coast Guard Station. Parking was in a dirt lot. We appreciated all that we could see of it from a distance; we disliked nothing.
Written 27 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John and Jane R
Tenants Harbor, ME59 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
On a ride around New Castle, we stumbled on a sign directing us to a special open Lighthouse Day. Since we had been denied admission to the Lighthouse on a previous visit to Fort Constitution, we were delighted.
The Lighthouse is run by a non-profit organization and is open on Sundays. For a nominal fee, we were divided into small groups of no more than eight and passed from volunteer to volunteer who recounted the history of the Lighthouse and pointed out the restoration work the group is undertaking. A special treat the day we visited was a talk by one of the last men to serve at the nearby Light in Maine waters. He told about how he and the others worked a three week–on, one week-off schedule and how they were kept in supplies.
The climax of the tour was climbing the winding cast iron steps inside the lighthouse and looking at the 360 degree view from the top.
This review is given here because the non-profit group which takes care of the site does not seem to have an interactive website for the posting of reviews.
The Lighthouse is run by a non-profit organization and is open on Sundays. For a nominal fee, we were divided into small groups of no more than eight and passed from volunteer to volunteer who recounted the history of the Lighthouse and pointed out the restoration work the group is undertaking. A special treat the day we visited was a talk by one of the last men to serve at the nearby Light in Maine waters. He told about how he and the others worked a three week–on, one week-off schedule and how they were kept in supplies.
The climax of the tour was climbing the winding cast iron steps inside the lighthouse and looking at the 360 degree view from the top.
This review is given here because the non-profit group which takes care of the site does not seem to have an interactive website for the posting of reviews.
Written 15 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kipp7272
Boston, MA520 contributions
July 2013 • Couples
Bring your camera, the lighthouse is an easy drive, on the grounds of an active Coast Guard station. The area is very picturesque, and there’s considerably less people walking around, unlike other light houses such at Cape Neddick or the Portland Light House in Maine.
Written 26 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wildycat
Hooksett, NH276 contributions
Sept 2013 • Couples
Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse is located in New Castle, NH, the only town in New Hampshire located on an island. The lighthouse location is the most scenic spot on the NH coastline(18 1/2 miles). The view from the lighthouse is spectacular ! It is at the head of Portsmouth Harbor with views to Whaleback Lighthouse, The Isle of Shoals, Fort Foster, Wood Island Life Saving Station and a substantial portion of the NH coast. The tour is conducted by volunteers of The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses and they do a great job explaining the history and geography of the lighthouse and the surrounding area. Plan on about an hour(or 90 minutes if it is busy) for the tour. The suggested donation for adults is $4.00 and the funds are used to maintain the lighthouse. They have an excellent merchandise table with books, souvenirs, etc. The lighthouse is located at the Portsmouth Coast Guard Station on Route 1 A. Don't miss this attraction !
Written 19 September 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
knnjones
Corona, CA105 contributions
July 2013 • Couples
Being from the West coast and not seeing a lot of lighthouses, I wanted to see this one. We had read about the drive through the New Castle islands and wanted to do it. We were looking for the light house, but couldn't find it. We asked a local and he gave us a mini tour. We didn't realize that Fort Constitution was right there too. Don't be fooled when it looks closed. The large gate is closed but you can follow the blue line out to the fort and lighthouse area through the small gate. There were great signs to read about the history of the fort. Don't miss this hidden gem.
Written 27 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lolagirl92
116 contributions
Sept 2012 • Friends
A Portsmouth native suggested this tour to my friends (a Canadian couple) and I and we set out on a breezy Sunday for the tour. The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses volunteers were very knowledgable and enthusiastic about their lighthouses (including Whaleback which cannot be toured as it is in poor repair and not accessible to the public). Things were well organized but we experienced a bit of a wait; according to the volunteers, this was due to a very high volume of visitors that day. The tour allows you access to the room that houses the Fresnel lens, and the tour guide will turn it on for you to obseve. Only 8 are allowed in the top at time, and even then it can feel quite cramped during the 15 minute talk. There are 44 metail stairs plus a 7 rung ladder to reach the top, which may prevent some from participating. We learned a lot and enjoyed our time at the lighthouse. Would highly recommended this tour. Donations are suggested for the tour, but not required.
Written 9 September 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauegran11
Grapevine, TX32 contributions
June 2017 • Couples
Using the GPS on our phone took us right up to it, but yet we couldn't see it. It was after 4pm, so Fort Constitution was closed. We noticed a park across the way and thought we could get a view from there. We drove to the Great Island Common where we had a good vantage point for pictures. I am amazed there were no real signs directing us to the lighthouse and it seems almost hidden.
Written 26 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'll be in the area on a Thursday/Friday. I understand it is only open on Sundays but would i be able to at least take a photo of the lighthouse or are all access points closed off all days besides Sunday?
Written 9 July 2018
No good pictures of the lighthouse can be taken from outside restricted area.
Written 9 July 2018
Dear Sirs,
I have read at the Fort Constitution Park website that the Fort is presently closed due to a hightened security level. I intend to visit New Castle next June (2015) and my question is if I will be allowed to visit the lighthouse grounds by that time.
Thank you.
Written 23 December 2014
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