Standing tall along the rugged coastline, or far out to sea, lighthouses fire the imagination with ancient tales of daring smugglers and doomed wrecks. Their isolated locations and weather-worn appearances add to the appeal, and they’ll always hold a special place in local folklore, myth, and legend.  

From Boon Island all the way to Matinicus Rock, the most haunted lighthouses in Maine are shrouded in mystery. For those with a taste for the otherworldly, stories of murder and hauntings swirl like sea fog round a ship’s lantern, ensuring the lighthouses’ enduring appeal. 

Boon Island Light 

When darkness falls over Boon Island, it’s said the ghostly presence of a woman in white can been seen – her mournful wails heard by fishermen out on the waves. 

She is thought to be the spirit of Kathleen Bright, the newlywed wife of Boon Island’s lighthouse keeper. Her husband was mortally injured during a storm only a few months after their arrival on the island, though it’s not clear whether he died immediately or lingered on for some days. Kathleen dutifully kept the light burning for five days or so, before her grief eventually took over.  

When the Boon Island light finally dimmed, a search-party sailed out from the mainland. To their horror, they found Kathleen cradling the body of her husband and screaming into the wind – driven mad through grief and loneliness.  

Wood Island Light 

Visitors to the Wood Island lighthouse have reported shadows moving through the darkness, the sound of gunfire on the air, window shades that suddenly spin up, and locked doors flying open.  

The story goes that a drifter shot the local Sheriff, when he was accosted for owing rent or causing trouble. Distraught upon hearing that the Sheriff had died, he ran to the lighthouse keeper who tried to calm him, but the drifter then shot himself in anguish. 

The truth around the murder and suicide remains unknown, but the story forms the background to the paranormal activity at this historic lighthouse. 

Seguin Island Light 

The plaintive notes of a piano are said to carry across the wind around the Seguin Island Light, and local fisherman have reported sightings of the ghost of a little girl – with coughs heard in empty rooms and furniture being moved around.  

Apparently, back in the early 1800s the lighthouse keeper’s wife brought a piano out to the remote island in an effort to relieve her loneliness. She mastered only one tune, which she played over and over, driving her husband to the edge of madness. Finally, the husband killed his wife in fit of rage, before taking his own life in despair.  

She prevailed in the long term though, and continues to play her beloved piano some 200 years after her death. Read more here.

Burnt Island Light 

Photo by   Paul VanDerWerf   -   CC by 2.0

The first lighthouse built in the State of Maine was Burnt Island Light, in Boothbay Harbor. Maine became a state in 1820, and the lighthouse was built in 1821. It was called Burnt Island because they used to burn it yearly to keep the grass for sheep to feed on. Keeper Joshua Cushing first lit the lantern on November 9, 1821, and has since been followed by 30 other keepers. The island and its light station are the center of numerous paranormal mysteries, though few more intriguing than that of Martha McCobb... 

In the late 1800s, Martha was wife to James – keeper at Burnt Island Light for almost 20 years. James recorded in his log that Martha sadly passed away from “congestion and cankers throughout her body.” Her ghost has been reported many times over the years, manifesting as an ethereal woman in white seen floating in the grounds around the old house. The wispy white figure has also been sighted by the lilac bush near the front porch. Read more here. 

Pemaquid Light 

This lighthouse sits just a 30-minute ride down Route 130 from Route 1 in Damariscotta, with beautiful views along the Maine coast. Local reports of the paranormal here include the ghost of a woman in a red shawl seen near the fireplace of the keeper’s house. And in another case, a woman in the parking lot late at night reported seeing every light in the building suddenly come on at once. Not a notable fact in its own right, save to say the building was completely unoccupied... 

Reports of electromagnetic field (EMF) activity and lights coming on unexpectedly are also common, and a woman who visited the keeper’s house once experienced wild fluctuations on her K2 meter – a type of EMF detector.  Read more here.

Marshall Point Light 

Marshall Point Light was made famous in the movie Forrest Gump, as the site where a bearded and tired Forrest finally hits the east coast before turning back and running the other way. 

Tales of haunts here include that of a young boy killed by rum-runners when he mistakenly stumbled upon their illicit operations. His ghost is reported to roam the road leading to the lighthouse. People living in the keeper’s house have also claimed that a ghostly apparition would sometimes tuck them into bed at night.  

Owl’s Head Light 

Owl’s Head Light ranks top of Coastal Living magazine’s most haunted lighthouse list, with the possibility of two paranormal presences at the lighthouse.  

One is a mysterious entity that apparently keeps watch over the lighthouse and nearby keeper’s house, both of which are said to be haunted. This entity is believed to be the ghost of a previous lighthouse keeper, and a very conscientious one at that – he reportedly continues to keep the thermostats turned down and the brass beautifully polished. It’s even said he once woke a sleeping keeper who urgently needed to ring the fog bell. 

The second entity is known as the “Little Lady”, and her apparitional figure is most frequently found in the kitchen or looking out of the window. Doors slam throughout the house and silverware rattles in the drawers, though people say her presence brings a feeling of peace.  

Matinicus Rock Light 

Originally, three light towers stood on this remote and rugged chunk of rock – now there are two. One of them is reported to be haunted, with paranormal activity such as doors slamming, light bulbs popping, and dishes smashing, even though it’s kept locked at all times.  

Several keepers have committed suicide at the isolated Matinicus Rock Light, so it could feasibly be haunted by any number of ghosts. There is a ferry to Matinicus Island, but the lighthouse itself sits on a rock some six miles out to sea, with no direct public access. 

If these iconic lighthouses and the stories they hold have inspired you, you can book one of our popular ghost walks, and delve deeper into the unexplained at haunted locations across America. We hope one day to have you with us!