Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience, a full-scale replication of the Cape Elizabeth Two Lights lighthouse tower lantern room, allows visitors to see the original second-order Fresnel lens from the east tower at Two Lights and experience the environment of the lantern room through time-lapsed video projections featuring a panorama of the Gulf of Maine that changes with the weather and seasons. This immersive exhibit is the first of its kind anywhere.

“The Into the Lantern exhibit at the Maine Maritime Museum is a beautifully designed, immersive experience that does justice to the ‘jewel of the lighthouse,’ the Fresnel lens. These beautiful works of functional art were one of the pinnacles of 19th century technology, and it’s wonderful to see one displayed in such a thoughtful way. I have visited many lens exhibits in many museums, and this is the best I’ve seen.” – Jeremy D’Entremont, author and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation.

“Simply put, if you have imagined what it might be like to experience serene and stormy scenes from atop a lighthouse – all the while basking in the warm glow of a breathtaking Fresnel lens, then the Maine Maritime Museum’s Into the Lantern exhibit is for YOU!  The recreated majesty of Cape Elizabeth’s lantern is literally stunning. This one-of-a-kind experience will astound the visitor with its exquisite beauty, detail and ability to transport admirers back in time when lighthouse keepers kept a vigilant eye seaward as they helped protect the mariner from the perils of the sea. If you desire one lighthouse experience that will prove to be both amazing and memorable, then Into the Lantern is a must-see!” – Bob Trapani, Executive Director, American Lighthouse Foundation

Thank you to the generous donors who supported this project: