The Guardian Ghost of Seguin Island Light
Standing alone on its rocky island off Popham Beach, Seguin Island Lighthouse is Maine’s second oldest lighthouse, built in 1796, and is considered the most haunted lighthouse in Maine. The isolated beacon has witnessed more paranormal activity than perhaps any other lighthouse in New England. Many keepers, tourists, and mariners alike have witnessed paranormal activity that continues to baffle visitors to this day. There have been sightings of a ghost named the “Old Captain” climbing the tower’s staircase. The most chilling encounter occurred after the lighthouse was automated in 1985, when the supervisor in charge of the crew to move the furniture reported months later that the “Old Captain” ghost awoke him in the middle of the night, dressed in oilskins and shaking his bed.
The Phantom Piano Player’s Eternal Song
The plaintive notes of a piano are said to carry across the wind around the Seguin Island Light, and local fishermen 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. The tragic tale concludes with murder and suicide, yet she prevailed in the long term though, and continues to play her beloved piano some 200 years after her death. Fishermen still report hearing the same melancholy tune drifting across the waters on foggy nights.
Pemaquid Point’s Woman in Red
The Pemaquid Point Light is featured on the Maine state quarter, but this iconic landmark harbors dark secrets beneath its picturesque facade. Reports of the paranormal include the ghost of a woman in a red shawl that has been seen near the fireplace of the keeper’s house here. Reports of electromagnetic field (EMF) activity and lights going on unexpectedly have also been reported. The most startling incident occurred when a woman in the parking lot late at night reported seeing every light in the unoccupied building suddenly turn on at once. Paranormal investigators have recorded wild fluctuations on their EMF detectors, suggesting something beyond the physical world is stirring within these historic walls.
The Tragedy of Wood Island’s Murderous Past
The lighthouse has a haunting history of murder. Since the 1890s, the lighthouse has been known to a few locals as one of Biddeford, Maine’s most haunted locations. The terror began in 1890 when an unwelcome squatter murdered a deputy sheriff before taking his own life. Legend tells that the ghost of the murdered deputy still haunts the lighthouse and island. Some even say that the ghost of the murdered sheriff’s deputy wanders the island itself, perhaps unknowing of his death. Those fortunate enough to glimpse the lighthouse from the sea report seeing strange lights (outside of the actual beacon) surrounding the structure. Orbs and unexplained flashes have been reported on numerous occasions.
Burnt Island’s Ethereal Martha
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. The lighthouse earned its name because locals would burn the island yearly to maintain grazing land for sheep. 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. Visitors describe her presence as peaceful yet haunting, a gentle spirit forever tied to the island that claimed her life.
Owl’s Head Light and the Little Lady
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. Coastal Living Magazine named this as the most haunted lighthouse in America with numerous sightings of 2 apparitions. 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.
West Quoddy Head’s Lonely Keeper
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, standing on the easternmost point of the United States, carries with it a haunted past. Over the years, visitors and keepers have reported strange phenomena, including flickering lights, phantom footsteps, and mysterious knocks on doors. Legend has it that a former keeper, whose life was consumed by the solitary nature of the lighthouse, is behind these paranormal activities. His spirit is said to roam the halls, finding solace in the company of those who venture into his world. This isolated beacon on America’s eastern edge continues to draw visitors who seek both stunning ocean views and encounters with the supernatural.
Boon Island’s Cannibalistic Curse
Boon Island Lighthouse, located 6 miles off the coast of Maine, has a dark and cursed past. In 1710, a shipwreck left survivors stranded on the island, resorting to cannibalism to survive. It is believed that the spirits of those who perished during that horrific event continue to haunt the lighthouse. Visitors have reported strange occurrences, such as unexplained footsteps, disembodied voices, and objects moving on their own. Some claim to have seen shadowy figures lurking in the corners, remnants of the island’s tragic history. The curse of Boon Island serves as a chilling reminder of desperation’s ultimate price.
The Unexplained Orbs of Maine’s Coast
Beyond the ghostly legends of Maine’s lighthouses, the state has become a hotspot for unexplained aerial phenomena. Maine ranks at No. 32 in the country with 1,223 sightings, according to the National UFO Reporting Center. There have been 30 sightings reported in 2024 alone. UFO author and researcher Normar Slevik said the numbers reported are only part of the picture. “There’s a lot of sightings that are happening in Maine that are going unreported through official means,” Slevik told the news station. “But sightings, if you look on social media, you’ll find that they are way up.” Strange orbs and mysterious lights continue to appear along Maine’s rugged coastline, often near the same areas where lighthouse spirits are said to dwell.
The Connection Between Science and Spirits
Recent research suggests that some unexplained lights may have natural explanations that still defy our understanding. Scientists explain: “Some of the UFO reports talk about objects accelerating extremely fast, at impossible rates of acceleration. Fighter aircraft can’t stop and change direction that fast, but electrical phenomena can. Electrons are very light and the electromagnetic force is so strong you get this insane acceleration”. In 2024, scientists at the University of California, the University of Arizona and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, published their theory on the origin of ‘foo fighters’: plasmas in the thermosphere. This is a region from about 90–600km (approx 56–370 miles) above Earth’s surface, where temperatures at the higher altitudes can reach 2,000°C (3,632°F) or more. Could some of Maine’s mysterious lights be atmospheric phenomena that early lighthouse keepers mistook for supernatural activity?
Modern Technology Meets Ancient Mysteries
Today’s ghost hunters come equipped with sophisticated equipment that would amaze the lighthouse keepers of old. A woman who visited the keeper’s house contacted Red Cloak Tours (now Maine Ghost Walks) and advised that she experienced wild fluctuations on her K2 meter, a type of EMF detector. These electromagnetic field detectors often register unusual activity at Maine’s haunted lighthouses, suggesting that whatever energy causes these phenomena is still present and measurable. Reports of electromagnetic field (EMF) activity and lights coming on unexpectedly are also common at Pemaquid Point, where modern visitors continue to document paranormal encounters using digital cameras and sophisticated recording equipment.
The Enduring Legacy of Maine’s Haunted Beacons
Maine is the home of the haunted lighthouses, deadly curses, and the first ghost story in the history of the United States. Maine is a landscape of rugged beaches and remote lighthouses – where waves crash over ancient shipwrecks, and swirling sea fog hides untold secrets. In these stories, travel from Boothbay Harbor to Seguin Island and beyond, and hear haunting tales of maritime mystery. These isolated sentinels continue to capture our imagination, standing as testament to the countless souls who lived, worked, and died along this unforgiving coast. Whether you believe in ghosts or seek scientific explanations for unexplained phenomena, Maine’s haunted lighthouses offer something that touches the deepest parts of human curiosity about what lies beyond our understanding.
