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Prospect, Maine: Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, Fort Knox Tunnels

Take an elevator 42 stories up to see the view from an observation deck inside a suspension bridge pillar, or just marvel at it from the ground.

Visitor Tips and News About Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, Fort Knox Tunnels

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Penobscot Narrows Observatory and Fort Knox State Historic Site

The new Penobscot Narrows Observatory allows visitors to ride an elevator 420 feet above the Penobscot River for 100-mile panoramic views of Penobscot Bay. The observatory, the only one like it in the Western Hemisphere, is located on the grounds of the Fort Knox State Historic Site. Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved third-system coastal fortifications to be found in the United States.

The new Penobscot Narrows Observatory and the Fort Knox State Historic Site, Located off Route 174, Prospect, Maine, attracted over 100,000 visitors, during the 2007 season.

[Leon Seymour, 11/22/2007]

Oct. 2014: Photo added.

Penobscot Narrows Observatory.

Observation Deck on a Bridge Tower

The Fort Knox State Historic Site is a marvelous example of a well maintained granite coastal fortification. Children and adults love to explore the winding dark passageways and tunnels which circle the Fort. Interpretive tours are available daily in the summer.

Opening in May 2007, and accessed through Fort Knox is the new Penobscot Narrows Observatory. Visitors will ride an elevator up 400 feet [to the top of one of the towers of this new bridge] for 100-mile views of Penobscot Bay.

[Leon Seymour, 03/30/2007]

Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory, Fort Knox Tunnels

Address:
711 Fort Knox Rd, Prospect, ME
Directions:
Just south of the Waldo-Hancock County suspension bridge, turn north onto Fort Knox Rd. Fort Knox -- and the entrance to the bridge observatory -- is a quarter-mile on the right.
Hours:
May 1 - Oct. 31, 9 am - 5 pm, Jul-Aug 6 pm. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
Phone:
207-469-6553
RA Rates:
Worth a Detour
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Nearby Offbeat Places

Colonel Buck's Cursed TombColonel Buck's Cursed Tomb, Bucksport, ME - 1 mi.
Alexander the Dead SeagullAlexander the Dead Seagull, Searsport, ME - 9 mi.
Cole Land Transportation MuseumCole Land Transportation Museum, Bangor, ME - 16 mi.
In the region:
Birthplace of the Inventor of the Doughnut Hole, Rockport, ME - 33 mi.

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