Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (NH) Open House

Hosted by the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, A Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation.

Sunday, September 19, 2004, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Visitors to our open houses get to climb to the top of the tower to get a magnificent view of Portsmouth Harbor and the surrounding area. There is a suggested donation of $2 for adults and $1 for children. Flat shoes are strongly recommended. Children under 36 inches tall are not permitted to climb to the top, and adults are not permitted to carry children up the stairs.
Email FPHL@lighthouse.cc or check our website www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org for more information.

All my best,
Paul Conlin
Secretary,
ALF & FPHL

I wonder why the rules are so different on children climbing lighthouses. I sure the insurance company makes the rules, but I find it strange that my daughter has climbed Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, which is 175 feet, and yet a couple years ago she would be allowed to climb shorter lighthouses. Some have height limits, some have age limits and some have both and yet some have no limits. I consider climbing lighthouses a great family event. It would seem that there should be a way to have insurance and still have children climb or be held by their parents. Perhaps signing a waiver or maybe pay an extra dollar or two? In case you are wondering she is now tall enough and old enough not to be restricted. However, just how would you explain to a child that had climbed a tall lighthouse that she could not climb a short lighthouse?

Eric,

I haven't been in this particular Lighthouse but I do know that there is a similar rule at Sandy Hook- 48' tall to climb the Lighthouse and no one carrying anybody else. The height of the Lighthouse does not always have any effect on the restrictions.

I was told two reasons for this rule-
1. basically because the last 11 steps up to the Lantern Room are a ladder

2 Because the Park Service says so. In the case of Sandy Hook you have two different government agencies in charge of various areas and the tours are run by a third group- the NJ Lighthouse Society.

I've found in my visits to various Lighthouses that when they have restrictions there is usually a logical reason that can be understood when the people there explain it- not always but usually.

As for how you explain this to a child- that's difficult because we often had a hard time explaining things like this to adults. We would check to see if they had been over to Navesink as there are no restrictions there for climbing

Dennis

Holy Cow! ! ! I personally will yield the stairs to any 48' person climbing! Hopefully they will remember to duck for low overheads. Some of GL lights they could just walk up and look in the lantern room, no need to climb... (sorry, Dennis, just couldn't pass up the opportunity.)

I think the best explaination I heard was at Cape Hatteras. In a nutshell, they would not allow small kids because small kids get tired on all those steps. Then Mom or Dad has to carry them. Their concern was what would happen if the parent stumbled or lost their footing on the sometimes hard to navigate steps? I'm sure I have forgotten part of their reasoning as it has been several years. but to me it was a logical thought process.

I must in all good conscience, go along with Dave. Small children do not normally have the necessary strength and endurance to make the climb. (Come to think of it, neither do some of us who are over 60.)

If one of those kids should happen to fall, it would be a tragedy indeed. Or if a parent should happen to trip while carrying a child, we could possibly hear of at least two people taking an unexpected thrill-packed adventure in an ambulance.

The height requirements are similar to those imposed in amusement parks like Six Flags and others. They cater to youngsters, but those under a specified height are not allowed on certain rides. It makes sense to me.

Why subject those young ones to possible danger? Enough said.

Bob

Dave,

I deserve that- i've done it to you in the past.

I agree with the stregth concept also- although I've been to a number of tall lighthouses that have no restriction like that. I also agree that it's not limited to the little ones either- I've been known to make several rest stops on the way up or down many a tall light.

Dennis

A good tour guide stops at several landing on there way up the tower. Fire Island is great at this, a little story for each landing and you don't even notice the climb. Except, one day at a sunrise climb when the tour guide was so windy at the bottom, we had to sprint (not really but keep moving)up to the top to catch the sunrise!
Bob

Hi all - There are many reasons for the restrictions at lighthouses. The primary concern of course is the safety of all visitors followed by insurance regulations. In the case of Portsmouth Harbor Light, as someone pointed out here the final climb from the watch room to the lantern room is indeed by ladder and many adults and children just do not like the idea of climbing and descending a ladder. Often times a visitor (especially children) will climb the ladder with no problem but then have to be gradually coaxed to come down the same ladder. When you are having an open house at a lighthouse, time is of the essence and you can only fit so many people on each level. People do not like to wait in long lines to see the light, and making them wait even longer while a parent tries to help convince their child to come down the ladder certainly doesn't help matters.

I wouldn't do anything to prevent families from coming to tour a lighthouse and learn about it's history and preservation but we must adhere to certain rules to maintain a safe place for all to visit!

All my best,
Paul Conlin
Secretary,
ALF & FPHL

It was a gorgeous day! There was a regatta going by the lighthouse, the sailboats we wonderful!