Climb the winding iron staircase of this squat, granite lighthouse for 360-degree views from the lantern room. Afterwards browse the small museum, which recounts unsuccessful British assaults on the harbor during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, as well as hosting exhibits on whaling, Native American artifacts and curios from the China trade.
Included in the Old Lighthouse Museum ticket is admission to the 16-room Captain Nathaniel Palmer House , one of the finest houses in town and the former home of the first American to see the continent of Antarctica (at the tender age of 21, no less).
