Penobscot Narrows Observatory

Visiting a state park usually entails immersing yourself in nature. A visit to the Penobscot Narrows Observatory has you flying to heights high above nature—42 stories high, in fact! The observatory is located atop the northern pylon of the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge. If you’re looking for Maine tours to break up your days relaxing at the beach, the observatory is just the ticket.

The bridge is the only one in the Americas with an observatory—and only one of three such structures worldwide. Neither of the others, in Thailand and Slovakia, is as high as Maine’s new landmark. From the observatory’s dizzying view 420 feet up, visitors soak in the beauty of the Maine landscape and silver-blue waters of the Penobscot River.

The observatory also affords a bird’s-eye view of the engineering feat on which you stand. For the observatory isn’t the bridge’s only unique feature. This architecturally astonishing structure is Maine’s only cable-stay bridge. A mind-boggling 331 miles of epoxy-covered strands form its individually monitored cables. Blended with this futuristic design are the obelisk-shaped pylons, evocative of such grand structures as the Washington Monument.

Access the Penobscot Narrows Observatory from the grounds of the Fort Knox State Historic Site. The observatory is open daily from May through October. And don’t forget to pack lunch, so you can enjoy the Fort’s picnic area with tables and grills once you’re back on terra firma.