What to Do
Adjacent to Fort Williams Park, Portland Head Light is the most photographed lighthouse in America and the oldest in Maine.
Fort Williams Park spans over 90 acres and offers a wide range of recreational activities for visitors. You can enjoy a picnic, fly kites, walk along pathways, explore the rocky beach, tour the Arboretum, take a walk on the cliffside loop, or explore the 1 1/2 acre Children's Garden. Before your visit, you can print out our scavenger hunt or pick it up at the Greeter’s Shed, located in Central Parking. Four food vendors – Gorgeous Gelato, Bite Into Maine, and C-Salt– all offer various delicious food options, such as lobster rolls, sandwiches, salads, and gelato.
Park staff lead free walking tours at 11 AM daily, weather permitting. The one-hour talk along the one mile Cliff Walk Trail includes eight stops featuring discussions on fort structures, native plants, shipwrecks, and lighthouses. Interested visitors should gather at the Greeter's Shed in Central Parking. Tours are limited to 25 people, available on a first-come, first-served basis, and not recommended for those with mobility issues.
The Fort Williams Museum and Cape Elizabeth History Center are located in the former Bachelor Officers’ Quarters at the end of the Parade Ground near the baseball field. Local and military history exhibits are on display for the public to view. Check their website for hours.
Please note that Fort Williams Park operates a carry-in/carry-out policy, meaning there are no trash receptacles in the park. Additionally, smoking is strictly prohibited in the park. For visiting hours and directions, please visit our Contact Page.
The Lighthouse
On days when skies are overcast, and fog settles in, you might hear the melancholy sound of the fog horn reminding us of the importance of light stations and the dedication of men and women who served through the years.
The Ecology Project
In 2007, citizens concerned about the fragile state of the Park’s ecology envisioned an arboretum project as a way to restore the Park’s horticultural beauty and ecological health.
Battery Keyes
Battery Keyes was one of the last two batteries built at the fort in 1906. The small battery was designed to defend against small, fast attack boats in a point-and-shoot manner.
Goddard Mansion
Predating the fort, the mansion was designed and built by noted New York architect Charles A. Alexander for local businessman John Goddard, briefly a volunteer army colonel at the start of the Civil War in 1861.
Battery Blair
In the largest class of gun batteries available in the nation’s arsenal, the reinforced-concrete Battery Blair was mounted with two Breechloading Rifles on Disappearing Carriage Mounts, each firing a 12-inch diameter, 1070-pound shell up to eight miles.
Beach Area
Located on the north side of the entrance road is a small rocky beach, Ship Cove, with a great view of Ram Island Ledge Light located in Casco Bay. At low tide, a small sandy beach appears.
Children’s Garden
The Children’s Garden at Fort Williams Park is a landscape full of daring adventures, quiet contemplation, great mysteries waiting to be revealed, and small familiarities to offer comfort.