You’ll see the picturesque town of Bucksport nestled into the river’s curve and you will be able to look down on the full sweep of historic Fort Knox and marvel at the ingenuity that created this magnificent fort back in 1844. The Observatory is located on the southern end of the bridge in the town of Prospect next to the historic fort.

The new bridge’s Observation Tower is the first such innovation of it’s kind in the United States and only the third in the world. The other two bridges with Observation towers are in Thailand and Slovakia.

While this new bridge is an engineering marvel in itself, it is the bridge’s 420 foot high Observation tower that will bring thousands of curious visitors to this coastal region, bordering the Mid-Coast region and the southern gateway to the Downeast Acadia region. Nestled at the confluence of the Penobscot River and Penobscot Bay the Bucksport area depicts a typical Maine rural area, small city surrounded by inland and coastal towns, each offering unique amenities to include; fishing, farming, craftsmanship, independent thinking, colorful vista’s, historic sites, marine trades, a historic movie theatre/museum, and much more.

The Bridge’s Observation Tower fully accessible by elevator will be open from May through October. It can be accessed through Fort Knox. Visitors will be required to pay a small charge for each elevator ride to the Observation deck.

Did you know?

• The Penobscot Narrows Bridge is the only bridge observatory in the United States, and only one of four bridge observatories in the world.
  
• The Penobscot Narrows Bridge opened on December 30, 2006, and the observatory opened on May 19, 2007.
  
• The bridge spans 2,120 feet from the east shore to the west shore, and there is 135 feet between the water and the bridge’s travel surface.
  
• The bridge cost $85 million to design and build. This bridge was planned, funded, designed, permitted and built in only 42 months.
  
• In the two years since the observatory opened, over 130,000 visitors have visited the observatory to enjoy the dramatic views of the surrounding area.
  
• The top of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge is 447 feet tall. The observatory is 420 feet above the river and offers 360 degree views of the surrounding area.
  
• The design of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge incorporates a granite theme to honor the significance that granite has in the local economy.
  
• The Washington Monument was partially built with granite from nearby Mt. Waldo, leading to the design of the two towers in the shape of the Washington Monument.
  
• The observatory floor is tiled in granite that was cut from a quarry in Deer Isle.
  
• The bridge observatory is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. May 1 through June 30; 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. July 1 through August 31, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. September 1 through October 31