Fort Knox...No, There's No Gold Here

Fort Knox, Prospect, Maine

A few weeks ago my family took a drive to Prospect, Maine, home of Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory.  This is not the Fort Knox with all the gold.  That one's in Kentucky.  This Fort Knox is Maine's largest historic fort standing watch over the Penobscot River and the town of Bucksport, and one of our favorite spots to experience a touch of Maine history.

Exploring the passages within the fort walls.

My 10-year-old son loves to explore the labyrinth of tunnels circumventing the fort's interior and exterior walls.  The walls of the fort were designed to allow soldiers to patrol the perimeter of the fort without having to go outside.  It's important to bring a flashlight, as the tunnels can get pretty dark.  During this outing, we opted for headlamps so as to keep our hands free.

Fort Knox overlooking the village of Bucksport.

If you're looking for a good workout, take the stairs from the fort down to Battery "B" on the river's edge.  These enclosed stairways stay cool in the summer, since they are mostly underground, and will beat your "Stairmaster" any day.  In this area you'll find a cannon ball furnace that heated up cannon balls that were to be fired at ships.  The cannon balls were heated at such a high temperature, they could start a fire if it hit the ship the right way.

The fort was built to protect Bangor from a British naval invasion.  Bangor was a strategic port in the mid-1800s because it was the Lumber Capital of the World with a huge exporting business.

Abutting Fort Knox is the Penobscot Narrows Observatory; the only bridge observatory in the United States.  Observatory admission is paid at the front gate of Fort Knox.

View of Fort Knox from the Penobscot Narrows Observatory.

A one-minute elevator ride rewards you with beautiful 360-degree views, including a birds-eye view of Fort Knox.  The observation deck is 420 feet above the river with some signage labeling what you're seeing out the window.

Penobscot Narrows Observatory, towering above the treeline.

Bethany and Ashton striking a pose between the old an new bridges.