Coastal Discovery

Coastal Maine Hot Spots

Overview | Hot Spots | Festivals and Events | Suggested Itineraries | Coastal Maine Advertisers

Mid-Coast

Maine’s Mid-Coast, from Freeport to the Penobscot River, is composed of museums, quaint downtowns, fishing wharves, rocky coves, coastal islands, stunning state parks, scenic drives and delightful detours.

Brunswick

Bowdoin College, the oldest post-secondary school in America, stands at the centre of this town. The 1794 campus is full of fine architecture, walking paths and outdoor sculptures. It also hosts the Maine State Music Theatre, the state’s only professional music theatre. The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, with sledges, equipment and supplies from the first expedition to reach the North Pole, is also here. Across Main Street, the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum offers personal insights into the life of the famous Civil War general. Visit the home of Admiral Robert Perry by catching a cruise on the Casco Bay Line from nearby Bailey Island (accessible by car) to Eagle Island, where the explorer’s house is located.

Bath

Well known for the destroyers built at Bath Iron Works, the Maine Maritime Museum is here, offering an up-close look at the state’s nautical history, with ship models, logs, journals, photographs, art, exhibits and boat excursions to nearby islands and lighthouses. The city also has a quaint downtown with upscale shops, eateries and a full schedule of plays and concerts at the Chocolate Church performing-arts centre. A drive north on Washington Street will reveal a remarkable row of 18th-century sea captains’ houses.

Boothbay Harbor

At Boothbay Harbor visitors will find the Boothbay Railway Museum, which offers steam-train rides through a re-created New England village. A free trolley takes visitors through town and out to the Marine Resources Aquarium, where you can pet live dog sharks, see the world’s largest lobsters and handle sea critters. You also can get out on the water with a cruise through Linekin Bay or a ride to Monhegan Island.

Wiscasset

On the National Register of Historic Places, this village once had a social scene to rival New York and Philadelphia. Hear about it at Castle Tucker or the Nickels-Sortwell House, two remarkable 1807 homes operated by Historic New England, or hunt for your own piece of history among the town’s many antique shops. The town is also famous for the one-pound lobster rolls at Red’s Eats.

Damariscotta / Newcastle

Besides good restaurants, gift stores and galleries, the main attraction here is the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and Fisherman’s Museum, where you can walk through a former lighthouse keeper’s home.

Rockland

Home to the William A. Farnsworth Library and Art Museum, one of the country’s premier collections of American art, Rockland is know for its most famous former residents, artists N.C. and Andrew Wyeth. The Farnsworth Homestead, owned by the woman who donated her fortune to creating the museum, is also open for tours. Those with an interest in aeronautical history will want to drop by the Owls Head Transportation Museum, just south of town, with a display of antique airplanes, air shows and flight-seeing tours.

Camden

A resort town with splendid bed and breakfasts, exquisite local shops and fine restaurants, this place on Penobscot Bay also offers fine hiking at the Camden Hills State Park, with moderate climbs by foot or car up Mount Battie.

The town also hosts Bay Chamber Concerts, a series of summer evening concerts during July and August, at the Rockport Opera House. As you needle north, look for Fort Knox, a massive granite fort built in 1844 along the Penobscot River just before Bucksport. The 125-acre site offers scheduled Civil War reenactments but is fun to explore any time. (Tip: Bring a flashlight.)