The Penobscot Theatre , located at 131 Main Street in downtown Bangor, started in 1973 and has been going strong ever since, particularly with its acquisition in 1997 of the Bangor Opera House on Main Street, an early example of Art Deco/Egyptian Revival architecture, built in 1920. The theater offers post-show discussions, student matinees and summer theater workshops. The 2010 season is packed with interesting offerings, including "Spunk," Robinson Ballet, "Hedwig and the Angry Itch," Northern Writes: New Play Festival, and "The Underpants." Phone: 207-947-6618.

For an Up-Close View of the Forest

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Baxter State Park was designed primarily to be a hiking park with very limited vehicle use. The park has 200 miles of trails and it is home to the Katahdin massif and the Traveler Range. Favorite waterfalls include Katahdin Stream Falls, Big and Little Niagara Falls and the remote Green Falls. Two of the most significant streams are Nesowadnehunk Stream and Wassataquoik Stream. Many ponds provide excellent fishing in most cases and the chance to canoe with the scenic north woods as a backdrop. Phone: 207-723-5140

Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk

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Brownville’s Pleasant River Walk is a nature walk of nearly three miles connecting the Village and the Junction. The nature trail is carefully groomed, quite easy to walk and is a three to four foot wide trail. There are a number of bridges to carry you over the brooks along the way and many benches located at carefully chosen scenic spots overlooking the river. Phone: 207-965-2311

Stephen King! Ee-e-e-e-eeek!

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Bangor is home to horror author Stephen King. In his honor, and just for the fun of it, the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau presents the Tommyknockers & More Bus Tours throughout the summer and fall months. Join your guide on a school bus for a tour of Bangor as seen through the books of Stephen King. You'll see where Ellie saw the Skinny Santa. You'll see the “sematary" where Stephen King presided over the funeral of Missy Dandridge. Do you dare stop in the Barrens? Tour dates in 2010 are July 4, August 22, September 19 and October 24. Call for starting location and reservations. Phone: 800-916-6673.

Trail to 53,000 Works of Art

The Maine Art Museum Trail offers more than 53,000 works of art, from ancient to contemporary, in a dazzling array of collections at seven leading art museums. Museums on the trail include Bates College Museum of Art (Lewiston), Bowdoin College Museum of Art (Brunswick), Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville), Farnsworth Art Museum (Rockland), Ogunquit Museum of American Art (Ogunquit), Portland Museum of Art (Portland), and University of Maine Museum of Art (Bangor). The museums’ permanent collections include works of art by the many artists who have vacationed or worked in Maine. They also feature masterpieces by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Mary Cassatt, and Pablo Picasso, Greek and Roman sculpture, early American silver and furniture, and contemporary textiles, prints, ceramics, and sculpture. Some museums also offer free admission during selected hours.