80 great fun things to do in Maine, indoors and outdoors attractions

Maine > State > Things to Do and See > 80 Great Things to Do in Maine

Looking for great things to do in Maine? Look below for our suggestions for scenic drives, antique shopping, cruises, children's museums, horse racing, history trails, woods walks, and more great things to do on your vacation adventure. Please call ahead before visiting an attraction listed here to check on current dates and times of operation and other important information.

Inn at Tanglewood Hall

611 York Street York Harbor, ME, 03911 Phone: 207-351-1075

Seaside activities are abundant with this comfortable, scenic inn as your launching pad

Although you may never want to leave the cozy, elegant 1880s Inn at Tanglewood Hall, there is plenty to do once you leave your four-poster bed or your rocking chair on the wraparound veranda. Walk along the York Harbor Cliff Walk, watch lobster boats and sloops come in and out of the harbor. Catch a sunset over Nubble Lighthouse. Stroll along the streets of York Harbor village to York Harbor Beach. Or, enjoy the surf at Long Sands or Short Sands beaches. Need more ideas? Go whale watching, kayaking, hiking or biking. Or head farther afield (but not too far) to the Kittery Outlets; dine in foodie-centric Portsmouth, N.H.; visit Stonewall Kitchen; check out the lovely Maine coast towns of Ogunquit and Kennebunkport.

Inn at Tanglewood Hall is now open! - Book your stay today!

Attean Lake Lodge

On Birch Island in Attean Lake Jackman, ME, 04945 Phone: 207-668-3792

Outdoor activities (and the loons on the lake) beckon visitors to this island retreat

Attean Lake Lodge is now open! Here's 10 things you need to know before booking your visit.
Escape into the beauty of nature and into a more relaxed time when you stay at the Attean Lake Lodge. Fall asleep in your comfortable cabin to the sounds of the loons on the lake, then wake to a bountiful breakfast in the main lodge and a day with your choice of outdoor activities: kayaking, canoeing, boating, sailing, fishing for trout or salmon, paddle boarding or bird-watching. The resort maintains nearly 20 miles of hiking trails that will take you to remote ponds and great berry-picking sites. Take your picnic lunch to a sandy beach or a mountain top. Area activities include whitewater rafting, golf, great shopping – or a day trip to Quebec City. Or just chill out in the lodge with a board game or book.

Jonathan's Ogunquit

92 Bourne Lane Ogunquit, ME, 03907 Phone: 207-646-4777

Make your Maine trip special with dinner at Jonathan's Ogunquit

Make your next trip to Maine's seacoast special with lunch or dinner at Jonathan's Ogunquit. Our menu offers both innovative dishes and long-time local specialties. Love seafood? We have boiled Maine lobster with drawn butter, seafood stuffed haddock, or seafood chowder with fresh scallops, shrimp, and lobster. Looking for something else? How about wild mushroom pappardelle, eggplant napoleon, or a hand-cut Black Angus steak? We strive to serve sustainable, local foods whenever reasonably possible. Check our website for the schedule, and plan for a show in our Listening Room. We've brought top regional and national acts to the area, including comedy great Paula Poundstone, jazz legends Tuck & Patti, and folk favorites Jonathan Edwards and Aztec Two-Step.

Whitewater Fun 500x250 - Crab Apple Whitewater - The Forks, ME

Crab Apple Whitewater (ME)

3 Lake Moxie Road The Forks, ME, 04985 Phone: 800-553-7238

Enjoy whitewater rafting through the wild rivers of Maine

Adventure awaits on the Kennebec and Dead rivers when you arrive at Crab Apple Whitewater’s base lodge. After breakfast, head to the rivers for world-class whitewater and breathtaking scenery. Some trips are guided, for families and beginners (lots of time for floating and swimming); others challenge rapids like the Class IV-V “Poplar Hill Falls.” Some come with riverside snacks; others with cookouts. Stay overnight at the lodge (in bunk-style rooms or suites with whirlpool tubs), play some night-time paintball in one of several custom courses, climb to Maine’s highest waterfall or just relax by the pool. For another kind of adventure, there’s the moose safari, from May through August, leaving at dusk in search of the gentle giants.

REI Coop Outfitters - Imagine if everyone felt welcome outside - #OptOutside

Great Schooner Race - Maine Windjammers - Camden, ME - Photo Credit Ben Ehling

Maine Windjammer Association

Sailing from Ports in Rockland and Camden, ME, 04843 Phone: Toll-Free: 800-807-9463

Windjammer cruises feature fun at sea for all ages, interests

The private owners and operators of the Maine Windjammer Association’s historic schooners want to provide cruise guests with a full slate of things to do, whether that means helping the crew ready the sails or sitting out on deck with a good book. So you can leap off the deck to go for a bay swim, help the cook with that night’s gourmet appetizers, row a small boat into a fishing village to explore, hike during a visit to Acadia National Park – or just sit by the wood stove and play backgammon with the kids or listen to stories told by lantern-light in the evening. Special cruises for photography buffs, lighthouse enthusiasts, yoga fans, kayakers, wine-lovers – and grandparents and grandkids! – are available.

Funtown Splashtown USA

Route 1 Saco, ME, 04072 Phone: 207-284-5139

It’s a long, fun list of exciting rides and water park features at this amusement park

Funtown Splashtown USA is now closed for the 2021 Season. See you again in 2022!

With dozens of exhilarating rides and water park features, Funtown Splashtown USA presents a challenge for those who want to do it all – but give it a try! There’s the Flying Trapeze, Grand Prix Racers, Tempest in the Tea Cups, Tilt-a-Whirl: And you’re only getting started. Experience hairpin turns on the Wild Mouse roller coaster or zip through the woods on the Excalibur wooden coaster. Check out the bumper boats and bumper cars or head to the water park to zoom down slides or rocket through translucent or completely dark tubes. There’s a wading pool, an aquaplane area and splash pool for little guests. A family owned and operated business, Funtown Splashtown puts guest safety first and is strictly following CDC guidelines.

Come See Acadia Sparkle in Winter

You thought Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor were splendid in summer?? Come let this place dazzle you in the snow. The 45 miles of Acadia's charming carriage roads throughout the park are a cross-country skier’s or snowshoer's dream. Snowmobiles are welcome on the 27-mile Park Loop Road system (including the road up Cadillac Mountain). Mountain Guides Climbing School offers ice climbing courses for all levels. A more-sedate pleasure is bird watching and -photography. After a day of play, Bar Harbor’s restaurants, inns, and B&Bs are welcome, nourishing, and cozy. Plan a visit. Phone: 207-620-9074 [photo by Earl Brechlin]

Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

The Camden Snow Bowl ski and winter sports area makes its home at the summit of 1300-foot Ragged Mountain on Barnestown Road in Camden. It claims to the only ski area in New England where skiers and boarders can look out over spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean while whooshing down the trails. In addition to alpine skiing and snowboarding, winter activities at the Snow Bowl include snow tubing, ice skating, cross country skiing and snowshoeing, and a thrilling 400-foot toboggan chute. Phone: 207-236-3438.

snow tubing in maine with VisitNewEngland.com

Athletic Skill Is Optional for Snow Tubing

People who are not skilled athletes or even very coordinated can have a blast in the snow by trying out snow tubing – the winter outdoor sport that is skyrocketing in popularity. Seacoast Snow Park at 932 Roosevelt Trail (Route 302) in Windham offers 12 lanes of intense snow tubing and Express lift to the top. Sledding is especially magical at night. The hillside is lit and music fills the air. All single riders must be over 48 inches tall. Riders between 36 and 48 inches tall must ride in a double tube with an adult. Snowmaking provides near-constant tubing. Arcade, snack bar. Phone: 207-892-5952.

Sugarloaf Really Does Have It All

Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, one of the major ski mountains in New England and the East Coast, offers so many fun activities in winter it could make your head spin (including some indoor adventures, for the occasional off-snow winter day). Best known as an alpine ski resort, Sugarloaf also offers one of Maine's largest Nordic centers, with a retail shop and café, perched in the center of gorgeous trails. Fat biking? The Outdoor Center is open for fat biking on select trails throughout the winter. Have you come across skibiking yet? It is kind of like a bike on skids, but you have to see a picture to get the idea. Sno Go Snowbikes will be available to rent or buy at Sugarloaf for winter 2020. Ice skating is busy at the large rink at the Outdoor Center boasts a large ice skating rink, with plentiful skate rentals for children and adults. Are you a fan of the indoors on the more blustery winter days? Sugarloaf has a very cool anti-gravity complex , where guests may play in a skate park, giant trampolines, a climbing wall, basketball court, track, and gym. Pay a visit this winter.

Winter maine huts and trails - me great things

Comfort & Adventure By Maine Huts & Trails

Maine Huts & Trails, headquartered at 496 Main Street in Kingfield, offers back country hut-to-hut adventures coupled with comfortable accommodations. All huts at Maine Huts & Trails offer shelter, meals, and activities like hiking, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, fishing, skiing, and snowshoeing. Each hut features shuttles to take gear from hut to hut. Maine Huts & Trails opened Stratton Brook Hut, its newest, in December 2012. Stratton Brook is the fourth of 12 planned back country huts and eco-lodges in Maine’s Western Mountains. This planned 180-mile connected hut-to-hut trail will be the longest groomed ski trail in America. Phone: 877-634-8824.

Cross-Country Skiing in the Woods of Maine

Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, just a bit north of Portland and south of Lewiston/Auburn, is a wooded getaway where you can enjoy groomed trails for cross-country skiing through the beautiful snowy woods of Maine. The farm is open to the public year-round. In winter enjoy 30 kilometers of well-kept trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing. Rent your equipment and get expert advice if you are new to any of this, including sledding and ice skating. Instruction is offered in dry-land Nordic ski training and orienteering. Come in the warm seasons for biking, walking, trail running, tennis and disc golf. Hiking: always! Day and seasonal passes at reasonable prices. Pricing for adults and children. 207-688-4539.

Dogs + Sleds = Wow!

Experience the thrill and beauty of sledding over frozen ground and snowy mountain passes behind a team of powerful Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes. New England Dogsledding is located at 591 Kings Highway in Mason Township, on the Maine and New Hampshire border of the White Mountain National Forest. The company hosts fun and educational dog sledding, mushing, and sled dog tours in the Bethel, Maine; the Sunday River Ski Area; North Conway, New Hampshire; and on 15,000-acre Wilderness Trail System at the Balsams, New Hampshire. The company teaches guests the ropes and allows them to experience the thrill of driving their own team. Be whisked off on an amazing winter adventure through the majestic wilderness.

Maine Mountain Views from Secluded Trails

Rangeley Lakes Trails Center at 524 Saddleback Mountain Road in Rangeley, offers to the public 55 kilometers of secluded, scenic dog-friendly trails for year-round use, from hiking and mountain biking in summer to Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking in winter. Trails are groomed in winter and the center rents out equipment and offers lessons and guided tours. The Gnome Home Roam, created for kids especially to enjoy, is 20 or more small carved gnomes in tiny houses scattered among the trails. Food, drink, and good cheer are always available in the lodge. Trail map. Fees for memberships or short-term visits. 207-864-4309.

Snowmobiles Are Us

What's the quickest and most accessible way to scale a mountain, follow a river or get in some lake time during winter in Maine? On a snowmobile. More than 14,000 miles of marked and groomed trails await snowmobilers in every region of the state. Mountain ranges, iced-over lakes and ponds, and multi-purpose trails with beautiful vistas are all part of the trail network in Maine. Guide services provide snowmobile rentals, guided touring trips and overnight packages with local accommodations.

Horse-Drawn Carriage, Sleigh and Trail Riding

Carousel Horse Farm at 95 Main Street in Freeport offers horseback, sleigh and carriage rides tailored to every season (sleighs depend on snowfall, of course). Enjoy tours of Casco Village or foliage-season rides near Parker Pond. In the summer, you may stop at Pear's Ice Cream in the village. Among the sights are Mount Washington and local wildlife. Winter and summer hours are by reservation. Spring and fall are the best times to ride, with perfect weather and vibrant flowers or leaves brightening your way. 207-615-6948

Dogsledding – Not for Alaskans Only

Ar you looking for some off-road fun in Maine? A business called Maine Dogsledding Adventures in Millinocket stands ready to offer you a day following a dog pack-- on a dog sled. Tours meet at the kennel near Millinocket, where guests meet the huskies and ask questions. Then you board the sleds and mush 10-12 miles in the forest and lake wilderness just south of Baxter Park. a stop on the trip includes a bonfire and time to feed the dogs. guests may drive the sled or ride as a passenger; no experience necessary! 207-731-8888.

Discover the Secrets of an Estuary

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm at 342 Laudholm Farm Road in Wells is a National Estuarine Research Reserve. Vistors can walk seven miles of easy-to-moderate trails to experience the beauty of south coastal Maine. Trails are available year round for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. You can take a guided tour with a trained naturalist. You may kayak the quiet waters of the Reserve’s estuary while watching for wildlife. Discovery Program Trail Guides are self-paced trail guides paired with activity backpacks that hold everything you need for a half-day of investigation. Fun for kids age 6 to 12. Open daily Memorial Day to Columbus Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Phone: 207-646-1555

Explore the Sweet Neighborhoods of Portland

Portland is a delightfully walkable and interesting city, with ocean and lighthouse views, picturesque neighborhoods, dramatic history (including a massive fire) and even its fair share of ghosts. Portland Landmarks preserves and honors this history, and provides a nice selection of self-guided walking tours. Meet the neighborhoods of Munjoy Hill, India Street, the Western Promenade, the working waterfont and others. Learn about many styles of architecture to be found here, like Italianate, Federal, Queen Anne, Stick Style, and others. For $9.99, you can buy the 4 Walks Through Portland Family Guide, focusing on places and topics that will entertain young people. [Photo courtesy GPCVB and Cynthia Farr-Weinfeld]

Wines, Good Times, Occasional Foolery

Hill peninsula, Serving the Blue Hill peninsula, Blue Hill Wine Shop at 123 Main Street in Blue Hill says it offers, and we quote: “cracking good (if occasionally oddball) wines; thoughtfully selected Cheeses, pates, and cured meats; grocery items, local and imported beers and ciders; coffees and teas of quality and tobacco items…” along with good times, occasional music, and assorted foolery.” How could you not pay a visit? Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone: 207-374 2161

Bath Is More Than Just a Piquant Name

The midcoast town of Bath is known for its giant shipyard, and, for lucky travelers, for its delightful, old-fashioned downtown. Shopping is much and revelatory here, at places like Markings Gallery, presenting fine art and carvings by local sculptor Wayne Robbins; The Mustard Seed Bookstore, with a wall of books by Maine authors and tea services for customers; Now You’re Cooking cookware store, filling a whole city block. And that’s just the start. Enjoy browsing for clothing, pet goods and hostess gifts. You might find some Maine coastal imagery to take home.

Beach Plum Farm Offers Seaside Strolls

Beach Plum Farm, at 610 Main Street in Ogunquit, is a 22-acre site with remnants of an old New England salt-water farm, natural landscapes and wildlife habitat. At the farm there is a half-mile easy walking loop which circles the fields and community gardens. Down by the salt marsh, you can see bayberry, beach plums and a variety of coastal birds. Benches provide spots to sit and contemplate. Lots of birds to see; please leave your dog at home. The farm is headquarters of the Great Works Regional Land Trust.

Maine Brewers guild personalized beer tours

Create a Personalized Tour of Maine Breweries

Maine Brewers Guild, representing beer brewers statewide, wants beer drinking travelers to explore and enjoy the vast and varied beauties of the state. The guild has created an excellent site where you can build a self-guided tasting trip with a bit of targeted help. Go to the plan your route page and make some choice based on region, brewery offerings (tastings, tours, food, outdoor seating, family friendly) and then click to create a Google Map of your personalized Maine beer tour. Brace yourself for explorations of city pubs, hidden hideaways, restored mills and old barns. It’s a beautiful place.

Find Real, Old Maine Treasures at Jellison

The antiques experts at Jellison Traders at 359 Riverside Drive in Augusta employ deep expertise to find beautiful and useful items for the home. Antiques, vintage items, collectibles: the entire range of interesting objects that reflect tastes and arts of the past is available for customers to continue to enjoy into the future. Jellison Traders can also help with appraising, downsizing, and liquidation of estates. Items that Jellison typically buys and re-sells include books, collectibles, furniture, glassware, jewelry, lighting, magazines, music, phonographs, victrolas, vintage clothing, recycled metal yard ornaments, and much more. Browsing is fun and encouraged, because the hosts at Jellison want you to enjoy the treasures you unearth. 207-213-4063

Charming Strolling and Shopping on Stevens

The Deering Center neighborhood, on and near Stevens Avenue in Portland, is a charming area adjacent to nice walking areas like Baxter Woods and Evergreen Cemetery. Stevens Avenue is a sweet shopping and tasting area, featuring places to pamper the body, like Abura, an apothecary and skin care studio at 502 Stevens Avenue; Handiwork, a craft studio and market that hosts classes for the public at 199 Pleasant Avenue; and Darby, an upscale haven of “desirable nonessentials” that offers cards, small gift items, and pretty accessories, at 502 Stevens Avenue.

Farm Visits Are Fun

It can be fun to visit a working farm on your vacation, especially when the farm owners run a farm stand and are really revved up about good food and about describing their farming life to visitors. Frinklepod Farm at 244 Log Cabin Road in Arundel is a place of inspired farming. Frinklepod Farm was founded a decade ago to provide healthy food, preserve agricultural land, and help inspire a new generation of farmers. Travelers (and everyone) are welcome to shop at the farm stand, buy seedlings are garden products, and take a guided walk or a class on the farm. Some class titles are “East the Weeds” and “Put Plants on Your Plate.” The farm is open year-round. 207-289-5805

Refurbished Museum Welcomes Kids to the Point

The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, reopened in 2021 at a new, 30,000-square-foot home at 259 Thompson’s Point in Portland, bursts with hands-on exhibits that combine learning and fun. Learn about science and the natural world through role play and deep exploration in three floors and an Outdoor Adventure. Kids can enjoy child-themed entertainment at Maddy’s Theatre. Museum hours are limited and advance tickets are required.

Ice Is Nice in Kennebunk

The best of indoor and outdoor winter ice skating might be on a well-groomed rink in a covered with open-sided pavilion. that is what you will find at Waterhouse Center at 51 Main Street in downtown Kennebunk. This public skating venue is open daily and free. Lots of local people and visitors get out on the ice for pure enjoyment and vigorous fun. A zamboni keeps the ice as smooth as a baby's bottom – go ruts or divots here! 207-985-2102 ext. 1335

For a Fun Time: Moose Alley

Moose Alley, on Main Street in Rangeley does not mince words. Front and top and center on its website is the declaration “We Entertain. All day. All Night. All Year.” The Alley does this with bowling, billiards, an arcade, great food live music and good vibes. The indoor fire pit doesn’t hurt, either. Live music happens all and every weekend; see the calendar. You just might spot some antlers as décor items.

Beautiful Craftsmanship From Back in the Day

From an ornate hinge to a hand-carved oak mantel, workmanship of the past can be a beautiful source for furnishing the present. Portland Architectural Salvage , at 131 Preble Street Ext. in Portland is 20,000 square feet of carefully chosen objects from houses, churches, barns -- use your imagination. The company's motto is "Urban elegance and sophistication with an antique and architectural past." Gloss up your habitat with some built-in soul. Open year-round, but hours vary seasonally; check website. 207-780-0634.

Fine Wine and Intriguing Rum

Bartlett Maine Estate Winery at 161 Chicken Mill Pond Road in Gouldsboro is a small detour off the fabled road to Acadia National Park. At Bartlett’s, prize-winning wines are pressed onsite from native fruits. A relatively new offering is Rusticator rum, with flavors of vanilla, toffee, lime and banana. The tasting room, halfway between Ellsworth and the Petit Manon Wildlife Refuge, is housed in a hand-wrought stone building. Tasting room is from June to October or by appointment. 207- 546-2408.

Direction: Up

Salt Pump Climbing Company at 36 Haigis Parkway in Scarborough wants to help you re-discover your inner (tree-climbing) child (and bring your own kids, too, of course). Right at the top of its website, the climbing gyn welcomes first-timers to its intro to climbing class, where you can learn the fundamentals, including basic climbing knots, proper belay technique, communication, climbing movement and bouldering, route reading, and auto belays. Experienced climbers all the way down to little kids are welcome, too. It’s a warm atmosphere of physical exertion and support. Open daily. 207-219-8145. [photo: Anne Skidmore]

Shipyard Shows Off Its Suds

The Shipyard Brewing Company at 86 Newbury Street in Portland has been making award-winning, beer in Maine for nearly 20 years. All are invited to the Shipyard Tasting Room to taste and buy flights, 10 oz pours, growlers, and packaged product as well as Capt’n Eli’s Soda. Beer tasters can enjoy a rotating lineup of permanent and seasonal offerings. No reservations are needed. Tasting Room is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The Name Is Standard; the Baked Goods Are Super

Located at 75 Commercial Street, across from the harbor in Portland, Standard Baking Co. is the city's -- maybe the state's -- most popular gathering spot for delicious baked goods along with the ebb and flow of people -- neighbors and visitors. It is heaven on Earth for people who love breads, sticky buns, and more baked treats. And the company has just come out with a cookbook that unveils many of its best baking methods. Open daily. 207-773-2112.

See the Stars Over Portland, With or Without Cloud Cover

Star show junkies will be pleased to know they can enjoy the towering firmament even when it is overcast above Portland. The Southworth Planetarium at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, at 70 Falmouth Street, offers astronomy and laser light shows throughout the year. Shows are tailored for all ages. What causes the Northern Lights? How do comets form? What about those dinosaurs? Topics of shows are published on the planetarium website. 207-780-4249.

Discover the Trails of This Midcoast Audubon Sanctuary

A peninsula in the Sasanoa River in Georgetown is the location of the beautifuly Josephine Newman Audubon Sanctuary, a 119-acre preserve that is a naturalist’s window into some of the features of the Maine coast. Flanked on two sides by salt marsh, the sanctuary has miles of trails that cross meadows, coastline, forest, and ridges. To get to the sanctuary, from the junction of U.S. Route 1 and Route 127 in Woolwich, just east of the Woolwich-Bath bridge, head south on 127 for 9.1 miles to Georgetown. Turn right at the sanctuary sign and follow the entrance road to the parking area. Trail finder. Trail guide.

View the Night Sky at an International Dark Sky Park

The Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Maine Woods Initiative lands are located at the edge of the North Maine Woods, a largely unpopulated area that is relatively free from light pollution. The AMC is designated as an International Dark Sky Park, which means that it’s excellent night sky viewing. 207-695-3085

Belgian-Style Beer for You

Portland visitors who love beer should know about the Allagash Brewing Company, which offers free tours and tastings at its brewery at 50 Industrial Way in Portland. Founded in 1995 as a one-man shop, Allagash brews traditional and experimental Belgian beers. The beers are bottle-conditioned, meaning that a fresh dose of yeast is added just before bottling, allowing a new round of fermentation that enhances the traditional Belgian taste. Are you intrigued yet? Tours are offered year-round. Plan ahead; Saturdays are busy. Tours are accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. Phone: 207-878-5385

Old Mill Revives With Antiques, Dining, Art, Yoga

Most of New England’s 19th-century manufacturing mills have moved beyond their original purposes (making textiles, shoes, lumber) and many are being re-created as history-infused places for shopping, dining, and other forms of business. Fort Andross, a mill complex at 14 Maine Street in Brunswick is a wonderfully restored textile mill know for its antiques store, indoor flea market, yoga studio, restaurants, cinema, and gallery. Cabot Mill Antiques is a 16,000-square-foot multi-dealer emporium. The space is bright, clean, and packed with interesting and well-preserved objects of all kinds. People also enjoy the weekend flea market, and the Frontier Café, Cinema, and Gallery. And Maybe a yoga class at Jai Yoga to wind down?

Let’s Eat: In Portland

The Public Market House at 28 Monument Square in Portland is a cornucopia of smallish businesses where you can taste a huge range of Maine foods under one roof. Formerly the street and basement level of the Surplus Store, the Market now shelters a pizza restaurant and bread company, along with restaurants serving crêpes, Pho soup from Vietnam, Ameera bread of the Middle East, and handmade soups. Also find non-dairy ice cream, a salad bar, Colombian food and a smoothie and juice bar. Many of these businesses are owner-operated, so you know the quality is the highest. 207-284-1016.

home and away gallery in kennebunkport ME

Beautiful Baskets Are a Sample of Maine Art

Home & Away Gallery at 26 Maine Street in Kennebunkport specializes in Inuit, Eskimo, and Native American arts and jewelry. The baskets, some made by people of Maine’s Wabanaki tribes, are stunning, and they make a wonderful memento of your visit to this seaside state. The Gallery also offer Native American beadwork and sculpture and jewelry, baskets, Zuni carvings, and more. The Gallery also hosts artist events and special exhibit. Open weekends, and other times by appointment or chance. 207-967-2122. [photo courtesy of Home & Away Gallery]

Gem from Old Seafaring Times

Castle Tucker, at 2 Lee Street atop a hill overlooking the Sheepscot River in Wiscasset, is a Federal-style dwelling built in the 18th century, when Wiscasset was at the peak of its prosperity as the busiest port east of Boston. The house was purchased and remodeled in the 1850s by Captain Richard Tucker, scion of a shipping family. Today the mansion is preserved much as it was in the late 19th century, and it presents a vivid record of Wiscasset history. Open Wednesday to Sunday, June 1 to October 15. 207-882-7169

Bath Is Home to Graceful, Historic Neighborhoods

Nestled along the Kennebec River, the city of Bath is a small jewel of a city that embraces a seafaring tradition. Bath welcomes visitors with tree-lined historic avenues graced by stately mansions that were once home to shipyard owners and ship captains. You can take a guided walking tour of the Bath historic district or ride the Bath Trolley. Bath’s Front Street is home to antique stores, specialty shops, galleries and fine restaurants. Bath’s Farmers Market takes place from June to October and a summer concert series takes place on Friday evenings. This is also the home of the Maine Maritime Museum.

Best Shopping Anywhere: Reny's!

It is hard to overstate how much Mainers and their out-of-state visitors love Reny’s a chain of family-owned dry good stores founded 62 years ago when the grandfather of the clan stepped out of his job as a department store clerk and founded a new store where everyone is always treated right. The stores, mostly found in the state’s small downtowns, are low in superficial glamour and packed full of useful goods, all priced as low as the store can manage. Merchandise ranges from tinned organic pumpkin meat to rubber boots and wedding dresses. Stores are located in Bath, Belfast, Bridgton, Camden, Damariscotta, Dexter, Ellsworth, Farmington, Gardiner, Madison, Newcastle, Pittsfield, Portland, Saco, and Topsham. Locations and hours. Open year-round. 207-563-3177

Elmer’s Barn Is a Place of Antique Surprises

Elmer’s Barn at 107 Rockland Road in Whitefield is a guaranteed good time for people who can’t get enough of browsing, browsing, browsing through antiques or just plain old stuff of the past. Expect to find three floors, a big front porch, and a yard filled with home and farm gadgets, pictures, linens, tools, books, and doodads of every possible category. Great for artists and hobbyists at upcycling things of the past. Call ahead for hours. 207-549-7671.

Prowl for Inspiration at Monthly Art Walks

Portland’s First Friday Art Walk is a free, self-guided tour of art galleries, art studios, museums, and alternative art venues. Starting in 2000, the monthly art walk welcome over 3,000 people to come downtown each to see artwork, performance and to stroll the streets. Galleries and museums to open in any given month are listed and described in advance on the Art Walk website. Hours are 5-8 p.m. It’s a fun way to enjoy an urban walk with other art enthusiasts.

Off We Go With a Jangle of Harnesses

It has been called the “low-impact winter sport” – that is, a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the New England woods and meadows. Rides are offered by many farms, including High View Farm in Harrison, where the host promises that the jingle of sleigh bells will ring on as a wonderful memory.Get out this winter and enjoy a great winter activity perfect for the entire family. 207-595-1601

Bridgham & Cook Ltd. - Freeport ME - Great Things To DO

Visit the Maine Coast for British Shopping

Britain’s BBC has discovered and reported the pleasures of a visit to Portland and its nearby neighbors of coastal Maine. For Anglophile shoppers, the BBC has reported its approval Bridgham & Cook, Ltd. at 123 Main Street in Freeport. The shop sells British foods - teas, sweets, biscuits, preserves, and condiments - in addition to numerous English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh goods, clothing, accessories, and gifts. Scott’s Porage Oats, Thursday Cottage Curd, Barbour tartan purses, Bronte Moon Dales Scarf, and much more. Fun and unique shopping on Maine’s coast! Open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 207-865-1040

Art of the Human Hand Also on Display in Midcoast

The natural beauty of mid-coast Maine is spectacular, but don’t let it deter you from stepping indoors during your visit to see some of the fine work by Maine artists. One place where art resides and welcome syou to take a piece back home is at Saltwater Artists Gallery at 3056 Bristol Road in New Harbor, not far from the coastal town of Bath. Contributing artists show and sell beautiful turned wooden items, objects in glass, pottery and jewelry. Add some icing to your gift with beautiful greeting cards decorated with watercolors, photos or prints. The shop is open daily with it’s not a bad idea to phone ahead at 207-677-2490. Another wonderful source of glass art is Tandem Glass Gallery and Studio at 6 Eagle Lodge Lame in Dresden Mills, also near Bath. Open by chance or by appointment, so call ahead at 207-737-2781. Hand-blown glass art by Terrill Waldman & Charlie Jenkins, made in this saltbox barn studio, is exquisite.

Slots of Fun in Oxford

A new gaming establishment, the Oxford Casino, has opened in Oxford at 77 Casino Way. Whether you like the high-stakes play of blackjack, the clicking spins of the roulette wheel, or the action on a hot craps table, you'll find your groove and at Oxford's table games. Choose from a diverse selection of state-of-the-art reel and video slot machines. The location is beautiful. Oxford is a few miles from the village of Bethel and 35 miles from the Portland International Jetport. It is close to opportunities for recreation and fun, including skiing, snowboarding, white water rafting, hiking, mountain climbing, leaf peeping and other great things to do in Maine. 207-539-6700

Here, Stonewall Means Tasty Eating

Maine’s Stonewall Kitchen is one of those up-with-the-bootstraps stories of a small group of friends that began producing jelly, jam, and specialty vinegars at home and then … boom. Stonewall Kitchen is now an empire of specialty foods. Its flagship story is located delightfully close to travelers: next to Route 1A at the York exit (exit 7) off of Interstate-95. Come and enjoy the beautiful presentation of preserved foods, condiments, sauces, pancakes mixes, and syrups. Also at the home store are cookbooks, cookware and all sorts of neat gifts for cooks in your life. Stonewall Kitchen Café, next door, offers tasty aid and comfort to travelers. 800-826-1752

Antiques of Maine Life in an Antique Building

Steam Mill Antiques at 155 West Bethel Road (US Route 2) in Bethel, Maine, is a country antique shop located in a large, 1820 farmhouse and barn. Come and find a wide range of antiques, collectibles, books, pictures, signs, toys, and other stuff. Anything that you could find in an antique shop you may find here! Our stock is always changing so it's always worth the time to browse the shop. DownEast Magazine has declared that Steam Mill Antiques is one of the 5 reasons to love Bethel. An honor! Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends, year-round, and by chance or appointment on all other days and seasons. Send email to SteamMillAntiques@gmail.com to make an appointment or if you are traveling from a distance and want to check the hours of operation.

History and Culture of Mills on Display Here

From the 1850s to the 1950s the textile mills, shoe mills and brickyards of Lewiston and neighboring Auburn (L-A) made up the state's largest manufacturing center. Museum L-A, located in the Bates Mill Compex off of Chestnut Street, facing Canal Street, in Lewiston, documents the industries and the people who made them thrive. Within the 1850s Bates Mill, the museum displays vintage machinery, tools, shoes and quilts along with an oral history tour of mill workers from both cities. Open year-round, daily except Mondays. 207-333-3881.

Children’s Fun and Learning Zone

With seven interactive exhibit areas on three floors, Maine Discovery Museum at 74 Main Street in downtown Bangor, Maine, is the largest children's museum north of Boston. Seven permanent exhibits invite children to explore nature, geography, children's literature, music, art, science and anatomy. Among the exhibits are: Nature Trails, to explore Maine's ecosystem along a 20-foot waterway; TradeWinds, a new exhibit about Maine's global connections to Brazil, Japan, and Italy; Booktown, a village where every doorway leads into the pages of a Maine children's literary classic; Sounds Abound, exploring the world of music in a sound studio; Artscape; Mission: Discovery; and Body Journey. Open year-round; closed on Mondays. Phone: 207-262-7200.

Carson Name Still Defends the Earth

The author whose seminal work, “Silent Spring,” launched the American environmental movement is the namesake for the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of a patchwork of properties along 50 miles of coastline from Kittery to Cape Elizabeth, with a headquarters on Route 9 in Wells. The refuge serves as protected region of valuable salt marshes and estuaries for migratory birds. Visitors are welcome to hike on the developed trails of the Refuge. is permitted in several rivers and creeks in the Refuge. Phone: 207-646-9226.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument

In August 2016, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the national park system, President Obama created a new park, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, in northern Maine, near Millinocket. The park is in the shadow of Mount Katahdin, and it occupies a wild landscape with spectacular views the mountain. Back-country adventurers can explore the rivers, woods, plant and animal life, and dark night skies. This is a monument with limited services; services will be added in coming years. The park has no welcome center at present. Find visitor information at the park’s website or by phone: 207-456-6001.

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