We love swinging bridges so we made sure to make a stop at this one. It happened to be raining when…read morewe were on our way through this area but we didn't let that stop us. If anything, the fact that it was dusk and the rain was so gentle, kind of made the whole experience feel more visceral and intimate. The bridge itself is really beautiful with great views of the river on both sides. There's definitely enough movement so that you don't forget you're on a swinging bridge, but it didn't feel unsafe and even our little dog was fine walking back and forth across it. My husband and I hung out in the middle for a while, enjoying the views, cuddled in the cool wet air. It was actually pretty romantic. We probably spent about 15 or 20 minutes here and in that time multiple people crossed the bridge and at least five or six stopped to take photos in front of it, including a group of 4 that asked us to take their photo for them (pictured below) so this is a busy area even in the rain. But once you're here, you know why because it's a pretty cool experience. I definitely recommend a quick stop here if you can make the time.

So many places to take pictures,sit and relax. walking across the swinging bridges feels fun and…read morethe sights are great.

What a gorgeous spot, quiet, great store/restaurant, nice people. Great pizza. Make sure to ask…read morefor fried clams extra crispy.

Don't go here! I…read morelearned about this bridge by watching a Sunday morning show (it's now on youtube) highlighting this bridge and the store close by (store review: https://www.yelp.com/biz/trevett-country-store-trevett?hrid=oku17hRS1AbII9VF_hMjTA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)). Since we were planning a trip to Maine in our future, we moved it up due to the bridge being upgraded by 2020. This is an 86 year old hand-cranked bridge. Some locals refer to it as the Pony Truss. It is one of the few remaining hand-cranked bridges in the United States. However, it will be ungraded later on this year. I thought it was sad and I wanted to share this important piece of history with my son. After all, not everything used to be automatic or just happened with the touch of a button. We learned while staying in Boothbay that the bridge doesn't get very much boat traffic and we'd be lucky to see it...or the operator, Terry F. (full name in articles about the bridge and videos), open the bridge that is. We felt this was an important piece of dying history, so we decided to go anyway...have lunch and wait for it. If nothing else, maybe we could meet her to express how sad we were this change is coming. We've read a few articles about the bridge and Terry F. after we saw the show...and we were excited to at least see this piece of history. Our adventure didn't go as planned that's for sure...what a waste of time! We thought we'd to go to this store to have a lunch, watch the bridge if we could and/or just enjoy the scenery. Or have a meal and maybe shake hands with Terry F. if possible (if we couldn't see the bridge opening) since she seemed to love this bridge and the history of it so much and it's going away. She seemed so nice on the show/video after all and the articles about her are so nice. I got that wrong! What a joke! I made a colossal mistake by going to view this bridge (and have a meal at this store) with my family. Terry F. seemed genuine on the show, so if we couldn't see the bridge open, then maybe we could meet her...we tried both. No boats, so we drove to the other side and waited, kept our distance from her hut since you can't go past a certain point and hoped she'd come out to get her attention. As luck would have it she came out and we spoke to her at a distance...again, since you can't go beyond a certain point. She just yelled at us...she was nasty mean. We didn't even go where we weren't supposed to, we followed the rules. We tried to tell her why we were there...she wouldn't listen. Being horrid gave her pleasure it seemed. She is quite the brusque person...totally different and the exact opposite from the interview on the show. Absolutely nothing like the articles describe either, nor was the experience. The area in general is nothing to write home about, nor send a postcard! It was a wow moment...her rudeness is indescribable. My son got a lesson alright, but not exactly the one I thought...ha! End Note: I did find it sad that the bridge is changing. But after our experience (between the bridge and store), I am happy to see the bridge changing and it's for the absolute best. Perhaps one day soon they can figure out how to make it fully mechanical where a human isn't needed at all. After all, there isn't much boat traffic and seems to be a colossal waste of money to have a person just sitting there most of the time. At least that is all she was doing when we were there...just sitting. Going to the area is a complete waste of time, energy and money and I would not recommend it to anyone. Not to mention this is a perfect example to not always believe what you read, see on TV or the internet.

Carrying Western Avenue aka State Route 27 over the Townsend Gut and connecting Southport with…read moreBoothbay Harbor, this swing bridge was built in 1939. It received an update to the mechanical portions in 1988 and then construction repairs with a repainting in 2024. It is the last thru truss swing bridge in Maine. The swing span measures 178 feet long by 22 feet curb-to-curb and there are two additional fixed approach spans that are 100 feet and 86 feet long. We were here in the afternoon during off season on the way to the Hendricks Head Lighthouse, so we did not have the opportunity to see the opening of the bridge. I would imagine that's quite the sight. The bridge is quite narrow with only one lane in each direction and a narrow raised pedestrian lane that does not have a barrier. The deck is deeply grooved so motorcycles and bicycles would need to take special care when crossing. [Review 14895 overall, 397 of 2021, number 77 in Maine.]

If you are a bit of a history buff you must check this out. A short boat ride from several…read morelocations. We left from Cook's Lobster House on Bailey's Island. Admiral Peary (aka the North Pole discoverer among many other things) bought this island, years later he built 2 homes and he and his families spent Spring through Fall there every year. Now it's a Maine State Park. Has working player piano custom made to fit his exploration ship (the Roosevelt), captain's chair from his ship as well as a restored duplicate of his desk. Old family gardens and 3 nature trails across the island with spectacular views. Also some rock gouges from the last glacier. He designed much of the house himself, including a library made of local stones, and a unique 3 sided fire place in the living room!

While at Fort Williams Park we were able to check out the remains of the Abandoned Ruins of the…read moreGoddard Mansion located there! Very Eerie yet beautiful at same time! Surrounded by fencing but still in few view along the coast there!Built in 1870s! Free to enjoy!

Burnt Island Lighthouse shore is amazing! It's lit! It's a real "keeper". It rocks. It was…read moreilluminating.

Visiting Burnt Island is an easy 15-minute boat ride from Boothbay Harbor. The lightkeeper's home…read morehas been preserved as it was in the 1950's. We loved the tour of the lighthouse and the adjacent museum. Open to the public on Monday and Thursday afternoons in July and August. I would say it's one of the best lighthouse tours in Maine. My lovely bride enjoyed it, so it's not just worthwhile for lighthouse foamers.

A Peaceful place to take in the sites and sounds of Richmond, Maine or set in your kayak and go for…read morean adventure! Have fun, relax, walk the dog! Whatever I like this spot!

Lovely little cemetery with nice view. It's filled with history. There's a tour at 4pm. I wish…read moreit was earlier.

Just had a virtual tour & it was informative and FUN! Our guide had deadpan humor... or maybe…read morethat's DEAD-pan humor... he says he hasn't seen a ghost there in the 200 years he's been there! ;P I've never been to that area of the country and he has fascinating tales about some of the "residents" and gave us insight into the many carvings used long-ago. Enjoyed it & will DEFINITELY visit if/when I visit the area in the future!