Bar Harbor Historical Society

My Boyfriend and I had an amazing experience, This was my second time on this tour and his first…read more This time I splurged and got the VIP tickets, so worth it!! We got extra stories and a cute little merchandised lantern. Our tour guide Daniel was amazing at giving us the haunts and histories of the area. It was a all around great time.

I appreciated the fact that the Ghost Tour company is owned by Native Americans and the docent took…read morethe time to incorporate relevant history into the stories told. We took the original Ghost tour and it was mediocre; probably because I just didn't connect with the guide, Liz, for some reason. We only made a few stops on the 90 minute tour and the sites and presentations were okay but not at all captivating. It would have been better if there were more places visited and a better storyteller. I definitely would have appreciated learning more about the Wabanaki Nation and the Great Fire. Surely there's ghost stories hidden in that history somewhere. In short, for the price we paid it definitely wasn't worth the cost.

Our tour guide, Daniel.

See all

Oli's Trolley

4.5

(207 reviews)

0.4 mi

A must when visiting Bar Harbor!…read more Everything about Oli's is top notch. Ordering our tours was super easy online. Friendly reminders via email were so helpful. We arrived for our first tour super early as we wanted to secure a parking spot (not easy to do in Bar Harbor) and the woman at the Trolley was so kind and make a suggestion to us for how to spend the time before boarding. Our amazing tour guide and driver, Jim, was super personable and interesting, and even helped us find blueberries and took several pictures of my husband and I with the beautiful backdrops of Cadillac Mountain and Jordan's Pond. We had a great bunch on the tour, and can say that this tour was the highlight of our trip. Jim even recommended a great place to eat, and it was so good, we went back again for dinner! But the icing on the cake was again customer service. We booked a second tour for the next day, and woke up to crummy weather, so we decided to head home and skip our tour. As we had passed the cancellation policy time of 24 hours notice, I did not request my money back, but did call and leave a message to let them know we would not be attending, so they wouldn't wait for us. Imaging my surprise when I looked in my email to find they had refunded my money! We would (and will) be touring with them again, and highly recommend them to anyone.

As promised we did get a tour of Acadia and did not have to circle around for parking like those…read morewho drove themselves. We didn't find the tour guide to be the most entertaining to listen to. We enjoyed getting to see the sights, but felt very rushed and did not get to walk around very much. This is a good option for those who do not have a car on the island or have a very limited amount of time to see the park. We found ourselves wishing we had more time at the stops. It also got very hot on the trolley when we were waiting for those who were late or stuck sitting in traffic. We did not feel like the experience justified the price. Overall, we did get to see the high points of the park, just wished we had more time at the stops and a more engaging guide.

Oil's Trolley ticket booth

Thunder Hole, Acadia Park

See all

Top of Cadillac Mountain

Maine Foodie Tours

4.7

(35 reviews)

Charlie, our guide, met us at the clock on the square and we were off. It was immediately apparent…read morehe was very comfortable and knowledgeable about Bar Harbor and Maine history. " The 'help' would stay upstairs, because downstairs was cooler.", he said as we passed a two story historic home. Highlights of this food tour included the lobster sliders and the hot Italian sandwiches, including how and where these were eaten. We mostly ate inside. This was just starting out. Charlie gets 5 stars.

My husband and I went on the happy with appeys (love the name by the way) this past week and loved…read moreit! Highly recommend it to anyone looking to be able to try out a few different restaurants and drinks!! The four appetizers were yummy as well as the drinks! Our tour guild (well we had two, one was a trainee) were both fun, knew a lot about the area as well as answered any questions we had about the local area!

Maine craft beer tasting at Blaze - Culinary Walking Tour

Lobster slider

See all

Balsamic vinegar

Red Cloak Tours

(12 reviews)

69.7 mi

My mum and I absolutely love red cloak tours!! The stories are very interesting and spooky. The…read moretour guide is really kind, and happily answers any questions. I went to the bath and wisscasset tours and found out so much about houses and places I may have overlooked if not for this new knowledge. Call me crazy, but I think I may have saw a ghost in the top window of a house in wisscasset, when nobody was home.

My family and I took this tour the other night. There were 12 people on the tour. Our guide…read morecombined stories about the history of the city as well as a number of different ghost stories. She was articulate and told some very good stories both as to the city and its origins and the different buildings that are haunted. At the end of the tour I kept looking in Opera House hoping to see the ghost that apparently still hangs out there. We all enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it if you are visiting the town.

Beautiful day in Bar Harbor for a walking tour!

See all

Maine Day Ventures

(1 review)

Quality tour. Most recommendations were satisfactory. Great enthusiastic guide with gusto and so…read moremuch energy for a positive life despite her past grief. Specific advice only a true local would know offered on this tour. Tour itself was expensive and the Clam chowder I had lacked enough clams for a foodie tour. Otherwise, highly recommended.

From the owner: Maine Day Ventures, formerly known as Maine Foodie Tours, offers walking tours in Bar Harbor, Maine…read more-- one of the state's most popular tourist destinations. Options include a Bar Harbor foodie walking tour, a history walking tour, and a lunchtime picnic tour. The Savor Bar Harbor Culinary Walking Tour takes foodies on a short walk around the Village Green and features imaginative and flavorful local dishes and confections for lunch. The Bar Harbor Walking History Tour takes visitors on a journey through the town's fascinating past, including its evolution from a Native American settlement to a Gilded Age resort town and beyond. The Bar Harbor Lunchtime Tour features food from local restaurants and delis that you'll enjoy while picnicking at three of the town's beautiful parks. The tour also comes with a heaping side of Bar Harbor history!

Acadia Bike Rentals

(73 reviews)

0.3 mi

They are super nice and great service!! I ask for some…read moresuggestions even for a couple hours ride and they nail it!

They cancelled our kayak tour after we arrived. We paid the $20 ($4/hr) to park for the length…read morekayak tour that they didn't reimburse. They cancelled for high wind and the listed wind was 12 mph and we did Cadillac earlier and is wasn't super windy there. If you are going to cancel at least do it several hours in advance.

Waterfalls along the trail

See all

Acadia Stand Up Paddle & E-Bike

4.8

(22 reviews)

I went on their group lesson/tour and had a great time. There were only two of us on the tour and…read morewe were both experience paddlers so we spent the whole time paddling on Long Pond with the instructor. Long Pond is gorgeous and our guide was prompt and very professional. Highly recommend!

We had so much fun paddle boarding on Little Long Lake with our guide, Nell. She was super patient…read morewith our 9 and 13 year old girls. She gave us a super informative lesson prior to getting in the water and then more instruction once we got in (but not so much we got bored!). We played games on the water, did a little yoga and practiced some tricks. We had a fabulous time and would recommend for anyone visiting!

See all

La Rochelle Mansion & Museum

(2 reviews)

0.0 mi

Bottom Line: A guilded age mansion that gives a glimpse into the history of Bar Harbor and the…read moreearly 1900s. La Rochelle is a large, historical home overlooking Frenchman Bay. While it was once the 41-room summer cottage for the Bowdoin family today it serves as the headquarters of the the Bar Harbor Historical Society. The mansion is also a wedding venue. If, when visiting La Rochelle you are hoping to feel like you are stepping into a time machine to 1903, you'll need a lot of imagination. The mansion has been the home to various families and it has served several purposes since it was the Bowdoin's summer cottage. So, the physical structure is original but very little else is. Also, a lot of the rooms are closed and serve as private offices or storage for the Bar Harbor Historical Society. But, as a bonus, there is a lot of Bar Harbor history and artifacts displayed throughout. What I found most interesting about La Rochelle was the Flower Room including the placement of it. I can recall visiting mansions with a designated area of the kitchen or butler's pantry for assembling flower arrangements but I can't recall one that had a dedicated Flower Room. I also thought it was interesting that the Flower Room was placed adjacent to the main foyer instead of closer to where the servants would be working. La Rochelle is a wonderful piece of Bar Harbor and American history and I am grateful that the Bar Harbor Historical Society was able to purchase La Rochelle to preserve it for future generations. I also appreciate the very kind volunteers that work at the mansion. La Rochelle is am impressive site from West Street but it looks even more impressive from water, or so I imagine. We did not get to see the house from that view but based on pictures, you can really see the elevation of the home and the many chimneys. Before leaving La Rochelle we visited the gift shop which is full of pretty things. I was eyeing up some puzzles but due to very limited space in my suitcase I just purchased a few greeting cards. Overall we had a nice visit to La Rochelle and we were glad to support the Bar Harbor Historical Society.

Lots of interesting information. It's a self guide tour. Plenty of time to walk around. Beautiful…read moreinterior. Was having a great time till we went into the gift shop and the first 3 sentences from the gift shop cashier was political. Such a bumer to end on a sour note. The subject was illegal immigrants.....I'm Hispanic.

See all

The Milbridge Theatre

4.3

(3 reviews)

19.3 mi

This historic theatre has been re-built, re-opened, and is bustling with activity as both a movie…read moretheatre and a community arts center! Check out their schedule of events at milbridgetheatre.org.

This place is A-OK. I understand that it can't be heated and therefore isn't open during the…read morewinter, but that can be kind of a bummer. I loved going to get ice cream after the movie; sad that the ice cream stand is closed. Still, it's a small town theatre and I super appreciate it being there.

See all

Logo

Strand Cinema

4.3

(3 reviews)

48.5 mi

The fam just got back from a weeklong trip to Rockland. I can't say enough about how wonderful Main…read moreSt is, and this theater is one of the shining jewels. The space is absolutely wonderful and screams of old-world glamour. The seats are comfortable, the selection of snacks is large, and the bathrooms are well-lit and clean. I highly recommend a sit in the Strand!

The Strand was an old stand-by when I was a kid growing up in Rockland, before Flagship cinemas…read moreopened up. But they really shone brightest after the remodel. Indie films, live music, incredibly classy interior, and friendly employees, this place is a must-visit for someone who wants a classy night out.

Game Vortex Arcade

3.6

(5 reviews)

40.3 mi

We drove here from Bar Harbor on a rainy day to see Top Gun. The next day was rainy so we drove…read moreback to see Jurassic Park! Overall, the facility was clean and well kept. The ticket sellers were friendly. The seating could not be purchased beforehand and it was pretty packed. One thing: the first movie we went to had a series of 'commercials' which ran for a good 10 minutes at the start time of the movie. This was followed by another 10 minutes or so of coming attractions. It just seemed a little odd that the local commercials (volume MUCH too loud for some) would not be played as folks were waiting for the film to start (ie. before the start time of the film). There was one for a seat belt PSA which showed a mom being greeted by a trooper to say her son was killed; it was a little much for some of the patrons who complained loudly. Interestingly, this PSA, although relevant and a needed reminder, was not played the second day. Popcorn was good, but not hot. Seats were comfy. Overall, it was a nice way to spend a few hours during a downpour. There's a great restaurant, Timber, nearby which we'd highly recommend.

Wanted to check-out the latest "Mission Impossible" and was gonna see it in Orono, but it turned…read moreout the Movie Rocket cinemas had "re-opened," so we thought we'd see it there since we've never been to that theater. Well, driving up to the theater complex was not promising, with a parking lot that was barely asphalted, and a building that truly looked like a warehouse masquerading as a cinema, with a façade that didn't even have a marquee, much less anything appealing to lure anyone inside! (See my pics.) Inside, the entryway was dull and out-of-place, with a handful of sad-looking arcade machines -- do kids even have an interest in these antiquated thing-a-ma-jigs?!?! Anyway, no one was making use of any of it. We paid for our film at the concession stand. I always buy popcorn and soda, no matter what movie I see (or even if I just had lunch prior to the film!), just because.... That said, their popcorn was lackluster, but edible. Tom Cruise was delegated to one of the back theaters (there were only us two for the entire film!); it wasn't looking promising.... The house itself was very basic like any other mainstream theater complex: rectangular room with a flat, rectangular screen. Surprisingly, the seats were very comfortable, roomy, with a lot of legroom. (It made the film immensely more enjoyable!) Unfortunately, there was a lot of "bleeding" of soundtrack from adjoining houses -- not horrifically, but it was there throughout, even with all the explosions in our film. Overall, I will say that we probably will drive a little further to Orono for any future films; nevertheless, our experience at Movie Rocket was decent and OK. (And, too, it was cheaper in Orono for matinees....) ;)