Nestled on the remote Little Cranberry Island, the Islesford HIstorical Museum is operated by the…read moreNational Park Service as an extension of Acadia National Park (and yes, you can get an official NPS cancellation here for your park passport if you collect them on your travels) The museum keeps limited hours so make sure to check in advance that they'll be open if you're trying to plan a visit. For a typical tourist, the island can be reached by hitching a ride by mail boat or a Sea Princess boat tour. From late May through September, the park offers the ranger-narrated Islesford Historical Cruise, which makes a 45-minute stop on the island with time at the museum. My sister and I did the latter to reach the island. Entry into the museum is free and it documents the history of the island and the people, both past and present, who live their life on the small island. During our visit the park Ranger on duty did give a short informational talk about the island, museum, and the national park. Due to time restraints we spent about 30 minutes in the museum total.

A great trip to an outer island to a beautiful 1920s to a museum honoring the local Captains and…read moretheir families and their lives 3 miles out to sea.

This is a small museum dedicated to a local artist who made wood carvings of various birds. It also…read morehouses visiting exhibitions. The birds are an excellent way to get one in the mood for some hiking, but not a replacement for the actual hiking. Weather depending, it may be worth a stop. Admission is paid, and the place is only a couple of rooms. It's nice to get some local flavor in, but I would prioritize spending time outside.

What a beautiful gem! We were visiting the area on vacation, I love birds, so we stopped in. Lovely…read moremuseum with Wendell Gilley's carved birds, in addition to other artists' works--carvings and paintings. The staff was informative and helpful, they have classes that looked like fun! Really enjoyed our time there

Spent 3 Days there in the 90's. I worked for USMEPCOM Joint Service Command. My Co-Worker, her…read moreHusband, and my Husband all stayed there. Her Husband was a Chief Petty Officer stationed at Brunswick NAS. It was Great. We drove a Mile down the road and bought Lobsters. We watched as they were pulled out of the Traps! When we signed the Guest Book we found out the Secretary of Defense was there the Prior Weekend. Beautiful Views and Comfortable Quarters. Fully Equipped Kitchen.

Prospect Harbor divides Sand Cove from Inner Harbor at the head of Prospect Harbor on the southern…read moreshore of Gouldsboro, Maine. FIrst established in 1850, this current structure was built in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Prospect Harbor Light Station in 1988. In 1891 the station was rebuilt; the present tower and keeper's house date to this period. The brick oil house was added in 1905. The light was automated in 1934, but keepers remained on site until 1951, when its Fresnel lens was removed and replaced by modern optics. The station last underwent major restorative work in the early 2000s; it remains an active aid to navigation. The tower is 38 feet tall and capped by a lantern house with a polygonal roof. The keeper's house is a two-story wood frame structure, clad in shingles on the upper floor and clapboard on the first floor. A porch extends across part of its front, with four square posts and slatted balustrade. The roof of the porch is a continuation of the main roof, and is pierced by a gable-roof dormer. The small brick oilhouse stands a short way north of the house and tower. The lighthouse is about 6 miles from US-1. The lighthouse is on restricted property so you can't get too close to it however there is a rocky beach to the west and you'll get a good picture if the Sun is not behind. There is no legal parking but we pulled into a space, grabbed our photos and escaped without incident. [Review 14873 overall, 375 of 2021, number 56 in Maine.]

Dislocated Point…read more Established in 1836 and then rebuilt in 1857, this lighthouse was erected to aid vessels heading into the Port of Bangor and was the first river light in Maine. The Good: *Located inside 120-acre Fort Point State Park with lots of trails and a beach. *Listed in the National Register of Historic Places The Meh: *Not the most impressive lighthouse (only 2.5 stories tall [31ft]) I've seen, but it scratched an itch. *$4/per entrance fee person The Ugly: *Currently a private residence, so obviously no tours or even walking up to the lighthouse. Conclusion: Nice lighthouse in a swell park, but there's probably no need to go out of one's way to reconnoiter it.

Short detour from route Route 1 and worth it! Scenic views of the water, get up close to a…read morelighthouse (built in 1857), and see a fog bell tower (built in 1890). Entry & Admission: There are two parallel roads that both go to the lighthouse and park. One has the state park entrance sign, and a larger parking lot. The other has a very small parking lot but is closest to the lighthouse. We went to the later and there's an admission (cash). $4/adult for out of state residents, $1 for seniors and kids 5-11, under 5 are free. For Maine residents it's a dollar cheaper. There are also bathrooms at this entrance. What to see: Walk around the lighthouse, visit the bell tower, and checkout the fort. You cannot go into the lighthouse or the house, as these are private residences. What to bring: you could bike or picnic here too. Great stop to rest while traveling route 1!

Located on the quieter side of MDI, the place is a real find for vintage car enthusiasts. Many of…read morethe cars were either donated or came from private collections. The autos are in beautiful condition with many having been restored to their original likeness. The self guided tour takes about an hour. At the end of the tour, one of the employees gave my party and I a brief ride in a 1931 Model T which was just acquired by the Museum. The car has a 4 cylinder engine and provides about 80hp, and runs on a special 92 blended octane gasoline that has no alcohol in it. The stories and history behind these cars is amazing. Many of the styles were from manufacturers that were eventually bought out by other companies of the time, or went bankrupt.

Incredible collection! You'll be shocked at size and quality. There are some vehicles there where…read moreonly 2 or 3 were ever made! Great rainy day activity!

This spot was in the absolute middle of nowhere. If you are like us and staying in Bar Harbor, it…read morewas a long drive on one-lane roads with huge potholes to get here. We were in town during the off-season early May before everything tends to open back up about mid-month. So, nothing to eat and nothing to do. Town was deserted. The lighthouse is pretty - but it's not a hike to it, more of a short walk and rock scrabbling to get the instaworthy shot everyone wants. Small parking lot which I can see as a major problem during summer... we had no issues on May 2nd. There are a couple nearby hikes that can be found 2 minutes drive - with super small parking areas.

Great views particularly at sunset...but the small parking lot, which accommodates about 20…read morevehicles, can get full. During our visit, about 40 minutes before sunset mid-week in late August, we, along with about 4 other cars, patiently waited along Lighthouse Road while cars left in order to take their spots. It must have been good timing as about 5 cars left within about 10 minutes. The path from the west of the parking lot, takes you down directly to the lighthouse. The path to the east of the parking lot is very popular as you can take some stairs down to the rocky area which gives you some great views of the lighthouse set to the backdrop of the rising or setting sun. Note that the west path is fairly easy to navigate, but the east path has stairs. You then have to climb onto (some uneven) rocks in order to get a clear view of the lighthouse. This may be difficult for mobility-impaired individuals or those with strollers. Note that during our visit here we did NOT have to show any park pass to enter and park in this area.

We were staying in the area and wanted to do some activities unique to Maine and booked a sea kayak…read moretour. We've kayaked in Florida and MN a few times but this was the first time in open sea. Our guide was fantastic. She provided instruction and the necessary safety info accurately and got us on our way quickly. We kayaked around one of the porcupine islands. We had to watch for large boats through the main channels. One side of the island provided choppy paddling conditions which was 'fun' and unique. The other side of the island was much calmer and relaxed. Our guide provided interesting tidbits of info about the island as we progressed. I kind of wished we would have had a few designated photo ops areas. I didn't really feel like I could take my time to get my camera out as I needed to keep up or didn't want to miss what she was saying. As a result, no one in our group really took any pics. The kayaks were in good condition. We wore splash suits to minimize getting wet. If you are tall, the kayaks will likely be a bit uncomfortable for you (hard to adjust the foot rests). Nice morning on the water.

Our guide, Stella, did a great job showing us the harbor, sharing history, and introducing us to…read morethe flora and fauna. She was very composed and we always felt safe. We saw a seal and lots of cool birds! There were some little ones in our group and when one of the kayakers got tired she help pull their kayak without embarrassing them. She kept an eye out for dark clouds, but the weather stayed perfect. This was a sunset tour that ended with the most lovely sky.

We tried to go yesterday but it isn't open anymore. The bus driver told us they only open it for…read morecruise ships.

Had a great visit and a fantastic time learning from a very friendly team…read more The entire staff were extremely knowledgeable about everything touching to ocean marine life (especially Beth) I cannot believe I am the first person to leave a review.... a must do on a cooler or rainy day .... Cost was affordable, you don't have to blow your budgets to do something fun with the family. We had a great time and the state of Maine is just amazing and beautiful