Lots of cool stuff to look at and interesting history to go over. Not a very large museum but super…read morecool to walk around if you want to learn about lighthouses and have a spare 30 minutes. Cool place

Shedding Light on the Subject…read more The nation's largest lighthouse museum located in touristy Rockland, Maine. The Good: *Tours available *Huge collection of artifacts and Fresnel lenses *Nice gift shop *Park Street Grille located in same building The Meh: *Admission $12/adults; $8/seniors; $6/military; & kids 12 and under free. *Seasonal March - December (check their FB page before visiting or call) *Not the biggest museum we've ever been to as you can probably be in and out in around an hour. The Ugly: *Parking can be difficult during busy times of year (i.e., summer) Conclusion: Nice museum for lighthouse lovers like ourselves. If you happen to be in town then it's worth a visit, but not necessarily go out of your way for.

Super cool museum with a great collection of all things related to steam and sail ships. The owner…read moreis a super nice, knowledgeable guy who was welcoming and easy to talk to. Definitely a go to spot if you're spending any time in Rockland or the surrounding areas. A+

We went to the museum today at the request of my son (5y/old) and had a hideous experience…read more The person manning the museum who I conclude is the "Captain" others reference was exceptionally rude to our party (4 adults 1 child). At one point, trembling with rage after chasing my family in his mobility device, he advised my husband, small child, and myself that the $10/pp "suggested donation" was mandatory and due before leaving the vestibule. This was the 4th time he approached me about paying his "suggested donation." I had every plan to pay before leaving but didn't know whether my husband or friends had already paid something and wanted to catch up with them. He followed me and my son around the building to confront me repeatedly. He further accused my family of exploiting his hospitality and screamed at us for failing to pay (we had both assured him we would pay the suggested donation before leaving). The guy is a nut with an anger problem and I can't recommend taking a child. Avoid.

The bowling alley only has a few lanes but super fun, and the even have bumpers for the kids!…read moreReally clean inside. Surprisingly, the food is really good. They have quite a few options. Pizza, fries, and fried pickles are delicious! There are also a bunch of pool tables. Last, but not least, they have a small arcade that my son loves. Thy can win tickets for some fun prizes.

As a person who goes to entertainment venues, We do ratings a lot. This place is by far the worst…read moreyet. The employee was very rude today when we asked if we could not be on the end lane due to being crowded by a group of 5-6 grown men drinking. We attended with out 2 small children. There was 2-3 empty lanes on the left. The lady refused us because there was a tournament going on in the middle lanes. The lane we wanted to switch two was 2 lanes away from this group to the left. Mind you we had to make reservations to come here! And having to pay over $70 to go bowling with our children to be spoken to like we where in front of our children! The place should be ashamed! Let's add how small and cram packed they put the individuals that where there as well as the smell and looks of the place. Shameful. Will not be back there again!

The Knox Museum is a true historical gem, not only for the small town of Thomaston, but for the…read moreentire state of Maine. The museum does an OUTSTANDING job of preserving the memory and legacy of founding father Henry Knox whom - to be frank - I was not familiar with at all (other than the one name drop he receives in the Hamilton musical). General Knox was born in 1750. In 1775, General George Washington chose Knox as his Chief of Artillery. He spent most of the Revolutionary War by Washington's side and following the war, he was chosen to be the first Secretary of War. Knox's Revolutionary War accomplishments include leading the expedition to transfer sixty tons of captured British cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, directing Washington's famous Delaware River crossing, and taking charge of the placement of the artillery at Yorktown. In 1795, Knox retired to a large tract of land, located in what is now Thomaston, Maine which his wife had inherited from her mother. On this land, they built an elaborate nineteen-room mansion and named it "Montpelier". The original Montpelier was torn down in 1871, but an exact replica was pain-stakenly built in its place in 1929 by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The Montpelier Museum now houses many of the objects Knox kept in the original mansion that was donated by his descendants (including Marie Antoinnete's book case which is a whole wild story I'd never heard of before but is worth googling). A really interesting find and amazing legacy that Genera Knox has left behind in coastal Maine. If y'all ever find yourself up there I recommend making a visit! The museum and tour were a highlight of our most recent Maine trip.

It is so delightful to talk to volunteers who are so dedicated to their work. The Knox Museum is a…read morebeautiful building that was lovingly reconstructed and refurnished through tireless work by the volunteers, trustees and donations. We attended the annual Christmas Gala to see the decorations, which were beautiful, but the real fun was learning the stories of the building and its occupants from such enthusiastic volunteers. It was a lovely evening and we will certainly return again.

DO NOT GO ON THE WOODLAND TRAIL! My husband and I are outside people. We hike, camp, take our dog…read moreto the woods every day. The sculpture path was lovely, but the woodland trail was the most miserable walk either of us has ever taken. We are not stupid. Bugs live in the woods. But this was horrible. We put on deep woods bug spray before we left and still spent the entire time desperately swatting away mosquitoes. At one point we both had to run after being bitten by bees. I now have a swollen bleeding bite on my calf. It was disgusting. Definitely go. The sculpture park was lovely. Just stay out of the woods.

We visited this preserve on our way back from Rockland, and it was worth the detour. What seems to…read morebe another trail in the middle of nowhere is actually filled with over a dozen large-scale wooden sculptures by Maine-born artist Bernard Langlais. The pieces are beautiful and all found around the preserve's entrance, so you don't have to walk much to see them all. There's a cute visitor center with postcards and other things for sale, exhibits, and even a short film to learn more about the artist's life. The young woman working the exhibit was so kind and welcoming--she gave us a quick history lesson about the space and the art. We learned that many of the sculptures will eventually become one with the Earth due to the elements and Langlais's wish not to repair them. The art preserve is free, but there is a $10 suggested donation.

Fun! We based our…read moresummer family vacation around the Lobster festival and used Camden and Lincolnville as our base camp to explore. We had a good time but were a little disappointed honestly bc, while it's not small, it wasn't as large as we anticipated. There is one main tent that has steamed lobster as well as several soups and chowders. Nearby is also a line for lobster rolls and you a get lobster nachos and such. There was a cute tent with merchandise which was pretty well stocked with mugs, hats, magnets, t-shirts and tons of other cute lobster-themed goodies. Some food trucks scattered about offered other options and there were a good 20-30 vendors selling other wares and crafts.

From Reno, Nv. we flew into Portland, ME. to the Maine Lobster Festival. Yes, finally scratching…read morethis off my bucket list. Festival runs from July 30- August 3rd. The Festival is located at Rockland's Harbor Park, is easy to find on Main Street. There is FREE parking at South Elementary School (30 Broadway, Rockland, ME) where a free shuttle bus will take you downtown to the Festival. Buses run every 30 minutes or less. Entrance gates are located on Main Street and Park Street. It was sprinkling our first day at the festival therefore the lines were nonexistent; loved it! I was here for the Lobstah but there were quite a lot of food vendors if I wanted to have fish, chicken or pork. A lot of drink options as well, boba, beer, lemonade and plenty of other soft drinks. We purchased the 3 lobster dinner for 85 dollars it came with a corn in the cob, hot drawn butter, slaw, bib, salt, pepper, 1 napkin, 1 wet wipe and a plastic wobbly pick I'm guessing to aid with getting the lobster out of the shell(useless). We also got a Shore dinner for 59, which came with 1 lobster, big steamed clams, corn on the cob, chowder of your choice, they had about 5 different types, we got the haddock, it was chunky and had a lot of flavor.They sell lobster crackers for 8 dollars shaped like a claw but they are also useless without a real handle and once you get butter on them, which it's inevitable, they get slippery and you have the 1 thin paper napkin to work with. Anyway, BYO cracker and napkins; Messy transaction but lots of fun! They have a tent with lots of arts and crafts. Local artists showcase their work and it's all available for purchase. I saw a few ladies selling knitted items and home made jewelry too. So many beautiful things, you're sure to find something for everyone to take home. All people working here are volunteers and they are sweet and friendly. I plan on returning for sure. It was a super chill and fun experience. Loved it!

A lovingly curated small museum that celebrates the rich history of this midcoast Maine town.read more

It's a little building by the side of the road but it is only open in the afternoons and we got…read morethere too early and didn't want to wait around. It's in an old school house and reputedly has some very interesting bits and pieces about the history of the township. It has its own parking lot but gets a bit muddy if it rains, so it doesn't look very wheelchair accessible to me.

You can find the Olson House at 427 Hathorne Point Rd, Cushing, ME 04563. There's some limited…read moreparking behind the apple orchard but presumably you can also park along the access roads. This is a residential neighborhood so please be respectful. If you aren't an art historian you may wonder why the Olson House is worth visiting? The key is Andrew Wyeth - who painted many scenes of the house, the family and local vignettes. One of the most iconic paintings done by an American artist is "Christina's World" which features the building's on the Olson's property. Luckily the property was obtained by the local Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland who has started a much needed restoration (at one point the house was a Wyeth museum but it's fallen to hard times prior to the acquisition). The house sits on multiple acres of land and the property includes several buildings - the house and barn are rendered in the painting. Much of the structures' original pigment gave way to the elements, apparently during the Depression so it holds a beautiful gray-weathered patina. The primary structure is mostly intact (a chimney has been removed but I believe the plan is to replace it at some point). As you walk around you can get a sense of the home from when Wyeth rendered the painting. You can walk around the property but be aware that if you try to view the buildings using Wyeth's painting's perspective, you'll be in a field that's private property not owned by the Farnsworth. We took a chance and walked out which I think is okay as long as you're not loud or disrespectful. Also in the field is the cemetery where Andrew and Betsy Wyeth are prominently resting - towards the water in the rear there's a headstone for Christina and her brother Alvero. There are several markers around the property identifying points of interest as well as color and restoration studies. I also spied some hops growing between the main building and boat house (I believe it's the kitchen) - I'm betting that at some point there was some homebrew being made, possibly by Alvero. In all, a great place to visit, especially prior to going to the Farnsworth as it provides a lot of context. Kudos to the museum for preserving this property!

Our morning on the Wyeth Experience tour was well worth $50. Six of us began the tour with Nancy at…read morethe Farnsworth and got background on several paintings by the three Wyeths. Then a half hour van ride driven by delightful David to the Olson House while Nancy shaed stories en route. Throughout the tour Nancy overflowed with history and stories gleaned from 30 years working at Olson House. The spare house is a wonder, and we loved wandering through each room with its beautiful light, all three floors. we even jogged down to the little cemetery where Andrew, Christina Olson, and others are buried.