Lovely little children's play museum located in the center of Bangor. Free admission with ASTC…read morereciprocal program which made it a lovely break on our drive to Bar Harbor. A lot of pretend play areas, three floors but easily done in about 60-90 minutes for our 5 and 7 year olds. Agree with the others who thought this was better for the preschool and early elementary crowd than older kids. Great also at the last hour of the day Saturday when it was mostly empty.

So much fun! Can't believe I didn't know this was in Bangor. There are 3 floors of super fun…read moreactivities for kiddos

We were looking for things to do, and my wife came across the Cole Land Transportation Museum. She…read moresaid it had trains, and we both love trains (who doesn't?) so we made the trip. After paying the entrance fee, they do offer a free "scavenger hunt" placard divvied out by easy, medium, and hard. They each have photos of emblems or things for you to try and locate throughout the whole facility. You then write them down under the pictures with your erasable marker. The Cole family made their fortune in the trucking industry and eventually sold the business in the 90s. A very loving family, and after seeing and reading about Cole Transportation, seemed like a wonderful place to work for that treated their customers and employees right. The patriarch of the family eventually established the idea for the museum, and got to work. The museum has many aspects of transportation within, and lots of Maine background stories. There's Snowplows, Fire Equipment, Farm Equipment, Cars, Trains, Military, Construction vehicles, Sleighs, and so much more. The signage gives everything you'd want to know about the vehicles and artifacts, and if you want more info, any of the volunteers (most, if not all are military veterans) can probably answer your questions. If you have young children, you'll probably be in and out of here as I'd have to bet that most young children would be relatively quickly bored even with the variety of exhibits. But, my wife and I actually spent several hours slowly going up and down each aisle so we could get a good look at everything. The place was not full at all. The museum says they sponsor many school trips there and "be a friend to a veteran" talks. They sponsor essay writing contests with topics such as "What Freedom Means to Me." They have pictures of their former 18-wheelers with patriotic slogans painted on the sides entered by school children and voted on by committee. This museum shouts out loud that you're proud to be an American and able to live the American Dream. It's $7 for adults to enter, and all children are free. Well worth it and very happy to support local businesses. FYI, we ended up finding just over half of the "hard" scavenger hunt items. We'll have to look for more next time.

By no means am I a transportation enthusiast, but for $7, I got a lot out of it and had a good…read moretime. There is quite the collection of various modes of transportation (tractors, cars, sleighs, buses, train cars, etc.). Our group of twenty-somethings had a great time learning and enjoying the various photo ops. I can see people of all ages enjoying this museum.

perfect for kids! So helpful to have in the neighborhood. The bad reviews were for an old museum…read morethat has since closed. this one is new and amazing!

This Museum does not deserve 3 stars! its an AMAZING place! they fully renovated it and my toddler…read moreadores it, she could play there for hours! it's extremely clean and the staff is friendly!!

A great little gem on the coast of Maine. It was worth the long drive we took to get there but if…read moreyou are headed up the coast, you should make sure to stop. They have quite a number of buildings with exhibits in each and docents to help you along the way. They've done an extremely nice job with their presentation and items. And if you like boats, they have lots of boats and boat history! For me, having grown up in New England with family that goes back several hundred years, looking at some of the antique furniture was like looking at my childhood home :)

Local gem. Historic buildings. Fun to take the kids. You can spend hours or you can take a quick…read morekid friendly trip. It is a nonprofit in a small town and being from DC I didn't mind paying admission for a smaller museum. Kids can interact with some of the exhibits. They also offer kid friendly programs. Make sure to visit the historic church First Congregation on the property. It was a nice day and kids could also use the pond to steer remote control boats. Great stop in a charming town.

I am doing an update to my review because most recently we were able to go on the all-day Head of…read morethe Lake cruise rather than one of the shorter ones. Many similarities to the shorter cruises exist: the ticket buying an departure process, the available seating and the narration provided by history teacher Ben. Due to the constraints of needing a larger crew and the logistics of the meals offered, slightly fewer tickets are sold and it only took place once this year. The cruise sells out, so reserve early if you can. This year the cost was $90 per person, which may have been the senior price. As you are boarding at 10:00, they are serving coffee and hot water for tea or cocoa, and three kinds of juices. There is also a continental breakfast assortment: pastries, blueberry cake, yogurt and granola and fruit. After everyone including the crew have been served, they allow people to get seconds. Sometime after 1:00 they served a turkey dinner. The turkey itself seemed dry and slightly overdone to me, but turkey is not my thing. The mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash and canned veggies were fine. A roll and gravy tops the meal off, and dessert was pie and vanilla ice cream or canned whipped topping. I had the blueberry pie and it was fine. Water or soda comes with the meal, but they also sell wine and beer in the galley. The rest is the scenery up to the head of the lake and back again, the stories behind older businesses and legends that have been passed around about people in the region. And of course the history of the Katahdin boat itself,

What a marvelous way to spend time on Moosehead lake! We have been staying at a cabin on Moosehead…read moreyearly for 4 years now and this was our first venture on the Katahdin, taking the 3 hour Sugar Island tour. As another Yelper mentioned, the ship is boarded by calling out names (I do believe in order of purchase,) so no need to get there early to grab a good seat (not a bad seat in the house), but parking is limited so you may want to arrive earlier to secure a spot in the lot. Tickets can be purchased right there at the museum/gift shop ahead of time or online. They have a really good food and beverage selection ( a menu is provided when boarding) , or you can bring your own food (but not your own alcohol-that is for sale onboard). We brought our lunch but did purchase some sodas (long slow moving line). We sat on the bow for most of the journey there and back, but also walked around to check out the views from different vantage points. There are lots of photos and historical items scattered throughout. The way out is narrated with historical and other facts and landmarks. The way back is not narrated as they are doing tours of the engine room and the bridge. The captain and crew were friendly, jovial and knowledgeable. We loved the opportunity to steer the ship! Awesome experience. I would highly recommend this trip to not only get a different perspective of Maine's largest lake and it's surroundings, but to fully appreciate its enormity and beauty. Breathtaking. The ticket also includes a visit to the Maritime museum right at the dock. Fantastic all around!

Do you like helicopters and airplanes (large and small)? Do…read moreyou like history? Do you like meeting great people? Do you like driving? The Crate Museum is off the beaten path (almost in Bangor, ME), but is an absolutely grassroots-created museum and well maintained by people (Ross family) who honestly wish to share Charles Lindbergh's realized dream of flying solo across the Atlantic in 1927 with anyone and everyone with a dream. The museum itself IS the crate in which the plane fuselage was shipped back to the states from Europe. It includes a collection of the history behind the flight and the delivery of the crate to the Ross residence. Outside the crate are inspirational quotes posted onto the trees, a beautiful view toward the southeast, a motivational carrot ... and the fresh Maine air and woods. The museum can be visited at any time, but the best way to experience the museum is by attending CRATE DAY (early June, call for exact dates and times), which most recently was today. WHAT IS CRATE DAY Crate Day is a small, but nationally recognized "Fly-Over" event where military planes and helicopters fly over, but the helicopters stick around. There is a maze, an amazing flag demonstration, a fire truck, a state trooper, old cars, hot rods, [bring cold water and lunch!] Other "presentation" people are invited to share their hobbies (illustration, stone carving, metal art, model airplanes/helicopters, Engineers without Borders) with the crowd of maybe 200 people. WHY This day highlights the Ross family who honestly want people, especially youngsters (elementary school), to realize that they have the ability to achieve anything they believe they can do. It just takes a little encouragement, a little motivation (perhaps by carrot). BETTER THAN YOU'D EXPECT Man, and it is spectacular! Mostly locals attend, but the effort put into the day has clearly made its mark -- + by the helicopter landing pad that was recently built to allow a second helicopter to stick around, + by US soldiers who fly for 6 hours from VIRGINIA to MAINE on a historic Chinook helicopter, + by the "Spirit of Canaan", the little plane RIDE on a zip line (so fun) and of course + by the genuine excitement felt by everyone there The highlight for me was all the learning I did today. I learned that those military helicopters are difficult to sit in (I hit my head on every surface trying to squeeze in), that being 15 ft in the air inside a thin wooden box of a "plane" is scary, that model helicopters cost an arm and a leg but they rock, and that the kids actually take something positive away from this great event (1 young guy who had come to Crate Day 5 years ago decided to come back just to let Larry Ross know that the day made an impact on him and he'll never forget it). Wow. Though it might take eight years to make it up to Canaan ME for Crate Day, you'll be glad you did.

Not to be confused with the Fort Knox that holds the gold. This was a cool side trip…read more Located on the west bank of the Penobscot River in Prospect, Maine, in an area known as the Penobscot Narrows. Fort Knox is one of the best-preserved military fortifications on the New England seacoast. The fort has many unique architectural features and a rich history behind its walls. It is America's first fort named after Major General Henry Knox. ​ During the country's infancy, Maine was repeatedly involved in northeast border disputes with British Canada. In fact, the area between Castine and the rich lumber city of Bangor was invaded and occupied by the British during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Fort Knox was established in 1844 to protect the Penobscot River Valley against a possible future British naval incursion. It was designed by Chief Engineer Joseph Totten, with a number of other engineers serving as superintendents of construction from 1844 - 1869, among them Isaac Ingalls Stevens and Thomas L. Casey. The fort was named for Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War, who was born in Boston but retired to Thomaston, Maine, in 1796. The fort garrisoned its first troops from 1863 to 1866. These troops were mostly volunteers undergoing training before being sent to their active posts and included members of the celebrated 20th Maine. Troops were briefly stationed at the fort during the Spanish-American war in 1898 but never saw military action. If you're in the area and enjoy history, especially military history it's worth your time to tour.

Stumbled upon this gem during our drive back from Bar Harbor to New York City. Located about an…read morehour west of Bar Harbor/Acadia along Route 1. Saw a beautiful bridge and signs for "Fort Knox" observatory and headed toward that direction. Admission to the Fort alone is about $6.50 for out-of-state visitors and combined with the bridge observatory (recommended) is about $9.50. After paying the fees at the gate, you can either head to explore the fort or down toward the bridge's observatory deck. There is a separate parking area for the bridge observatory. Once there, you head down along the path to the bridge's tower entrance. You then take an elevator up to the top. From there, there are two short flights of stairs to get to the top/observatory section. The views there are spectacular...more than worth the nominal price of admission. The elevator operators/greeters were both super nice and very informative. The fort itself is also great with lots of area to explore on multiple levels. The top and bottom levels offer some great view of the Penobscot River. The gift shop there is also nice...lots of souvenir and snack options. All staff we encountered were very nice and helpful.

Great small museum showcasing the history of the Kathadin and Moosehead area. The entrance to the…read moremuseum is included with a ticket cruise on the Kathadin. Fascinating and illuminating museum to further appreciate the past and the largest lake in Maine. While one could spend hours here, it only takes 30 mins or so to thoughtfully go through. The staff is very helpful and friendly. Well worth a stop in. Adjacent gift shop.

We were up in Greenville (first time) recently to celebrate a birthday off-gridding it in a cabin…read moreon Lower Wilson Pond, and doing the tourist-thang by catching the "Kate" for a 3-hour tour of Moosehead Lake. We popped into the Moosehead Marine Museum to purchase tickets for the Kathadin boat ride, and to see what the museum had to enlighten us history-wise on Greenville and Moosehead Lake. The museum itself is a simple, singular room, just beyond the entrance counter, to the right. It's a very compact yet concise opportunity to view the marine history of Maine's largest lake, and its steamboat-making history. We totally enjoyed viewing the historic photos, film clips, tools of the trade, and information on the area's historical significance to the state. For us, as first-timers to the region, it was very fascinating history! The museum is free, so why not check it out if you're in this neck of the woods...!

Meh. Not worth the $10…read more It's small and underwhelming. I guess I guess I gave it an extra star on account of the fact that it's cool they support the local native Americans. But to go just for that isn't the best idea. They need to put more on display for the price. It should be two dollars to get in. That's all.

This is more history than museum to me. Native made tools and canoes and clothing…read more Many baskets. And a chronology Of the mistreatment of the five original tribes here in Maine. Actually still fighting for rights over a local River. The white man just takes and takes. I found it to be hard to stay long. There is a Military and Senior discount available.

Loved visiting here. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We loved the tank with sea stars and…read morehorseshoe crabs.

Absolutely LOVED visiting here…read more Alex our tour guide in the Aquarium center did a phenomenal job! She was informative and gave us a private tour showing us all the animals. I learned that there is a very rare cotton candy lobster and an orange and blue colored ones too! They have a 10 year old female named "Big Mama" and she is going to give birth to a thousand eggs! There is a small one year old lobster and a 5 year old. I learned so much about about the aquatic animals and got to touch slugs, starfish, sea cucumbers and more! Highly recommend supporting educational institutions like this! Enjoy this lovely place while visiting Acadia Bational Park!