Definitely not as shiny as the children's museum in Portland, but my daughter (4.5yo) loves this…read moremuseum. She really likes the dress up clothes. It's a fun place to play for a couple of hours and reasonably priced.

Small place with well set up rooms and many activities to try out and play with. The staff was…read morewarm, friendly and entertaining. Came with three children under 7. We will be back!

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!

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.

This museum is remarkable, all because of Steve Haynes. He has an extensive workshop and also…read moreoffers tours for whoever shows up at no cost (donations accepted). We got a private 1 hour tour of his historical collection of memorobilia *and* we got to actually split some granite ourselves. Very interactive, and we got some polished stones to take home. This tour was absolutely the highlight of my 4 year old son's trip (mine also). There is a whole setup for school groups, so there is a lot here for kids to see and do. We so enjoyed talking with Steve, he answered all our questions. His extensive collection of photos and his knowledge of the history of Maine's granite industry is fascinating. This is a *must do* for anyone nearby, and be sure to leave a generous donation.

Incredible! One of our favorite things that we did on our whole Acadia trip and we only decided…read moreto go there because we were doing the Junior Park Ranger program and needed to visit a museum, go on a boat ride, etc. I was expecting it to be a 2/10 max but it was for sure a 10/10. When you pull up, you will also have low expectations, but do not let that fool you: this place is a gem! The guide, Steve is brilliant, friendly, entertaining, and you will find yourself becoming as fascinated by granite as he is. He also has a multitude of other rock samples in his three room museum including a real megalodon tooth! You will not be disappointed by this stop. There is a donation box instead of tickets and we found ourselves digging into our car cash stash to give more than the money we had in our wallet. It's just that good.

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!

Very nice surprise. Mechanic who was working on car gave me a tour. Very friendly. Old cars and a…read morevery good collection of cars. Very friendly people. In the middle of nowhere too.

We attended the 27th edition of this arts and craft show in June, 2023. Though the skies were…read morethreatening the festival was well attended. The variety of arts and crafts offered proved to impressive as well as its waterfront location. There was a band performing under the gazebo that we enjoyed as well.

It is a very interesting and beautiful house. Bright & airy. Meticulously restored. Elegant yet…read morewarm and friendly. Incredible woodwork throughout the house. Lots of thoughtful amenities throughout. It's a treat to stay at this house.

ORIGIN: In the course of preserving a landmark home that…read moresits on top of a hill overlooking the Penobscot Bay, Justin Cooper, a co-owner/musician, has recently transformed the enclosed front porch into a music and special event venue. The site named after the towering elm trees that populate the town. CONCEPT: The event space brings life back into the former 18,000 square foot circa 1895 residential building, and provides a community music venue in which neighbors can gather and hear a variety of musicians from across the country. EXPERIENCE: I experienced a performance of the Young Fables, a musical and real life female/male duo formed by Laurel Wright and Wes Lunsford. The duo was on tour in the region, and hail from Tennessee. They had been solicited by The Elms at Castine owner to perform two consecutive summer nights. Justin Cooper introduced the duo, and set an expectation that everyone would hear the entire performance. The makeshift performance space is narrow, holding 12 large round tables, each accompanying four guests. To further reduce distractions, a fifteen minute intermission was scheduled between the 8:30-10:30 PM performance. The intermission allowed time for community connections, which is a significant component of events at The Elms at Castine. Given the residential building most recently served as an inn, there is a bar near the performance area, and guests are able to bring their purchases to their assigned tables. In speaking to homeowners in the community, it is clear that they appreciate the addition of an evening entertainment venue. I was impressed by the talent of the duo, Laurel's voice, and Wes's guitar playing, an opinion shared by the audience. Although an audiophile, such as my husband or professional musician could notice some acoustic issues due to the makeshift performance environment, it was not apparent to me. TIPS: Upcoming performances are listed on the website, and tickets can sell out quickly. By clicking "buy on map" customers can view and select seats that are available. There is an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant ramp to help those who need it, but to avoid interior steps into the main performance space those with disabilities will need to reserve a special, limited "VIP" seating area that overlooks the enclosed porch. Unfortunately this area currently demands an additional charge, 50% more than the $40 general admission.

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.