I have been here three times this year, and every time, I walk out with something I didn't know I needed. This time it was a metal snow measurer with a pine tree on the top--darling and practical! The guys who work there are quick to wrap up things and are super nice and helpful. They showed me where to find a handicapped ramp for the entrance and did not make me feel weird about using it. Everything is so cute and well made--mostly of wood and just so practical--cutting boards, furniture, towel holders, riding toys, etc. I recommend this place to anyone. read more

Maine State Prison Showroom - A little lobster trap - Furniture Stores Near Me - Thomaston, Maine

This place can make memories. My first is when I was about 12 and we were on vacation in Maine and this was a stop. My parents bought my sister, and me wood jewelry boxes and we still have them, some 58 years later. Our last visit was a chance to do the same, memories for our grandchildren. This is a must stop place when you are in the area. Small shop, beautiful town and you are also supporting the creators. read more

What an interesting store, all homemade items made by inmates. So very unique woodworking items from kitchen utensils, tables, dressers to cute toys. Really enjoyed walking through the store seeing the beautiful custom creations. A few photos and different items from the movie Shawshank redemption, great movie! We bought a few items, great craftsmanship. read more

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Great handmade items. We return there as often as we can for unusual and well-crafted gifts.

each time i come to maine i stop here, great helpful staff and a fun place to shop. gac from virginia read more

This showroom has been designated as a must stop on each of many trips to the area. There is always something new and interesting along with carryovers that have proven to be popular. Though visited on a weekday, business seemed to be booming which is encouraging for the prisoners whose works of art are on display. read more

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Been coming here for 70 years or so- It is located near my late aunt's funeral home and my grandmothers upstairs apartment. Its always unique but still remains the same, with good quality hand crafted items and friendly inmates to sell them to you. Back in the day, the prison loomed next door and my relatives told me all sorts of stories (some of them may have been true) about the prison. A goodly number of my relatives are buried in the Village Cemetery. I love the place. read more

My wife and I visited the Maine State Prison Showroom on 09/29/2024 during our drive from Portland to Bar Harbor, and I'm so glad we made the stop. We had read about the store from an ad on the placemat at Moody's Diner, and it piqued our curiosity. The store is full of amazing handcrafted items made by inmates, including toys, furniture, and arts and crafts. We bought a guitar birdhouse, an acorn birdhouse, and a beautifully crafted wooden bowl. The quality of the items is exceptional, with professional craftsmanship, and the prices are very reasonable. The store wasn't busy, and the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. If you're looking for unique, well-made gifts, this is the perfect place! read more

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Make sure you stop here for high quality items made from wood. Cutting boards, rolling pins, Christmas ornaments, toys, cornhole games, furniture. You name it! Beautiful items, fantastic workmanship. I will be back on my next visitation Maine! read more

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We have been here before and they do not disappoint. If I could, I would, be buying the larger very well made items. Their products change so if you see something, buy it. It may not be there next time. Great place to buy regional items and give away as gifts. Great, well made cutting boards and lobster traps made in various colors and sizes. MSPS, thank you for what you do. The best to you and we will be back again if in the area. read more

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Just came to ensure this amazing place received another 5 star review... it is truly a gem and you do not want to miss it. Also to help the person who gave a 1 star review about the parking situation... there is a sign posted in front of the parking spaces that certain ones are for the antique shop next door. Yep, that antique shop owner comes across as rude, but it was NOT the staff at the showroom you were dealing with, they are truly outstanding. For those who still want to visit... there is a LARGE parking lot on the back of the building with ample space... and no mean dude. Please don't let that review sway you.... this place is awesome. I am bringing a moving truck next time! read more

A favorite stop when traveling to Maine! I love birdhouses and they have the best and a great price! So many beautiful items. If I wasn't flying home I would have bought side table. read more

I never pass up the opportunity to stop by the Maine state prison showroom. Its a hidden gem right on US 1. Every shop is an adventure and for anyone who loves wood and handmade wares as much as me, you will love it here too... I just wish there was more! There's cutting boards, toys, smarty pants joke toys, furniture, rugs, souvenirs, and more wares for the home. Everything is practical and useful, sprinkled with fun. They have beautiful birdhouses and lots of great cedar pieces to keep moths away and freshen up your drawers. And for added fun, they always hide Spud the escaped prisoner and offer 25% off to those who catch him. Always a fun time and the sense of humor here is subtle but off the shelves. The prices are actually incredibly decent too but can vary. I only wish they didn't shut down the sister showroom in Portland! read more

Good craftsmanship,solid products..bought this coffee table..rugged table,well built! read more

Maine State Prison Showroom - Great coffee table with anchor legs..rugged - Furniture Stores Near Me - Thomaston, Maine

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So this is the kind of unique place I like. It has lots of items crafted by the inmates, and the registers are also manned by the inmates of the state prison system. read more

Talk about a cool place to visit while in ME. This place has some of the best woodworking items As small as a wooden cutting board to an entire doll house. We were told that back when the prison was operationally. The prison had a woodworking department where the prisoners worked. The building has been around for over 150+ years but not always a Maine state prison showroom. Behind the building is where the prison sat for over 100+ years. When they knocked down the prison they buried it right where it stood. You can still see on of the prison's concert corners where the guards stood. The lot now is a park with a small fenced in potter's field I picked up myself a Shawshank prison t-shirt. For more history of the prison: https://www.maine.gov/corrections/adult-facilities/maine-state-prison/msp-history read more

Lots of cool woodworking items that make great gift. Prices are excellent. Third visit there in 20 years and always great things. Can't wait to go again. read more

Rude. There are about 12 parking spaces, 6 right beside the building, and 6 which are about 10 feet from the building. I parked in one of the further away ones, and as soon as I got out of the car, the owner or manager or whoever came out and started barking about how I'm parked in the wrong 6 car space, and started threatening to tow my car if I didn't move. Okay, I parked in the wrong space (not that they knew it, since they can't read minds). There was maybe one other car. Do they have to come scurrying out barking threats? Not going back, ever. read more

Maine state prison showroom is a nice showroom to experience. Behind the showroom near the parking area is a open field that was once the site of the old prison. In the left corner is a small portion of the original wall. Kind of neat to see. Inside is a variety of different hand made items all made by inmates. Beautiful furniture, toys, games, hand made cutting boards and wooden bowls. Also available are hand tied fishing lures, paintings and models of old time schooners and fishing trawlers. Everything is very reasonably priced and I'm led to believe the inmate who made the item gets a portion of the sale. The officer running the front counter told me the wood shop is the size of a football field. I guess there is a separate finishing shop. This is definitely a stop to make if your in the area. read more

Maine State Prison Showroom - Hand made bowls - Furniture Stores Near Me - Thomaston, Maine

Professionally crafted items. Really neat items for home and garden. Must stop by to visit, buy, or just look around. The craftsmanship on the items are incredible. To know that these men and women are doing something positive in their lives by making such magnificent items makes you feel happy that something good is coming out of something bad. read more

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This place is good news. Regardless of one's feelings one way or the other about prisons and prisoners, I hope we can all agree that keeping those who land in jail productively occupied and trained with marketable skills, is a good thing. With that in mind, consider a visit to this enormous showroom just filled to the rafters with a wide variety of wooden items all of which are made by inmates in Maine prisons. There are wooden toys, all kinds of tables, chairs and other furnishings, wooden bowls in a variety of sizes, chests, jewelry boxes, kitchen items, etc. If it can be made out of wood, chances are you will find it here. The quality of these items is generally really good. There is a lot to see here so give yourself some time to browse. The store is run by inmates and Department of Corrections personnel. On the day we visited one of the inmates was especially chatty and helpful to us. He did share that he had been incarcerated for the last 15 years which is a mind-boggling amount of time to me. Clearly he's doing well as he is being trusted to be out and about working in the store. He was proud of the workmanship of the items sold and seemed equally proud of his role as one of the sales staff. With Christmas around the corner this would be a fine place to look for some unique gifts for kids or adults. Prices are quite reasonable. When you check in here on your smartphone Yelp app you'll get a coupon good for 10% off your purchases. I like supporting this endeavor and helping those who are incarcerated to learn what it's like to feel good about something positive that they do that results in something beautiful they've created. read more

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This is a truly unique store operated by the Maine DOC, which sells high quality handcrafted goods made by the prisoners at the Maine State Prison. I was here 20 years ago on a vacation and my family purchased a bunch of neat gifts. I stopped in here yesterday to check out the showroom. This store has lots of pretty cool merchandise (mostly woodwork items) including furniture (finished & unfinished), shelves, chests, toys, games, dollhouses, wood carved paintings, bird feeders, kitchen items, model ships, wood carvings, jewelry boxes, lamps, clocks, apparel, and more. The inmates have done a great job creating beautiful works of art and furnishings out of wood. The prices are fairly reasonable. I wish I was driving a big truck because I saw some great deals for large items such as a 5 drawer pine dresser ($289.95), wooden rocking horse ($169.95), and a decorative wood coffee table ($109.95) and wanted to make those purchases for my home. I ended up buying a small checkers jewelry box ($24) for the roadtrip. The Maine State Prison Showroom is definitely a great place to check out. Just bring a large vehicle or U-Haul truck if you're seriously shopping for furnishings since they cannot ship their "prison made" goods out of state. HOURS: OPEN 9-5 DAILY NOTES: No pets and no photos allowed inside the showroom. read more

Maine State Prison Showroom - Furniture Stores Near Me - Thomaston, Maine

A great place to stop into and pick up some very wood or iron crafts from furniture to toys at great prices. This store sells items that have been made by prisoners in Maine and has been operating for over a hundred years. I think it is a great program to positively focus people on learning and refining a craft while giving them and opportunity to make some money. The program has been very successful and deserves support. The prices and for many pieces quality are great as well!!! Quality - 4 - It varies with the experience and talent of the craftsman. Some are excellent! Atmosphere - 4 - Housed in a old brick building it has a large selection and it gives any customer a positive feeling talking to the staff and seeing the workmanship. Service - 5 - Very Friendly staff and low pressure. Price - 5 They have some great buys for all ages and genders. It's also for a good and worthy cause. Having the opportunity I would definitely come back. If I could transport it home I would have bought a good bit more. Unfortunately they can't ship out of state due to prison regulations that they are governed under even though they are not even close to the prison any more.i read more

Quality products at a reasonable price with amazing customer service. Highly recommend.

Every trip to MidCoast ME has to include this stop. Anything I have purchased is of top quality or maybe unique or whimsical. I've got my holiday list in hand, and just hope the items are available when I arrive later this month! Clean, well-organized with a friendly staff. See you soon!!! read more

Really amazing items. The quality and variety can't be beat. The prices were beyond fair. The purpose and mission of the store also is noble. What a great idea. I am so glad I stopped in. read more

I would like a doll house ,for a special girl.please help me.Barbara Danforth babskd@aol.com.

These guys make awesome furniture and such great quality at reasonable prices. Much of it has a Maine these such as super nice Adirondack chairs or the lobster trap table. I bought several bird houses for mom and me and the acorn birdhouse with the small hole gets used by new birds every year. They make so much nice stuff that I make it a point to visit on my way through. Definitely worth the stop. read more

Great stuff. Top quality. Historic showroom. Worthy cause. Win/win. Thank you. Going to come back and buy more stuff for sure.

One of my favorite stops of my whole vacation! The woodworking was amazing. The prisoners are very talented. The prices are AMAZING! There were prisoners working in the store with a few guards but they were friendly and helpful. The guard explained how everything worked to us. There are some ruins behind the store of the former prison site. There are cute little things in front of the store that you can take your picture with. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Beautiful wood working . And the pricing can't be beat. A great place to look around for some things you didn't know you wanted! Great prices on cutting boards! read more

I visited there while making a trip up Route 1. Amazing craftsmanship. Hand painted corn hole games were great. Furniture, nick-nacks, something for everyone. Wish they had a web site, I would buy more and have it shipped read more

Excellent customer service! Great handmade and original products of all sorts. I recommend this place to anyone who likes arts and crafts!

Inexpensive wood worked projects that are beautifully done. Avoid the bird houses though, they don't hold up well in Maine winters. The cribbage boards are works of art, as are some of the coffee tables. The talent that goes in to some of these pieces is amazing. I have done much of my Christmas shopping here for the last several years. I've never been disappointed! read more

Way better than license plates. The Showroom sells craft projects made by inmates; they learn some skills (mostly woodworking), and the money goes to fund the prisons, plus "crime restitution, and child support". The workmanship varies wildly --- some pieces are amazing art, others would get a B- or C+ in middle-school shop class. Model ships, dressers, wardrobes, birdhouses, cutting boards, Christmas ornaments, novelty canes with wood-saw handles, awkwardly self-referential T-shirts, and table lamps shaped like outhouses all have their place here. Some of the work is good for a laugh, some is good for the inmates, and some is just plain good --- this place is definitely worth a stop. read more

This is a seriously cool place. The walls are lined with wooden ships carved by the inmates of Maine State Prison and a life-sized wooden motorcycle complete with rider adorns the front window. In this shop, the inmates run customer service with guards posted around the shop. I expected to be uncomfortable, to be honest, but I found the men to be extremely warm and helpful, making sure we found what we were looking for and helping me carry my purchases. I could easily spend a few hours here - the woodwork is exquisite, and the pricing is outstanding. We ended up with a carved lobster boat model, a toy dumptruck, a cutting board, and a wooden mounted moose head. This is a must-stop for me whenever I am back in this area of Maine. In fact, I'd go out of my way for this place. I recommend this shop without reservation for someone looking for a unique and well-made, handcrafted gift, souvenir, or household neccessity. Another plus? They are up with the times! I got 10% off by checking in with my Yelp app. I found it fascinating that this is the very first place that I've been able to get a check-in coupon! Well done, showroom, well done! read more

Such an amazing store with so many amazing pieces of woodwork for unbeatable prices! We came well out of our way to stop by and although we only bought a couple of things we had so much fun looking at all the pieces. Plenty of high quality, low priced items for use at home or to bring to friends as gifts! read more

Maine State Prison Showroom - Sign - Furniture Stores Near Me - Thomaston, Maine

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My wife and I recently moved to Maine and we could not be happier. At our retired ages, finding all these new things to see and do in Mid-Coastal Maine will keep us busy for many years to come. One of the bright stars of the Coast has to be the Maine Prison Store. I'm a retired cabinetmaker having designed, finished, and installed hundred of projects from soup to nuts for 30 years. I'm even in an architectural college textbook so I know what I'm doing. I'm not too proud to say that the products we discovered at this store were as good if not better than some of mine. They would most certainly give me a good run for the money, anyway. While I could have easily decided to make them I ended up purchasing 2 tall Cherry dressers for our new bedroom at a cost of $1500. Everything from the wood selection (nice combo of heartwood and sapwood) and each dovetail in the drawers AND the frame were perfectly executed. These were properly hand made, too, not some machine produced pieces. I could clearly see the hand work as if it were my own. The finish, too, was a nicely done lacquer. When I finally put them together in the bedroom they elevated the entire decor of the entire room. They exude a simple elegance with softened edges, present delicate top edges and the finish allows the wood to say what it has to say. Wow, we're so pleased. We were looking for pieces that would say, "We're from Maine" without having pieces of bark still on them. These fit the bill. Rest assured we'll be returning to fill in a number of other empty areas. Dollar for dollar you will not find furniture of any higher quality and friendly service to boot! Thanks! read more

Awesome store. Great, well made wood products made by inmates from the Maine State Prison. Extremely reasonably priced and very well made. They have everything from wooden yo-yos for a couple bucks to solid wooden apolstered chairs for a hundred bucks. We got a bunch of wooden toys and wooden kids chairs. They have cutting boards, furniture, toys, boxes, crafts, canes, and almost anything you can dream up made of wood. Great stuff. Friendly staff, very helpful. Excellent store, everything is made by the inmates. Most items are even stamped made by inmates from the Maine State Prison. We will be back every year to buy more. Super prices. $20 for a kids wooden Adirondack chair, incredible. read more

This is the best place for any kind 'of handcrafted wood items. we have purchased 2 cutting boards and had to come back for the third which is the XL 20"x30" for $49. I don't think you can find a cutting board that size and quality for $49. There are also corner hutches coffee tables, book shelves, cedar chest, jewelry boxes, chairs, desks, kitchen island, and much more at great unbelievable prices. Did I mention excellent quality. Bring a truck if you want to buy furniture. read more