A small and intimate museum, but very well curated! I visited for the Looking For America and…read moreAmerican Conversations exhibits. I liked that these exhibits didn't just feature art that was conventionally pretty, but rather featured works that were more provocative. This surprised me considering the museum is relatively small; I expected more traditional and old-fashioned works. I felt like each piece challenged the idea of what it truly means to be American. As an added bonus, the museum grounds are GORGEOUS. They are a must-explore when visiting Ogunquit. Next time I will bring a picnic blanket and plan to spend the day there. I think you can even take a dip in the ocean on their pebble beach. Overall such an amazing experience.

Recent visit for the Flower Sculpting Show. They pair paintings with floral sculptures . I had…read morenever been. Admission was 15.00 and included a ballot to vote for our favorite. It was honestly hard to pick. There is lots of room in each room to really study the art despite the amount of people there. The view of the ocean as you walk in is its own beautiful painting. Outside they have beautiful gardens as well as the ocean view which had a nice breeze while we were there. There is a gift shop that had a nice sample of beautiful items. Plenty of parking with a complimentary post card. Saw kids also enjoying the art too . Plenty outside to see as well.

Great visit. Every employee was a pleasure to talk to. The gift shop has a nice selection. The…read morelittle cafe on site has snacks and cold beverages. This was an actual neighborhood saved from demolititon. Each home is set up for a specific period in time up to the 1950's. I really enjoyed the WWII grocery store. The docent there had lots of very interesting information about grocery shopping during wartime. All together a good experience we would repeat. We left midway through to have lunch nearby and returned to complete the circuit. One of the houses is in an unrestored condition. A blacksmith was on hand during our visit too in his workshop. Private dirt parking lot, clean public restrooms in two locations. Most buildings are not ADA accessible if I remember correctly due to their age, but some are ground level entrance. Pathways throughout are wide, compact dirt or gravel.

This review is for the Thanksgiving-specific tour they give in November which I'm sure is quite…read moredifferent than their in-season tour, but it was fantastic. It was 90 minutes and covered 4 of the houses ranging from a Revolutionary-era tavern serving a local Thanksgiving to a WWII era general store operating on rations gretted by an in character store owner. Despite the bitter cold outside, the houses were decently warm. Our tour guide was fantastic. He answered all questions thoroughly, and we were able to look through the available rooms at our own pace. The tour covered both Thanksgivings through time and also a bit on the history of the museum, how it came to be, and who the people were who lived there. It was well worth visiting again when I can go on a regular tour, but they also have a Christmas light stroll that sounds intriguing. There is a decent-sized parking lot, but it is shared with other businesses, so I recommend coming to an earlier tour to ensure availability. The visitor's center is pretty big with restrooms, snacks for purchase, and a small gift shop. Right now, there is also an ice-skating rink adjacent to the center if you have time. The tour had a few kids on it, and they seemed pretty interested in the presentation. If you love historical sites and even just unique experiences, this is a cool museum to visit.

Lovely and stately mansion adjacent to the Salmon Falls lake and Vaughn Woods, Hamilton House is…read morenamed for the first owner . It is built for a wealthy merchant/privateer and it clearly shows with its rich wood carvings and grand front hall. Tour guide is friendly and shows the house at a good pace. No awkward silences. There is one bathroom on the grounds and lovely gardens for visitors to walk through. People book the venue for weddings.

This gorgeous historical site is the perfect bit of peace when we don't want to sit among the…read morenoisy, too-close-for-comfort crowds lining every inch of southern Maine beaches. It's an oasis of green trees, bushes, and grasses dotted with the most beautiful variety of flowers. There's classic statuary, stone walls, an artists cabin, scattered chairs and benches, the stately old home and, of course, marvelous views of the calm Salmon Falls River. If you look closely, you might spot a heron or several turtles coming out of the mud, marching slowly toward the tidal waters as the river's edge fills back in. You can even access Vaughan Woods from a footpath, if you'd like to get a hike in. Of course, you can always bring a blanket, a picnic, and just enjoy the gorgeousness that surrounds you. Bathroom situation: in season there's a wee house-type structure that opens into a single, large bathroom. It appears to be cleaned and stocked regularly.

This museum is small, but the vehicles in the collection are rare and interesting. The building is…read morealso very well lit, so you can see and appreciate the details. The signs were very informative, and a museum employee shared additional tidbits while also giving us space to enjoy the collection on our own. I know a ton about the history of Porsches, but I actually learned something new from the signage on the 1955 Porsche 356, namely, that the car was marketed as the "Continental," because the importer believed that Americans felt more strongly about cars with names than numbers. Now I understand why the 356 A models were called the "Speedster." Museums are for education! My only suggestion for improvement is to have at least one sign explaining how co-founder Miles Prentice came to love collecting and restoring cars. To people who live in the community and know the background, it might seem like bragging, but to those of us from faraway places, it's education. We visited on a Monday in April, and I appreciated that the museum is open every day of the week, including the "off season."

My husband and I have been wanting to check this place out for a while now. I went online and saw…read morethey had a VIP tour for $35/person. Since we haven't had a "date day" for awhile, I scheduled the VIP tour for the both of us for the next day. We arrived and the guy couldn't find our reservation at first. It was handwritten on a piece of paper. Paid for the tour, had to wait about 10-15 minutes because there was only the one guy and there was an older man chatting him up. We finally got started and I do have to say the cars are gorgeous. We are huge car fans, so this was fun. But the guy skipped the ones he didn't seem to like. That's okay - we did go back and look at them. But that was it. I still don't understand what the VIP part was - if it was just having a tour guide, i would have paid the $12/person fee instead and done the tour myself. We were kind of expecting to see some cars no one else gets to see or something else for that much more money. Oh well, live and learn. It's worth the $12/person, but do NOT pay for the VIP tour. It's a waste of money. The cars are definitely worth it!

Great exhibit of life in late 1700's and early to mid 1800's. Also an interesting depiction across…read morewealthy and middle class strata at the time. The docents in the structures have interesting information to share. I would definitely go here again. I was sad when I realized I had spent a few hours here without taking any pictures. :(

This is a MUST SEE Museum when you're exploring Maine! They have a diverse collection of trains,…read moremodel trains and beyond! Jackson is an amazing manager too who let us see the model trains after the museum closed! SO MUCH fun with the double decker trains! Fun for the whole family if your kids want to sit and explore the trains! We brought our newborn and she loved it too! The train ride was ESPECIALLY fun because of the nice breeze and the conductors were funny, silly and entertaining! We love everyone here! We loved it every more that we bought metal fair Septa bus boxes- from the 1950s!! Antiques galore from the transit system!! I bought a fungi paper fan, fare ticket ride coins and a purple umbrella too! 10/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place and it's worth going and exploring part of our transit history and culture from the US! Just come here and have a blast for a few hours!! Love love love this place and all the people who work here!!

This was a very nice experience. A nice place to see and experience pieces of history and enjoy a…read moreride on the rails! For $15 i got to experience a ride on model railroad. That was lots of fun! Then youre dropped off to experience a self guided tour with lots of fun sights to find all around the scenery. I learned a lot on this day.

We're from California & CT and took an 1 1/2 tour today. It was phenomenal. Only $7 ea. Our tour…read moreguide was so knowledgeable. They did a wonderful job on displays going back in history through the generations of the families history living in the home. They had original clothing, paint colors and samples of textiles they imported as wealthy merchants. Also original oil paintings! It has the oldest painted murals in the country that we found fascinating. Highly recommend taking a visit here that will take you on an amazing journey through time.

Our shore excursion at Portland, Maine's last stop brought us here. Our tour guide shared photos…read moreincluding Barbara Bush who liked to walk at the beach plus point out the Bush compound. Being 10-18-22 the huge cottages(mansions) of the wealthy were impressive to see but the stunning colored leaves of fall and some decked out with pumpkins and Halloween fanfare stole the show.

Walker's Point...aka: The Bush compound…read more This is the summer retreat of the Bush family. The estate is located on a peninsula (a point) of land which extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. In the compound there is the large main house, a boathouse, guesthouses, garages, tennis court, pool, dock and several patios and decks. Moreover, the lawns around the house are large and there is even a sports field. Of course, there is a gate at the entrance and it is guarded full time. There is a huge flagpole and when they are in residence the flag is flown. The history: The estate was originally purchased in the late 19th century by Bush's great-grandfather David Davis Walker, and George Herbert "Bert" Walker, his son. Both built mansions on the point in 1902 (moving in day was in 1903), however, David Walker's mansion has since been torn down. Shortly after Dorothy Walker and Prescott Bush were married, Bert Walker built a "bungalow" on the Point and gave it to them as a wedding present. When Bert died, his son, George Herbert Walker Jr. (aka: Herbie), purchased the property from his father's estate...it was not willed to him, he had to buy it. When Herbie passed away in 1977, the property went up for sale again and was purchased by Herbie's nephew, George H. W. Bush...yes, he had to buy it, and it was not willed to him. The estate has since remained in the Bush family. The compound has been referred to as the "Summer White House" by both George H.W. (41st President) and George W. (43rd President). Both hosted a variety of world leaders here during their respective presidencies with informal and private meetings. Gee Whiz info: It was previously known as Point Vesuvius, Flying Point and Damon Point and/or Damon Park. The area you basically "visit" is Parsons Way which is the piece of land you stand on to look at Walker's Point and the Bush compound. The area you park in is part of Parson's Way as well. It was donated by Harry Parsons (est. 1944) so everyone could enjoy the scenic and natural beauty. OK...so for us visitors/tourist: It is easy to get to and viewable along the road. There is a small parking lot along the road to Walker's Point (part of Parsons Way) for those wanting to stop to get a closer look. There is also a nice memorial close to where you park for President George H.W. - Unfortunately, and a tad rude, the lawn mowing companies that mow the lawns at the surrounding homes choose to park in the lot meant for visitors instead of at the residence they are working at. This makes parking even more limited...and it can be interesting around there to say the least when the lawn mowing companies arrive. Aside from the history, and this being the Bush compound...this is a beautiful area to sit for a few minutes and just take it all in...at Parsons Way. It's easy to see why they chose this area so many years ago. It's definitely worth a side trip!