A Guide to Museums in Maine
Maine boasts 228 miles of shoreline, making its relationship to water an important one. Some museums celebrate that fact through unique collections.
Portland Museum of Art boasts an acclaimed collection that includes works by both international giants like Rembrandt as well as local luminaries like Winslow Homer and Bernard Langlais.
Best Museum in Maine
Maine is a natural wonderland from its rugged coast to vast forests, so it comes as no surprise that Maine boasts so many fascinating museums. There’s sure to be one that caters to your interests: art, traditional technologies (lumbering), history or science – there’s sure to be one here that suits them all!
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The Boothbay Railway Museum provides an interactive history of public transportation. Featuring narrow gauge coal fired steam trains and re-created historic village structures from local significance.
Also present are vintage signs, signal lanterns, original railroad maps, telegraph equipment, newspapers and restored mail carts; plus other attractions like working lighthouses, 19th century forts and panoramic vistas of Casco Bay.
Rufus Porter (1792-1884) was an artist, muralist, inventor, journalist and collector specializing in naturalistic painting who also collected local wildlife for exhibition. Additionally, this museum displays many of his primitive paintings.
The Maine Historical Society, situated in downtown Portland, is one of the state’s premier museums. Boasting permanent and changing exhibitions – such as Maine’s oldest home, Wadsworth-Longfellow House – its collection encompasses more than 100,000 items which showcase Maine’s rich cultural history.
Maine boasts several major art museums, with the Tides Institute & Museum of Art in Eastport being among them. Recognized by USA Today as a top 10 art museum, its collections span Maine and Canada with maritime-oriented pieces being its specialty.
Maine Antique Toy and Art Museum is an engaging experience for children and adults alike, boasting antique toys, original comic art and other collectibles in an historic 200-year-old house. Kids as well as adults are welcome at this museum which also houses John Fawcett’s artwork as well as offering toys sales in its shop specializing in toys.
The McCurdy Smokehouse in Lubec serves as a reminder of Maine’s past and is open throughout the summer for guided tours that provide insight into its fishing industry history.
The Maine State Museum in Augusta is a state-run institution that explores Maine’s natural, cultural, and scientific history through interactive exhibits and activities that teach visitors about its environment.
There’s even an extensive Native American artifact collection! Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day Tuesday-Saturday with free admission for active military personnel and veterans until Labor Day; then closed Thanksgiving & Christmas days; for more information visit their website here!
Famous Museum in Maine
The Museum in Maine boasts many treasures, but its striking architecture draws almost as much interest from visitors as its treasures themselves. With user-friendly stairways, unique lighting, and clever windows all creating a captivating environment for visitors. Home to Maine’s largest European art collection as well as ultra-contemporary work as well as an inviting cafe and extensive museum shop – not forgetting their luxurious van service that takes visitors directly to Winslow Homer Studio 12 miles south in Prout’s Neck (reservations required!).
Ogunquit Museum of American Art, one of Maine’s best-known museums, boasts an intimate yet captivating exhibition space with permanent and rotating exhibitions that boast outstanding collections by Maine-based artists, as well as one of the largest selections of 18th century American crewelwork bed curtains in existence – featuring rare paintings by Rufus Porter himself!
The Museum of Natural History and Science offers visitors a hands-on experience in biology, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and geology. Their interactive exhibits allow both children and adults to discover more about our world around us.
Kittery Museum houses an array of local historical artifacts and displays lighthouse lenses from across Kittery as well as its world-famous scrimshaw gallery. Additionally, there is military memorabilia from Kittery’s rich naval and maritime past on display here.
This museum takes an unconventional approach to art-display. Instead of showing works indoors, they have placed over two dozen sculptures outdoors in a wooded park setting as an attempt to prove that art can be found anywhere – including outside its traditional confines of museums.
Visits to the Maine State Museum should include visits to Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Garden as well as Museum Galleries and Shop. In addition, this museum boasts an excellent research library, archive, as well as an impressive collection of Maine prints, books, and photographs.
The museum explores Maine and its people through an ever-evolving exhibitions program that celebrates Maine culture and history. Popular exhibits include Back to Nature, which explores how wildlife and plants contribute to Maine’s economic growth; The Maine Bounty exhibit showcases Maine’s abundant natural resources that were relied upon by those living here for sustenance;
One of Maine’s more quirky museums, The Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island stands out as an unusual attraction. Devoted solely to umbrella sleeves and featured by NPR and BBC alike, owner Nancy Hoffman has amassed over 2,000 umbrella covers that she displays in themed galleries at this museum – it makes for an amusing visit that celebrates quirky things about life! A visit is highly recommended!
Popular Museum in Maine
The museum’s collections explore Maine’s natural and cultural history through dioramas and exhibits, presenting works by well-known Maine artists in different media forms, as well as expanding our expanding
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Families with young children will appreciate this fascinating attraction that provides interactive experiences and hands-on activities. Visitors can interact with real sea creatures like lobsters, starfish and snails from tide pools. Also on display are tools used by lobstermen and women for harvesting their catch, along with historical information on this industry. Finally, this museum serves as an invaluable learning opportunity to educate visitors about protecting marine wildlife.
Established in 1822, the Maine Historical Society is one of America’s oldest museums and home to an important selection of collections such as Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Portland Museum of Art collections. A visit here provides a great way to discover Maine’s long and colorful past!
Maine museums showcase everything from its wild nature to its rich cultural traditions, and display materials honoring both Revolutionary War and Civil War events draw large crowds. Maine State Museum highlights Maine’s extensive geological and artistic heritage, while special displays commemorating both wars draw visitors.
Maine is home to several lesser-known museums that are equally captivating, featuring unusual items like Ernest Hemingway’s trophy marlin catch, wooden figures carved in Lithuania and umbrella covers; an orgone accumulator; as well as model train, transportation and interplanetary travel museums.
Maine boasts 228 miles of rugged coastline, making life in and around water an important aspect of everyday life. As evidenced by many museums devoted to fishing, boatbuilding and lobstering – life on and around water in Maine is of major significance and this can be seen through their many museums dedicated to such subjects.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Rockland provides an amazing glimpse into regional maritime history, featuring an impressive fleet of historic boats on display and an operational three-story water-powered woodworking mill. Additionally, their collections boast paintings by American artist Winslow Homer that can only be found here!
At Rockland’s Project Puffin Visitor Center, visitors can watch live video feed of puffins on offshore islands as well as view galleries dedicated to puffin-related artwork.
Another worthwhile museum visit in Maine is Portland’s International Cryptozoology Museum which explores hidden animals that were first known through folklore or legend before becoming scientific research subjects – some such as coelacanth fish are well known while other mysteries, like Loch Ness Monster or Yeti remain mysterious – it makes for an engaging visit! The museum should appeal to those intrigued by mystery; visit soon before its closure!
Frequently Asked Questions
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum offers both nostalgia and entertainment in one! This renovated train station preserves two-foot gauge railway equipment used to traverse Maine – visitors can board for children’s story time, become Diesel Guest Engineers or take part in seasonally themed activities like Spring Aboard!
Maine offers plenty of ways to explore its past through art, transportation and natural history museums as well as quirky museums that will capture your interest, such as an umbrella cover museum dedicated to them caught by Ernest Hemingway or wooden figures carved in Lithuania.
Maine offers numerous museums to discover, but one of the finest is the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. This institution houses American art, cultural artifacts and scientific discoveries as well as an expansive online catalog featuring learning materials such as podcasts, videos and more.
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