History, Art & Culture Delight Visitors to Maine’s Mid-Coast
Like the mighty Atlantic waters, culture runs strong in Maine’s Mid-Coast. Rich in history, the many communities that make up the Mid-Coast region are celebrated for notable events, early exploration, and thriving industries such as boatbuilding and lobstering. Although the area was inhabited by Native Americans and subsequently settled by Europeans, a stone found at Popham Beach has been attributed to Norse Vikings. Culture not only runs strong, it is also longstanding!
A walk through one of the region’s National Historic Districts, many of which include individual buildings that are National Register of Historic Places, is a great way to explore the arts and culture of the Mid-Coast. Bath is home to a variety of historical gems including a full historic district (3,000 acres, 42 buildings), as well as Day’s Ferry and Doubling Point Light Station, among others. Penobscot Marine Museum in Penobscot features Seacoast Village, with eight historic buildings listed on the National Register. Brunswick, Harpswell, Richmond, Wiscasset, and Cundy’s Harbor also feature historic districts and other points of interest.
Throughout the area you’ll find art galleries, studios and attractions that will amaze, inspire and delight. Woodworkers, boat builders, potters, quilters, papermakers, jewelers, painters and photographers create and sell their work in studios and shops across the region.
If visual arts are of interest, be sure to visit the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick for extraordinary collections of Decorative Arts, Paintings, Sculpture and Works on Paper. Or stop by Maine Artisans Craft Cooperative in Lincolnville or the Center for Maine Contemporary Art for the best in local art.
Some other special and unique places to visit include the Bailey Island Cribstone Bridge, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark; the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Brunswick, where the author wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin”; and Fort Popham, named after the short-lived Popham Colony.
Regional Cultural Events You Don’t Want to Miss:
- North Atlantic Blues Festival (Rockland – July)
- Antique Auto Days (Boothbay Railway Village – July)
- Maine Lobster Festival (Rockland – August)
- Belfast Harbor Fest & National Boatbuilding Contest (Belfast – August)
- Common Ground Fair (Unity – September)
- Bowdoin International Music Festival (Brunswick – June – August)
Start planning cultural activities in Maine’s Mid-Coast today!