Bar Harbor Museums

(Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, Maine - ME, USA)

The museums of Bar Harbor celebrate the rich native American heritage of Maine, boasting a series of historical artifacts, archaeological relics and cultural treasures. In particular, the Abbe Museum is an established cultural attraction and was actually the very first institution of its kind to be established to support and undertake archaeological research within the state of Maine, being founded in Bar Harbor as far back as the late 1920s.

Also worth a look is the Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum, which is housed within a grand building which once served as the St. Edward's Convent. Many tourists also enjoy spending time at the Whale Museum, which is the only one of its kind in the state of Maine and contains an enormous life-size model of a whale, showing how it would have appeared some 50 million years ago.

Abbe Museum

Address: 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, Maine (ME), US-04609, USA
Tel: +1 207 288 3519
Those wishing to learn more about the history of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island will find that the Abbe Museum has much to offer. The main attraction here is the fact that the displays are ever changing, with past exhibits of woven baskets from a number of North American tribes, a collection of ancient stone arrowheads and prehistoric tools made from bones, and a wealth of artifacts discovered from excavation sites close by.
Open hours: June to October, daily - 10:00 to 18:00; November to May, Thursday to Saturday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children aged between six and 15 years old, children six years old and under are free

Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum

Address: 33 Ledgelawn Avenue, Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, Maine (ME), USA
Tel: +1 207 288 0000
Occupying a listed building, which is present on the important National Register of Historic Places, the Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum is located along Bar Harbor Historical Society Museum and dates from just before the middle of the 20th century. Many very important documents, photographs and architectural blueprints are housed here, recording the numerous buildings and estates that were lost in the devastating fire of 1947, which destroyed more than 15,000 acres / 6,070 hectares around the Acadia National Park and lasted over two weeks, being caused by a mixture of extreme drought and strong breezes.
Open hours: June to October, Monday to Saturday - 13:00 to 16:00; November to May - by appointment only
Admission: free

Bar Harbor Whale Museum

Address: 52 West Street, Bar Harbor, US-04609, Mount Desert Island, Maine (ME), USA
Tel: +1 207 288 0288
One for all of the family, the Bar Harbor Whale Museum really is a very fascinating attraction, housing some truly breathtaking skeletons of these graceful underwater mammals, showing their sheer size and scale, both those with teeth and without (baleen) The museum successfully educates visitors about the inherent problems with commercial whales and the damage to subsequent damage to whale numbers, many of which still remain endangered today. Child-friendly attractions can be found within the 'Kid's Corner' area, while in the gift shop you can purchase a range of whale-related merchandise, and for a relatively small charge, you can even adopt your very own whale for a whole year.
Open hours: daily, June - 10:00 to 20:00, July and August - 09:00 to 21:00, September and October - 10:00 to 20:00
Admission: free, donations suggested

George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History

Address: 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, US-04609, Mount Desert Island, Maine (ME), USA
Tel: +1 207 288 5395
The indigenous flora and fauna of Maine is clearly documented and illustrated within the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History. Housed within the former headquarters of the expansive Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor's much celebrated Museum of Natural History is managed and maintained by students from the College of the Atlantic. Exhibits include various realistic dioramas, and an indoor tide pool, where you are able to get close up to some indigenous marine creatures.
Open hours: mid-January to mid-December, Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for seniors and children, children three years old and under are free