Can’t-Miss Places to See in Spring
Our favorite places in Maine transform from season to season. Here’s where we head when the snow starts to melt.
Arts & Culture
When the weather turns a bit blustery, there’s no shortage of museums, theaters and galleries to peruse. If it’s art you’re after (hint: in Maine, you should be after it), the 80,000 works of art in the nine museums of the Maine Art Museum Trail will leave you star struck. Expect to find work from masters like Winslow Homer, Marsden Hartley and Robert Indiana. Though the majority of the museums on the trail are open year-round, a few have extended seasonal closures. Be sure to check the museums’ seasonal hours here. In downtown Bar Harbor, the Abbe Museum showcases the culture of the Wabanaki Nations. The museum also hosts the Indigenous Film Festival in conjunction with the Abbe Museum Indian Market, making Bar Harbor an unrivalled destination for native art from Maine, across the country and Maritime Canada in May.
Shopping, Eating & Drinking
Some days, you just have to shop, sip and sample.
Beautiful Bags
At Rough & Tumble in Brunswick and Portland, you can peruse a rugged, yet luxurious, collection of packs, bags, totes and more designed and crafted by Natasha Durham and her small, highly-skilled team. If you’re looking for bright pops of color and funky patterns, Erin Flett‘s hand-drawn designs turn bags, pillows and wallpaper into show-stopping works of art. Find her vibrant textiles at the flagship store on Main Street in Gorham.
Portland’s Best. Without the Wait.
Foodies, rejoice. This hip town is a year-round favorite, but spring is an especially good time to beat the crowds at many of the restaurants that make Portland so drool-worthy. Check out Fore Street for a locally-sourced, seasonal taste of Maine, or head to Central Provisions for creative cocktails and eclectic bites that change daily. If you’re in the mood for some pastries, stop by Belleville for what we’d happily call the best croissant this side of the Atlantic.
Tasty Bites
Enjoy award-winning spots like Flux in Lisbon Falls for innovative modern cuisine with a local focus. In a renovated farmhouse in Eustis, the Coplin Dinner House takes pride in the farm-fresh meals they bring to your table and even raises their very own pigs, goats, and chickens.
Craft Brews
Maine is home to some of the best craft breweries in the country, and the Maine Brew Fest is the only event in New England that combines a day of spring skiing with sampling nearly 100 craft beers and ciders. When the snow is gone for good, the beer continues to flow at hop-spots like Portland’s Allagash Brewing (bring on the Belgian-style ales) and Oxbow Beer Garden, which just so happens to be in a 200-year-old renovated barn. And did we mention the 100 craft breweries on the Maine Beer Trail?