Lincoln County Museum and 1811 Old Jail

History feels close at the Lincoln County Museum and 1811 Old Jail in Wiscasset, where visitors explore one of Maine’s most intact early jails alongside museum exhibits that provide local context. The 1811 Jail once held sailors, debtors and criminals and briefly served as Maine’s first state penitentiary. Visitors can walk through original stone cells and see period locks, keys and shackles, along with a jailer’s log dating from the 1800s through the mid-20th century. Prisoner graffiti still marks the walls, including ship drawings, maps, names and poetry. The attached Jailer’s House offers insight into daily life, including the preserved kitchen where meals were prepared for prisoners and family alike. Group tours are available for those looking to explore the site together.