Explore Maine Trip Ideas

Art & Ales

In every corner of the state and places in between, art can be found in many shapes and forms from gigantic sculptures to live performances. Take in the magic of Maine art and sample the art of hand-crafted local brews that start with Maine’s clear, clean water and ends with palate pleasing perfection. Encore, please!

Art & Ales: Norway and Harrison

Maine's Lakes and Mountains

Wander into Café Nomad for great coffee and local art. Tour the outdoor sculptures of Bernard Langlais at Roberts Farm Preserve and Shepards Farm Preserve. Enjoy some local flavor at Norway Brewing Company.

Art & Ales: Thomaston, Cushing, Waldoboro & Rockland

MidCoast and Islands

Experience the sculptures of an American icon at Langlais Sculpture Preserve at George’s River Land Trust. See Andrew Wyeth masterpieces at nearby Olson House. Master the art of relaxing at Odd Alewives Farm Brewery.

Art & Ales: Ellsworth, Hancock and Sullivan

DownEast and Acadia

All rise for a visit to Courthouse Gallery for the complete picture of Maine’s prominent place in the history of American art. Enjoy a unique stay at Ironbound Inn in Hancock Village. Clear some time for Fogtown Brewery and beer garden.

Art & Ales: Monson, Dover-Foxcroft and Milo

The Maine Highlands

Wheel into Jemma Gascoine Pottery Studio in Monson for a workshop. Take in some live theater or a classic film at historic Center Theatre. Then go with the flow at Bissell Brothers Brewing Three Rivers.

Art & Ales: Eastport

DownEast and Acadia

Take a walking tour of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. Visit The Commons, a women-owned artisan gallery in historic Eastport. From there, walk to Horn Run Brewing for a great view from the outdoor deck.

Art & Ales: Skowhegan and South Solon

The Kennebec Valley

Hit the Langlais Art Trail in Skowhegan for encounters with the artist’s sculptures throughout the downtown. Take a meeting with Maine history at South Solon Meeting House. Check out Bigelow Brewing Company and their live music.

Art & Ales: Fort Kent, Madawaska and St. John Valley

Aroostook County

Discover Acadian culture and traditions along the St John Valley/Fish River National Scenic Byway. Keep the motor running to First Mile Brewing in Fort Kent. Indulge in Acadian Ployes at Dolly’s Restaurant in Frenchville.

Art & Ales: Augusta and Waterville

The Kennebec Valley

Start your day at Wrapped Up Coffee House in Augusta. Visit the Alex Katz Gallery at Colby College Museum of Art, then tap into fun at the Waterville Brewing Company in historic Hathaway Mill.

Art & Ales: Bangor

The Maine Highlands

Picasso, Warhol, Hopper – just some of the works you’ll encounter at Bangor’s Zillman Art Museum. Grab a seat for live theater with the Penobscot Theater Company then toast your day at Geaghan’s Pub and Craft Brewery.

Art & Ales: Monhegan Island

MidCoast and Islands

Ferry to the legendary artists’ colony at Monhegan Island and the Monhegan Museum of Art and History. Visit Lupine Gallery for works of contemporary Monhegan artists. Enjoy the art of brewing at Monhegan Brewing.

Farms & Fiber Arts

When traveling in Maine, you can learn much about our culture from visiting farmers and fiber artisans. Both are rooted in long-standing traditions and are perfect examples of Maine-made quality.

Celebrate our farms and vibrant fiber arts by experiencing them firsthand. Enjoy a weekend getaway in Maine, visiting farms, farm stands and specialty shops. Or try your hand at a workshop, where you can learn a variety of skills, like how to knit a sweater using handspun Maine wool or how to make your own wine or cheese.

You can even plan to stay overnight at a working farm B&B, where you will meet the cows, sheep and goats responsible for delicious artisan cheese or the alpacas and llamas that share their soft wool.

Maine’s dedicated fiberarts community is a wonderful place to learn a new skill or see artists at work. Maine Fiberarts’ Open Studio Weekend is a great way to meet the artists in their studios and watch them create beautiful textiles.

There are fairs, festivals and workshops throughout the year that highlight Maine’s farm-fresh products and fiber arts, so come and enjoy this fine Maine tradition.

Farms & Fiber Arts: New Gloucester, Sumner and Paris Hill

Maine's Lakes and Mountains

Start out smoothly with a creamery tour at Pineland Farms and have lunch at their market and café. Get all arty and crafty with a basketmaking workshop at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village.

Farms & Fiber Arts: Portland and Freeport

Greater Portland and Casco Bay

Get tactile with textiles at PortFiber Gallery and Weaving Studio in Portland’s Bayside neighborhood. After a lunch at Duckfat, hike the trails and meet the animals at Wolfe’s Neck Center and Farm.

Farms & Fiber Arts: Hallowell, Gardiner and Monmouth

The Kennebec Valley

Tour the looms and showroom at Brahms Mount in Hallowell. Grab a first-rate lunch at the A1 Diner in Historic Downtown Gardiner. Traverse the classic stone bridges at Vaughn Woods & Historic Homestead.

Farms & Fiber Arts: Brunswick, Bath and Waldoboro

MidCoast and Islands

Get a scrumptious start at Frosty’s Donuts in Brunswick, followed by a fiber arts class at Halcyon Yarn in Bath. Visit Waldoboro for lunch at Morse’s Sauerkraut and a show at the Historic Waldo Theater.

Scenic Byways Road Trips

When you plan a road trip in Maine, you’ll have plenty of choices from the mountains to the sea and everything in between. To make your choice a bit easier, here are some ideas to explore Maine’s National Scenic Byways as designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Old Canada Road National Scenic Byway

The Kennebec Valley

The byway's proximity to the Kennebec and Dead Rivers, as well as numerous lakes and ponds, makes water activities a prominent attraction, while mountain trails and postcard-worthy views call to hikers and bikers of all ages and abilities.

Explore Maine’s Iconic Riverways

The liquid engines of industry. The white-capped rapids of adventure. The quiet companion when you cast a line. Pack a paddle, hit the road and follow Maine’s most historic rivers with these weekend-ready itineraries.

3 Days Along the Saco River

The Maine Beaches

Discover local culture and explore pristine natural beauty along a historic river.

Experience Maine's Gardens and Landscapes

Maine is a state with natural beauty unlike any other. But in the same breath, we’re a land of preciously sculpted gardens, lovingly curated arboretums and landscape design that rivals Mother Nature for pure artistry. So let’s plant the seeds today to experience it in full bloom for yourself.

South Berwick - York - North Berwick

The Maine Beaches

Spend a day exploring the Hamilton House Gardens and the Sarah One Jewett House and Garden. Visit Stonewall Kitchen’s Flagship Store and hike through Vaughan Woods Memorial State Park.

Northeast Harbor

DownEast and Acadia

Visit the historic gardens of Thuya Garden Lodge and Asticou Azalia Garden. Explore adjacent Acadia National Park and grab a bite at Jordan Pond House.

Downtown Portland

Greater Portland and Casco Bay

Explore the Longfellow House and Garden, an urban oasis. Have a picnic at Deering Oaks Park and check out the Portland Farmer’s Market.

South Paris and Norway

Maine's Lakes and Mountains

Enjoy McLaughlin Garden and check out the programs and events. Check out the trails at Roberts Farm Preserve and dine on locally grown food at 76 Pleasant Street.

Boothbay

MidCoast and Islands

Experience the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in every season and check out their events calendar. Enjoy the harbor views and check out Avena Botanicals and the trails at Merryspring Nature Center.

Find the Best Lobster Throughout Maine

A hands-on tour on a working lobster boat. A napkin-on-lap dinner at an award-winning bistro. Uploading a picture of the world’s best lobster roll on your plate, seconds before devouring it. These are just a few of the many trip ideas for celebrating and savoring Maine’s iconic crustacean. Enjoy.

Stonington Lobster

DownEast and Acadia

Explore the Stonington archipelago and the local farmer’s market. Take a scenic lobster tour and enjoy lobster dishes from The Maine Lobster Lady and Aragosta.

Portland Lobster

Greater Portland and Casco Bay

Meander along the working waterfront in Downtown Portland and treat yourself to Maine lobster, all day long!

Boothbay Lobster

MidCoast and Islands

Watch lobstermen hard at work and join them on a lobster boat. Experience a traditional Maine lobster bake on Cabbage Island and round out the day at the Boothbay Opera House.

Kennebunkport Lobster

The Maine Beaches

Learn to haul in lobster traps on a lobster boat tour and grab a lobster roll at the Clam Shack. Then relax at Goose Rocks Beach and set up camp at Sandy Pines Camping.

Discover Nature and Wildlife in Maine

Moose, whales and puffins, oh my. Are you somewhere over the rainbow? Yes. You’re in Maine. Where amazing natural beauty and wildlife watching go hand in hand. On deep forest trails, over mountain terrain and up and down the magical coastline. So plan a trip. Because there’s no place like Maine.

Puffin Watch - Rockland, New Harbor

MidCoast and Islands

Learn all about puffins at the Audubon Project Puffin Visitor Center, then picnic at the Todd Wildlife Sanctuary before boarding the Hardy III for a late afternoon puffin tour.

Swan Island - Richmond

The Kennebec Valley

Ferry across the Kennebec River to Swan Island and spend the day hiking and birding. Enjoy an ice cream from Main Street Dairy. Check out the Kennebec River Rail Trail for riding and walking.

Whale Watching - Eastport

DownEast and Acadia

Hike through Shackford Head State Park and take in the views of Cobscook Bay. Then take a 3-hour whale watching windjammer cruise through Head Harbor Passage.

All About Moose - Greenville

The Maine Highlands

Book a half-day or full day moose safari by land or water. Take a cruise on Moosehead Lake aboard the historic Katahdin. Explore nearby Mt. Kineo with gorgeous views of Moosehead Lake.

Visit Maine's Historic Lighthouses

They’ve stood watch over Maine’s rugged coastline for centuries, helping seafarers find safe harbor. Today Maine’s historic lighthouses continue to illuminate the rocky shores while enlightening visitors about this epic and essential part of Maritime Maine – past, present and in a future trip you can start planning here.

Portland Head Light and Spring Point Ledge - Portland

Greater Portland and Casco Bay

Take a lighthouse cruise and check out Portland Head Light and Spring Point Ledge. Grab a bite at The Lobster Shack at Two Lights.

West Quoddy Head Light - Lubec

DownEast and Acadia

Explore Quoddy Head State Park, home to West Quoddy Head Light. Take time for hiking and wildlife watching. Then grab a local brew before visiting Roosevelt Campobello Island.

Cape Neddick Lighthouse - York

The Maine Beaches

Located on the “Nubble,” a rocky island off the eastern end of Cape Neddick, Cape Neddick Lighthouse is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world.

Pemaquid Lighthouse - Pemaquid

MidCoast and Islands

Enjoy the beauty of Pemaquid Point Light and Pemaquid Beach and take a kayak trip on Muscongus Bay. Stay overnight at the historic Hotel Pemaquid.