Maine State Museum


What happens when a moose and his rival lock horns in mortal combat? Their interlocked racks end up in the Cabinet of Curiosities at the Maine State Museum. The museum, an engaging, four-story ode to all things Maine, is situated around a multifloor mill that churns on water power. The newest permanent exhibit, At Home in Maine, looks at homes throughout the years; in the mod 1970s house you can watch a family filmstrip and dial a rotary phone.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. State House

0.1 MILES

Built in 1832 and enlarged in 1909, this stately, granite-domed edifice was designed by Charles Bulfinch (the Boston architect behind the nation’s Capitol…

2. Old Fort Western

0.91 MILES

Just across the river from Augusta's main drag (Water St) stands this 1754 landmark, America's oldest wooden fort. It was built by a Boston-based outfit…

3. Colby College Museum of Art

18.83 MILES

The Colby College Museum of Art is fresh from a marvelous expansion and the addition of a 26,000-sq-ft glass pavilion. The space displays works from a…

4. Lincoln County Jail Museum

21.32 MILES

The first prison in the district of Maine opened in 1811 and, surprisingly, remained in operation until 1953. The hilltop structure of granite, brick and…

5. Griggs Preserve

21.44 MILES

There are so many wonderful, privately run nature preserves in this part of Maine you could blink and miss them. Such is the case at Griggs Preserve, run…

6. Castle Tucker

21.72 MILES

OK, so it's not really a castle. Still, Wiscasset's grandest and best-situated mansion has a certain regal air about it. Judge Silas Lee had the Federal…

7. Nickels-Sortwell House

21.72 MILES

This mansion was built by Captain William Nickels, and is a great example of how maritime voyaging shaped Wiscasset. It's also a gorgeous example of…

8. Fort Edgecomb State Historic Site

22.49 MILES

This octagonal fort was built around 1808–9 to 'protect' Wiscasset, then a major shipbuilding center and port. In many ways, the fort's guns were actually…