Category: Museums

Discover Wiscasset, Kids activities, Midcoast Maine Activities, Museums, Shopping, Weekends in Wiscasset

Weekends in Wiscasset – June 6, 7, 8, 9

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All activities listed here are either in Wiscasset itself or are in Midcoast Maine within and hour’s drive of Wiscasset Woods Lodge. For more details on each event go to our Events Calendar.

Thursday, June 6

10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
3pm Farmer’s Market – Wiscasset Recreational Pier – Opening Day
6pm Lecture: Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Hanover: The Romance and Reality of a Maine Shipwreck – Maine Maritime Museum
7:30pm Haunted History Tour – Bath/Damariscotta/Hallowell (7pm)

Friday, June 7

10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset

Saturday, June 8

6am Montsweag Flea Market – Woolwich
7:45am PIYO on the Pier – Wiscasset Commercial Pier (near the Yacht Club)
10am Midcoast Craft Sidewalk Sale – Downtown Wiscasset
10am Members Art Show – Maine Art Gallery, Wiscasset
10am Monkey C Monkey Do is Open – Wiscasset
10:30am WWF steam trains operating – Alna
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset
3:30pm Lighthouse Lovers Cruise – Maine Maritime Museum, Bath
4pm Historic Tidbit Tasting Tour – Hallowell

Sunday, June 9

6am Montsweag Flea Market – Woolwich
11am Tours of Nickels-Sortwell House and Castle Tucker – Wiscasset

These are just some of the many great activities available every weekend throughout Midcoast Maine. Keep checking our events calendar for more activities. And reserve your room at Wiscasset Woods Lodge today to make sure you don’t miss out on anything!

Reserve Your Room Today

wiscassetwoods.com (207) 882-7137 Stay@wiscassetwoods.com

Kids activities, Made in Maine, Museums

Great Stops between Wiscasset Woods Lodge and Acadia National Park

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Pemaquid Point Lighthouse – On Route 130 south of Damariscotta

Pemaquid Point Light House, the most photographed lighthouse in Maine with dramatic rocks going to the ocean.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse by VisitMaine.com

The most photographed lighthouse in Maine with beautiful, dramatic rocks going down to the ocean. One of the few lighthouses you can tour the inside of on a normal day. The lighthouse has nice picnic tables for a leisurely lunch or head up route 32 and stop by Shaw’s in New Harbor (indoors) or the lobster shacks at Round Pond (outside picnic tables) for your lobster meal.

Wooden bear table made at the Prison Store in Thomaston. Inmates learn woodworking skills to help them find work after release.
Bear Table at the Prison Store

Maine State Prison Showroom in Thomaston – right on Route 1

Lots of handmade wooden furniture, gifts and decorations at great prices. Right on Route 1 (main street Thomaston). Parking in the rear.

The latest exhibit at Owl's Head Transportation Museum, Fads and Failures. Near Rockland Maine
Owl’s Head Transportation Museum’s latest exhibit “Fads and Failures”

Owl’s Head Lighthouse and Owl’s Head Transportation Museum – outside of Rockland off Route 73

Beautiful walk through the woods to the lighthouse. This lighthouse is open occasionally for tours as is the lighthouse keeper’s museum. Nearby is the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum. “Home to a world-class operating collection, the Owls Head Transportation Museum features more than 150 antique automobiles, aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, engines and more.”

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse –  Just outside downtown Rockland, Route 1 to Waldo Ave

A breakwater was built to protect the harbor and a lighthouse was put at the end to keep ships from running into it. The walk is a mile each way over granite blocks, occasionally seals and other sea life can be seen from the walk. Rockland is also home to the Farnsworth Art Museum which displays paintings by Maine painter Adrew Wyeth as well as other artists.

The Rockland Breakwater Light is a fun walk along granite squares out to the lighthouse.
From the Take Me 2 Camden, Maine website

Camden Hills State Park – on Route 1

Camden’s version of Cadillac Peak. The top of Mount Battie offers panoramic views of Camden Harbor. Accessible by car or stretch your legs hiking up their trails.

Belfast

We love Belfast. It has a working yacht port and a waterfront walk goes right through the yacht yard and up across a foot bridge. There is also a rails-to-trails trail going inland along the water. The town itself isn’t too touristy and has some nice restaurants all walking distance from the water.

The Penobscot Narrows Bridge with an observatory at the top of one of the spires. Great for viewing the Maine landscape from above.
Bridge with Observatory

Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory – on Route 1 at Bucksport

Not to be confused with the Kentucky Fort Knox, this historic site is a large stone fort mostly in tact. It’s fascinating to wader around and explore. The fort shares the same parking lot as the Penobscot Narrows Bridge with its spire resembling the Washington Monument. The spire has an elevator you can ride to the observatory at the top to see the surrounding countryside.

history, Museums, Weekends in Wiscasset

Weekends in Wiscasset – May 17, 18, 19, 20

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Friday, May 17th

I’m starting this weekend off on Friday because of the tentative Friday morning mast raising on the Sloop Providence, a reproduction ship used in recreations. According to Discover Wiscasset “John Paul Jones’ first command was the Revolutionary War ship Providence, and its adventures were so epic they decided to make a replica of the ship for the 1976 Bicentennial. And THAT ship has seen lively adventures of its own, sailing with PIRATES in not one, but TWO Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It’s on our #workingwaterfront in #wiscassetmaine for repairs and upgrades just in time for #mainebicentennial and going to be on display in Washington DC this summer.”

Saturday, May 18th

Community Day and New Display Opening at Maine Maritime Museum

Join us for our annual kick-off to the summer season! Admission is FREE and cruise tickets are just $10. Don’t miss the return of the historic schooner Mary E and the raising of the flags over the Wyoming with a cannon salute at noon. We will also be celebrating the opening of our newest exhibit Shipwrecks and Salvage. (This display will include information on the Hesper and Luther Little which for years sat in Wiscasset’s harbor). Plus, check out our fun summer family program “Seabase Delta Aquanauts Academy” for an interactive lesson on deep sea diving, and learn how ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) are changing underwater archaeology at our ROV demonstration.

A Revolutionary Tea and the Story of the Real Betsy Ross

Come relax and enjoy delicious tea, delectable goodies and a talk about a favorite character from history, Betsy Ross, the woman who is reputed have sewn the first American flag for George Washington. Dr. Marla Miller, noted speaker, professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the author of Betsy Ross and the Making of America, will tell the fascinating story of the real woman behind the beloved legend. 2 – 4 pm at the Nickels-Sortwell House Barn. Advance purchase is required.  $20 Historic New England members, $25 non-members.

Monkey C Monkey Do Opens for the Season

A multi-tiered challenge course and zip lines with different levels of difficulty including a kiddie course.

Lighthouse Lovers Cruise

3:30pm – 7:30pm at the Maine Maritime Museum. See up to 10 of Maine’s most iconic lighthouses: Doubling Point Light, Kennebec Range Lights, Squirrel Point Light, Perkins Island Light, Pond Island Light, Seguin Island Light, Cuckolds Light, Ram Island Light, Burnt Island Light, and Hendricks Head Light. This is the first of Lighthouse Lovers Cruise of the season, they’ll occur regularly every Saturday night until October 5th.

Full Moon Train Ride

6:30pm – 8:00pm at the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum, 97 Cross Rd, Alna. A moonlight train celebrating Narrow Gauge Railroading will leave Sheepscot Station. Our own WW&F Railway Superintendent, Jason Lamontagne, will present a fascinating show enumerating and explaining the merits of narrow gauge railroads versus their larger, standard gauge cousins. Refreshments and snacks will be available. The train will return to Sheepscot after sunset, lit only by oil lamp and moonlight. Get tickets here.

Regularly Occurring Saturday Events

Steam Train Rides at the Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway 10am to 2pm

Montsweag Flea Market 6 am to 1pm Saturday and Sunday mornings

Monday, May 20th

Haunted History Tours

I decided to include Monday in the week because Red Cloak Tours has begun their Haunted History Tours in Wiscasset. They will occur every Monday from 7:30pm – 9:00pm. During the tours the rich history in this area lends itself to exploring “the other side” of Wiscasset. Enjoy a twilight “haunted history” walking tour.  There are also tours of the Ancient Burial Grounds which are by reservation only. 207-380-3806.

Discover Wiscasset, Museums, Nature, Weekends in Wiscasset

Weekends in Wiscasset – May 11th and 12th, 2019

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Saturday, May 11th

Montsweag Flea Market

Midcoast Maine’s largest flea market, just opened for the season. This will be their first Saturday flea market

Art of Woodburning Class – Shelter Institute

“Explore tools, wood types and techniques to open a world of creativity, utilitarian uses and unique gifts. Wood burning has much to offer and does not require you to be an artist. In this hands on workshop you will learn the varied marks each burn tip can make and how to use them in lettering and imagery. Learn how to transfer images to the wood, the pros and cons of wood types, safety, adding color and so much more. Tools and wood will be provided. If you own a wood burning tool and/ or wood burnings you have done in the past please feel free to bring them. Participants will have the opportunity to make multiple completed projects. “

WWF Railway Steam Trains Running

Steam trains depart our Museum grounds at Sheepscot at: 10:30 AM • 12 Noon • 1:30 PM for a 40- to 50-minute, 5-mile round trip. 10:55 AM • 12:25 PM • 1:55 PM Tour our Museum grounds and see restoration projects underway in our shops. Try your hand at operating a hand car in our yard. Visit our gift shop and learn more about the Maine two-footers!

Mother’s Day Tea at WWW Railway

Ride the Noon train to Alna Center for our Mother’s Day tea. An english-style tea will be served and special gifts and surprises are in store for Moms. Tickets are reservation-only and limited, so get yours now!

Sunday, May 12th (Mother’s Day)

Pop up Florist at Spruce and Little Maine Mercantile

“We are excited to announce we will be hosting a floral pop up shop on Mother’s Day, Sunday May 12th at Spruce & Little Maine Mercantile! These incredible floral creations are brought to you by floral artist @eldebery & her lovingly crafted arrangements are sure to dazzle & warm the hearts of all you mama’s out there! “

Mother’s Day at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Treat mom to flowers – entire gardens of them.
Enjoy our early bulb display and other spring ephemerals with mom this Mother’s Day – all moms receive free admission to the Gardens on Sunday, May 12.

Mother’s Day Brunch at Robinhood Free Meeting House

“We welcome you to join us for our annual celebration of moms! Your brunch faves, some new dishes, and special mommy juices will be available.
We maxxed out this event last year so call or mssg us for reservations to secure your table. Don’t let mom down!” (207) 613-5682

For a full list of events check out our events calendar on our website

Classes, Discover Wiscasset, Kids activities, Museums

The Morris Farm: A Story of Wiscasset’s History

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Al Morris of Turner, Maine moved his dairy operation to Wiscassett in 1839 to be closer to the Turner Creamery, which was located on the waterfront on what is still locally referred to as Creamery Pier.

The Morris Farm and Morris Farm Store on Route 27 in Wiscasset
Morris Farm and Farm Store

At that time, Wiscasset Harbor was a busy commercial port, as Wiscasset’s scenic protected harbor and location at the crossroads of several frequently traveled land routes made it appealing for the dairy farmer, the merchant and the traveler alike, much as it is today.

He married Wiscasset born Mildred Dunning, and they bought the parcel of land known today as The Morris Farm from the Albee family, which still farms Albee Farm here in Wiscasset today. Together Al and Mildred raised four children who all went on to be a part of the growth of the town. Son Forrest continued to farm the land on Rt. 27/Gardiner Road, and passed it to his children, who allowed the community to preserve it in Trust for future generations through the Maine Land Trust Forever Farm conservation efforts after Forrest passed on.

Cows at pasture at the Morris Farm in Wiscasset

Today the farm is open to the public from dawn till dusk, and locals and visitors are welcome to enjoy a self-guided tour of the barn and gardens, hiking trails, educational programs, a summer farm camp for children and many events open to the community. The farm also features the Morris Farm Store, which carries products from local farmers and craftspeople, local produce, eggs and dairy, and participates in the Farm Fresh Rewards program to help families use food security benefits to buy fresh, healthy from local farmers.

The other Morris children who went on to help shape the Wiscasset we know today were, Stanley, who ran the Wiscasset Oil Company, Dorothea, who became the telephone switchboard operator for the town, and daughter Millie married Red Delano and they established another longtime family business and Wiscasset visitor favorite, Red’s Eats.

One of Morris Farm's heard of cows.

The children weren’t the only offspring of the farm to thrive in the community after the farm became community owned. The herd from the Morris Farm dairy operation were sold to farmer Lee Straw of nearby Newcastle. To this day, Straw’s Farm heifers and sheep graze the pastures of the Morris Farm in summer, and Straw’s Farm fresh raw milk is available at the Morris Farm Store and in the 24-hour egg and milk stand in the lobby of the Education Center, which also features local favorite Willow Hill Farm eggs.

This article is part of a series produced by Friends of Wiscasset to highlight area businesses. This article was written by Elizabeth Palmer. Other stories in this series include:

Kids activities, Museums, Nature

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens named #3 of top 5 Botanical Gardens

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In 2016, Nature Hills, “America’s largest online plant nursery,” named Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens #3 on the top 5 botanical gardens to visit in the Eastern United States. this is just one of many awards won by the gardens.

image of cat fence and cottage in the children's area of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Children’s area of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

My husband and I love the gardens. We visited with my sister’s family on our first trip to the area to look at the Wiscasset Motor Lodge prior to purchasing it. We fell in love with the botanical gardens and we fell in love with the lodge. In the gardens there are miles of lovely trails, a view of the river, and waterfalls. It’s definitely worth repeat visits and we knew we’d be buying an annual membership. So it’s not surprising to hear all the accolades the gardens receive.