There’s a lot to see in do in the Pine Tree State, but some activities really stand the test of time.
Read our picks for the best classic attractions in Maine.
BEST SPORTING MUSEUM:
RANGELEY OUTDOOR SPORTING HERITAGE MUSEUM, Oquossoc
Delve into Rangeley’s impressive sporting past in this purpose-built museum honoring fishing and boating luminaries such as Fly-Rod Crosby, Carrie Stevens, Herb Welch, and Herbie Ellis.
8 Rumford Road. 207-864-3091; rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org
BEST WINDJAMMER FARE:
J. & E. RIGGIN, Rockland
A multiday windjammer sail is a treat for the sea lover, and the palate, aboard the Riggin, a National Historic Landmark built in 1929 as an oyster dredger. Captain Jon Finger usually mans the wheel, while his wife, Captain Annie Mahle, a food columnist and well-known cookbook author, prepares from-scratch meals with ingredients often sourced from their home gardens. Rates: from $600, including meals.
3 Captain Spear Drive. 207-594-1875; mainewindjammer.com
BEST LOBSTER WITH A SENSE OF THE PAST:
COREA WHARF GALLERY & GALLEY, Corea
Order a lobster roll or lobster grilled-cheese sandwich at the window, peruse the historical photos in the fish-shack gallery, settle at a picnic table, and enjoy the dreamy harbor views.
13 Gibbs Lane. 207-963-2633; coreawharfgallery.com
BEST SPORTING CAMP:
LIBBY’S, Ashland
For more than 100 years, the Libby family has welcomed sports and wilderness lovers, sheltering them in lakefront traditional log cabins, feeding them hearty home-cooked fare, and guiding them along the woods and waterways of northern Maine. (Set deep in the woods in the Ashland area; many visitors fly into the camp.) Package rates: from $210.
207-435-8274; libbycamps.com
BEST SHAKER IMMERSION:
SABBATHDAY LAKE SHAKER VILLAGE, New Gloucester
Only a handful of Shakers remain in the world’s last inhabited Shaker community, but a museum, store, services, guided tours, and special events offer a glimpse into this endangered lifestyle.
707 Shaker Road. 207-926-4597; shaker.lib.me.us