They really packed this small museum w awesome displays. informative, entertaining. free parking…read more part of the college campus.

Free to the public. Great place to take kids to explore. Natural History Museum with lots of…read morewildlife to explore including bobcat, whale, beaver, fox, puffins, skunk, deers, and many more.

This place was AWESOME. It's a small store but they have utilized every single inch with a great…read morecurated arrangement of books, art supplies, and toys/puzzles/games. There are areas that are sorted by global region and then by prehistoric periods. They have interactive exhibits for kids (or adults) throughout all 3 floors of the store. 7-year-old would have been wild for this store and even as an adult saw so many cool books that I wanted. I managed to escape with only having purchased 2 books and a journal. The salesperson was very friendly and available if help was needed. Great selection of books, would much rather support an independent bookstore like this than a big box store or online retailer. Great value for being able to look through such a cool collection of books related to all things nature and science!

This was incredible!! It's a book store but also has a bunch of art installations and interactive…read moreexhibits. My kids LOVED it! So much to do and learn. They said it was their highlight from our trip to Maine!

Bottom Line: A guilded age mansion that gives a glimpse into the history of Bar Harbor and the…read moreearly 1900s. La Rochelle is a large, historical home overlooking Frenchman Bay. While it was once the 41-room summer cottage for the Bowdoin family today it serves as the headquarters of the the Bar Harbor Historical Society. The mansion is also a wedding venue. If, when visiting La Rochelle you are hoping to feel like you are stepping into a time machine to 1903, you'll need a lot of imagination. The mansion has been the home to various families and it has served several purposes since it was the Bowdoin's summer cottage. So, the physical structure is original but very little else is. Also, a lot of the rooms are closed and serve as private offices or storage for the Bar Harbor Historical Society. But, as a bonus, there is a lot of Bar Harbor history and artifacts displayed throughout. What I found most interesting about La Rochelle was the Flower Room including the placement of it. I can recall visiting mansions with a designated area of the kitchen or butler's pantry for assembling flower arrangements but I can't recall one that had a dedicated Flower Room. I also thought it was interesting that the Flower Room was placed adjacent to the main foyer instead of closer to where the servants would be working. La Rochelle is a wonderful piece of Bar Harbor and American history and I am grateful that the Bar Harbor Historical Society was able to purchase La Rochelle to preserve it for future generations. I also appreciate the very kind volunteers that work at the mansion. La Rochelle is am impressive site from West Street but it looks even more impressive from water, or so I imagine. We did not get to see the house from that view but based on pictures, you can really see the elevation of the home and the many chimneys. Before leaving La Rochelle we visited the gift shop which is full of pretty things. I was eyeing up some puzzles but due to very limited space in my suitcase I just purchased a few greeting cards. Overall we had a nice visit to La Rochelle and we were glad to support the Bar Harbor Historical Society.

Lots of interesting information. It's a self guide tour. Plenty of time to walk around. Beautiful…read moreinterior. Was having a great time till we went into the gift shop and the first 3 sentences from the gift shop cashier was political. Such a bumer to end on a sour note. The subject was illegal immigrants.....I'm Hispanic.

This is a small museum dedicated to a local artist who made wood carvings of various birds. It also…read morehouses visiting exhibitions. The birds are an excellent way to get one in the mood for some hiking, but not a replacement for the actual hiking. Weather depending, it may be worth a stop. Admission is paid, and the place is only a couple of rooms. It's nice to get some local flavor in, but I would prioritize spending time outside.

What a beautiful gem! We were visiting the area on vacation, I love birds, so we stopped in. Lovely…read moremuseum with Wendell Gilley's carved birds, in addition to other artists' works--carvings and paintings. The staff was informative and helpful, they have classes that looked like fun! Really enjoyed our time there

Meh. Not worth the $10…read more It's small and underwhelming. I guess I guess I gave it an extra star on account of the fact that it's cool they support the local native Americans. But to go just for that isn't the best idea. They need to put more on display for the price. It should be two dollars to get in. That's all.

This is more history than museum to me. Native made tools and canoes and clothing…read more Many baskets. And a chronology Of the mistreatment of the five original tribes here in Maine. Actually still fighting for rights over a local River. The white man just takes and takes. I found it to be hard to stay long. There is a Military and Senior discount available.

The Ruggles House is in the Regency style, and it has a free-standing staircase that is painted…read moreblack and white. It also has a fireplace with a fancy mantelpiece.

We took a half hour tour on a rainy Friday afternoon and enjoyed a very entertaining history lesson…read moreas well as at least a half dozen Galong boxed chocolates along the way. Our tour guide was extremely charming, and gracious, but also young and still learning the story. That being said she did a great job. The tour covers the Galong family history, and goes through a bunch of production techniques they have used over the years. I felt like Charlie on a tour of Wonka's factory looking at some of the gizmos Galong has used to make chocolate over the years. There were some cool grainy historical videos that hopefully they will be able to preserve. In the exhibit there are a much of examples of old packaging too. I had never tasted a raw cocoa nib before so that was also very interesting. Overall we had a lovely experience. If you are just over the border and looking for a stop in St. Stephen, otherwise known as the chocolate capitol of Canada, you could do worse!

For a town that size $10 for museum ticket is pricey to look at history of the chocolate factory…read more Also, start selling hot chocolate in the winter and iced chocolate milk in the summer. It would be a nice addition to the town.

The Huntsman Aquarium is a wonderful place to take the kids when visiting St Andrews…read more This is the one place that my son requests that we visit when we plan our vacation. We visit at least once a year, with the exception of last year. Our favorite part to the aquarium is the interactive touch aquarium. This was the year that he had decided that he was going to touch the skate. Our brave little guy picked up starfish, hermit crabs, clams, scallops and other small creatures. He also pet the skate, over & over again. For the first time in over 6 years we were finally able to catch the feeding of the seals. They were the most animated that we have ever seen them, even before the feeding. There is a children's learning/play area downstairs. Be sure to snap a pic of the kids on the boat and play a game of checkers.

We arrived in time for the seal feeding in the afternoon. My son and I both really enjoyed that and…read morethe young men doing it were amusing and engaging. My son was crazy about the touch tank and still talks about it.

Absolutely LOVED visiting here…read more Alex our tour guide in the Aquarium center did a phenomenal job! She was informative and gave us a private tour showing us all the animals. I learned that there is a very rare cotton candy lobster and an orange and blue colored ones too! They have a 10 year old female named "Big Mama" and she is going to give birth to a thousand eggs! There is a small one year old lobster and a 5 year old. I learned so much about about the aquatic animals and got to touch slugs, starfish, sea cucumbers and more! Highly recommend supporting educational institutions like this! Enjoy this lovely place while visiting Acadia Bational Park!

Cute little museum that's bigger on the inside…read more You wouldn't know it from the front door but there is a lot going on at the Oceanarium. Touch tanks, art, found objects, whale skeleton and hiking trails. Perfect for a rainy day when you can't hike Acadia National Park or if you feel like you've seen it all in Bar Harbor.

Came back to the museum for the Black House guided tour...VERY cool and interesting! So glad we…read moremade the time. So much to look at in the house...many, many original furnishings and personal belongings. I appreciate the self-guided tour as well...nice to go at your own pace and listen to as much, or little details as you wish. The lady in the gift shop, where you pay for the tour, was above and beyond helpful! She was willing and able to answer any and all of our questions. Would highly recommend stopping and touring this lovely home.

We loved our self-guided tour in the Black House. We were all alone, my husband and I, and we were…read moreable to stand and gawk at the furnishings and remark over the historical items. It really does feel like the residents had just up and walked out. I was hoping for a little more in the formal gardens, but maybe they don't have enough staff to keep up with it, and it is early in the season.