On my last day in the area before hitting the road, I decided to stop by Asticou Azalea Garden. It…read morewas a quiet Tuesday morning, and I was one of the few visitors to the garden. The helpful staff provided me with a map and suggested that I make a donation to visit the garden, which I happily did. I thoroughly enjoyed walking the paths which were delicately raked and taking in the beauty of the garden. I appreciated all of the various sitting areas where I could quietly ponder and reflect, especially the one overlooking the sand garden. If you find yourself near Acadia national park and are looking to do something a little different, I would highly recommend checking this place out.

What???? Never heard of this place but as we were driving around Mount Desert Island we spotted it…read moreand just decided to pull over and check it out. This place is amazingly beautiful, and if I lived close to here, I would be there all the time with my Kindle, relaxing, and enjoying it Wow!!!! Literally if you like reading and relaxing, this is the spot for you. Go check it out.

An absolute must see in Acadia. The Joseph Curtis house at the top of the Trail provides a…read morecultural history into how Joseph (someone not born into wealth & was an architect by trade) became the area's philanthropist and dedicated much of the land to the park via a Trust. There is a volunteer at the home who provided great insight and history into its owner and the home itself. One note: the famous apple tree in the Thuya Gardens is going to eventually be removed due to its age (100+ years) and in order to best preserve the surrounding flowers in the park; after much debate it was determined that the tree could not be saved.

Beautifully preserved and maintained. The flower beds are well organized and displayed with…read moreidentifying tags, like an outdoor classroom. Visit the house and talk with the docent about its history. Nice view of the water from the house. You can walk between Thuya and Asticou (15 mins). Parking is available at the bottom of Thuya, by the boathouse, or above, near the house. If you're parked on the bottom, you can climb up the stone steps (there's covered seating half-way up with a great view of the water).

Fantastic collection of very early cars…read more I learned more about the differences in collection between restoration and preservation. The collection gave me an insight on the creativity of the early car builders. The kids sheets really engaged some of the visitors who might not have been so interested in cars. It drew them in.

Located on the quieter side of MDI, the place is a real find for vintage car enthusiasts. Many of…read morethe cars were either donated or came from private collections. The autos are in beautiful condition with many having been restored to their original likeness. The self guided tour takes about an hour. At the end of the tour, one of the employees gave my party and I a brief ride in a 1931 Model T which was just acquired by the Museum. The car has a 4 cylinder engine and provides about 80hp, and runs on a special 92 blended octane gasoline that has no alcohol in it. The stories and history behind these cars is amazing. Many of the styles were from manufacturers that were eventually bought out by other companies of the time, or went bankrupt.

This is a great Museum. If you ever wonder what Champlain was thinking of when he described MDI on…read morehis Maps... It was Granite. At this museum you can learn everything about this mineral resource.

This museum is remarkable, all because of Steve Haynes. He has an extensive workshop and also…read moreoffers tours for whoever shows up at no cost (donations accepted). We got a private 1 hour tour of his historical collection of memorobilia *and* we got to actually split some granite ourselves. Very interactive, and we got some polished stones to take home. This tour was absolutely the highlight of my 4 year old son's trip (mine also). There is a whole setup for school groups, so there is a lot here for kids to see and do. We so enjoyed talking with Steve, he answered all our questions. His extensive collection of photos and his knowledge of the history of Maine's granite industry is fascinating. This is a *must do* for anyone nearby, and be sure to leave a generous donation.

We were visiting Castine and went here for a self guided walking map tour as we were not visiting…read morewhen the guided walking tours were available. We ended up usuing the reommendated Castine walking tour app, but so glad we paid a visit here. The exhibit in September 2026 was of Francis Hanabe's art, which was amazing to see and learn all about this talented artist and his works and his love of Maine. The quilt depicting the history of the area was absolutely gorgeous, with such attention to detail. There are other exhibits, maps, books, brochures and a gift shop. Right in the town center square area. The staff was friendly and helpful. Most definitely worth a stop in.

Top notch place with top notch people. Jules is personable, informative. And helpful…read more I did not get a chance to check out the attached little museum, but it looked very interesting and had a lot of casting history

We tried to go yesterday but it isn't open anymore. The bus driver told us they only open it for…read morecruise ships.

Had a great visit and a fantastic time learning from a very friendly team…read more The entire staff were extremely knowledgeable about everything touching to ocean marine life (especially Beth) I cannot believe I am the first person to leave a review.... a must do on a cooler or rainy day .... Cost was affordable, you don't have to blow your budgets to do something fun with the family. We had a great time and the state of Maine is just amazing and beautiful

I would never have found this shop if it wasn't for the reviews here. It's located off the main…read moredrag so you might miss it if you aren't looking. This is run by a couple, who according to the owner Patrick (who was manning the store when we were there) they aren't artists themselves, but they seek out artists from all over. There is a wide selection of art from sun catchers made of wrapped colored stones, and paintings on wood to vegan leather purses and wood turned pens. We stopped here and purchased a painting my partner wanted and then returned to pick up my purse before returning to the shuttle bus. I just couldn't leave without buying it. I'm sure if we had more time, we would have spent more. Bar Harbor has lots of tourist stuff. If you are looking for that special item to take home, check this place out.

Bottom Line: A lovely building with whimsical and interesting merchandise and friendly staff…read more The Little Mad Shop relocated to Rodick Street in a striking, Victorian-ish building, about a year ago in 2022, I think. The store features unique decor, jewelry, accessories and home items. I spent the most time looking at colorful local artwork, sniffing a variety of perfumes and eyeing up some lovely leather goods. While I didn't buy anything I certainly appreciated the friendly staff and the variety of whimsical an quality items for sale.

Visit the small town of Winter Harbor for their annual lobster festival! Craft vendors, boat…read moreraces, good food and a parade make for a fun filled day! Blueberry pancake breakfast to a lobster dinner! If those do not appeal, there are food trucks and local restaurants. While you are there, enjoy some local shopping. The Winter Harbor 5&10 has everything Winter Harbor! If you have time, visit Schoodic Point and enjoy the view and the waves crashing on the rocks. This happens every August. Be sure you are there!! So much fun!!!

Every August the town of Winter Harbor hosts their annual Lobster Festival and this year we had the…read morepleasure of attending the 51st celebration. We started out the day by shopping at all the outdoor vendors. After wandering for an hour we decided to watch the lobster boat races and then finished out the day with their lobster dinner and some music from their musicians. In the end, we loved this little festival and although we had no idea how to watch and judge the lobster boat races, we felt like part of the community. In the future we hope to attend this festival again because it was a blast!