This is very small but equally interesting and there is no charge, so why not check it out. The…read morehistory of the road up Mt. Washington is fascinating, I never knew it has been privately owned for over 100 years. Definitely take the drive up as well, worth the time and cost in my opinion.

We really enjoyed the small museum after going up the auto road. It's free. Stop in!read more

The folks at the Wilhelm Reich Museum have gone through incredible lengths to bring you as close to…read moredr. Reich as possible. The observatory is essentially a giant time capsule, containing numerous authentic items from dr Reich. His art hangs proudly on the walls, and sever as l of his sculptures decorate the shelving. The second floor of the museum has been left exactly how it was found when the "owners" found it. (Its part of a trust) do its like stepping back in time. Then the top floor is really magical. Another perfectly preserved room, its where Dr. Reich did his art. This is also where they take you out on the rooftop to enjoy its 100+ mile views spanning from the bigelo mtn range to mount washington. If these arent enough to bring you by, theyre also a HUGE nature preserve spiderwebbed with hiking trails and blueberry fields. Such a great place to spend the day!

Fantastic place. For anyone who is a fan of Reich's work, this is a must see. Private tours cost…read more$100 for up to ten people and is totally worth it to view his house. A little gem in Rangeley, Maine.

Our group of six adults stopped in at the Fairbanks Museum and the exhibits there exceeded our…read moreexpectations! Anyone interested in animals or natural history would enjoy the museum, and even adults shouldn't overlook some of the hands-on exhibits geared toward children.

Loved the museum, loads of history and artifacts. We saw Butterflies in the planetarium, we can…read moreall do our part. Free seeds for wildflowers, too. Just lovely.

Most of the art is really pretty. The simplicity of some of the pieces are really interesting. It's…read moremore on the small side but it's really cool and fascinating how all the art pieces are on walls the new renovation coming up for the second part of the house is being built right now. No clue if they're open... But still 5/5 stars

From the owner: The Rufus Porter Museum located in Bridgton, Maine features the history of a remarkable 19th…read morecentury New Englander, Rufus Porter (1792-1884). Porter is well-known in the folk art community for his landscape murals and miniature portraits, however, Porter was more than just a painter. He was the founding publisher and editor of the magazine Scientific American as well as inventor, writer, teacher and more. Open seasonally from mid-June to mid-October.

It's a History to Me…read more Founded in 1822, the Maine Historical Society's sole purpose is to preserve the history of Maine thru rotating exhibits that include historical photos and artifacts. The Good: *Free admission to the Longfellow Garden (May - Oct) during normal hours of operation *Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a separate part of the museum, with a separate fee ($18/GA). We didn't do this, so I can't comment if it's worth it. *Admission is reasonable at $12/adults *Reciprocity program with other museums, if you're a member ($25-75/year). *Located in beautiful Downtown Portland The Meh: *Not the world's biggest museum, as you can probably see the whole thing in 1-2hrs, depending on how much you read the placards for each item/display. The Ugly: *Location is in Downtown Portland, which is great, but you'll most likely have to deal with paying for parking at one of the garages. Pro Tip: If the garage DOESN'T advertise their pricing on the outside, then skip it on and move onto the next one that does. Evidently these predatory parking garages are a big thing here in DT Portland. Conclusion: Nice place to visit if you're in Portland and looking for a little culture.

The Maine Historical Society says on their website: "Connecting and documenting the Maine…read moreexperience" and "dedicates itself to making history relevant and accessible" and I could not agree more! We live locally and have been checking out the rotating exhibits over the past 10 or so years-all unique, informative rich, fascinating topics, amazing artifacts. You can look online to see what's going on/get tickets for specified time and can also buy in person there. Easily found on Congress Street in Portland, accessible all one level (no stairs), gift shop excellently curated for the history buffs and admission is affordable. At the time of our visit the 3 smaller exhibits included: "Mainers and their pets", "Maines untold history of Vegetarianism" and "Maine sheet music"- all was well worth the price of admission! This is also the place to tour the historic Wadsworth-Longfellow house. Only downside is parking- they do not have a dedicated parking lot so it's on-street parking. Congress has some, but it's a busy area so we tend to park on surrounding streets in the region from Congress St down to Commercial street side of Congress St and there is also a parking garage nearby. Walkable area location-shops and restaurants also fun to stop in to support local too. Highly recommended- here's to preserving history, learning where we've been to better understand where we are now and where we're headed in the future!

This is The Frost Place, the former summer home of American poet Robert Frost turned museum and…read morehistorical landmark. The property is not very big, but nonetheless it is quaint and charming. A beautiful mid 19th century farmhouse situated on a quiet, rural dirt road with woods behind the house and breathtaking mountain views from the front porch. You can definitely understand why Frost loved spending his summers here with his family. A good portion of the house is closed off and used as a private residence; it was explained to us that they use it for a poets-in-residency program, meaning that they select a poet to live in the house each summer as a way to give them space and time to concentrate on their work. The part of the house that is open to the public is filled with artifacts including photos, newspaper clippings, old samples of Frost's writing and even original furniture. There's also a barn on the property where they hold a variety of workshops for poetry and the arts, and have poetry collections from some of the poets they've hosted for sale. There is also a short trail in the woods behind the house featuring signs reading some of Frost's works. There is a small, reasonable admission fee. I will also say that I don't think you necessarily have to be a big fan of Robert Frost to appreciate this place and the history of it. So if you're in the area and you have an hour or so to kill, it might be worth stopping by The Frost Place.

We only visited this place during a time it was closed, but the trail was well worth a stop to take…read morea relaxing stroll. It was exactly what we needed.

May the Forest be with You…read more Museum with three floors about anything and everything related to Maine's forests and lumber industry--from the Native Americans who lived here to modern day forestry. The Good: *Inexpensive at $7/adults and $5/children (memberships start at $20) *The lady working the register/front was very friendly *Not just a museum, as they also have a large outdoor area with miles of hiking trails! *Maybe I'm weird, but I really enjoyed the logging film they show called "From Stump to Ship" a 1930 documentary made by one of the logging companies. *Tons of stuff packed into all three floors, including lots of art. The Meh: *Limited hours of only Thu - Sun and only open for 4hrs. The Ugly: *Only open seasonally from early June to mid-October (check website for accurate dates and times) Conclusion: Great place to learn some history and get a hike in at the same time. Highly recommended.

I can't believe we've been coming to Rangeley for so long and have just discovered this…read moreextraordinary museum. Not only did we learn all about logging life, but the museum is beautifully curated. The balcony exhibits, especially, provide the aesthetic experience of an art museum. Many of the tools themselves are as finely made as sculpture, and some are displayed in ways that create sculptures of them. Photos, saws, axes, kitchen wares, logging boots, wood carvings by loggers of their fellow workers, and of fans and wagons and sleds. Diaries, letters, accounting books. There's a play corner for children - yes, they can touch! Outside in an open shed stands the huge equipment that doesn't fit inside the museum itself. I can't highly enough praise the thought and care behind the museum.