Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor, located on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine, is known for its vibrant arts scene, excellent shopping, and particularly good dining options. This, like most coastal towns, is an excellent location for sightseeing cruises, and there are numerous tour companies in town that also offer land-based activities such as ghost tours and foodie tours. Bar Harbor is most closely associated with the nearby Acadia National Park for nature lovers, and there are numerous guides available for those who want to learn more about the area.

The Abbe Museum, Maine's only Smithsonian affiliate museum, is Bar Harbor's most important cultural attraction. The Abbe began as a trailside museum within Acadia National Park, which is still open, and expanded to include the downtown Bar Harbor space. Visitors can learn about the Wabanaki peoples, who occupied the land long before European settlers arrived, at the People of the First Light. Exhibits use artifacts and multimedia presentations to explore culture. Visit the Bar Harbor Historical Society, which is housed in a former convent and is a historic structure in its own right, to learn about more recent local history. The small museum houses an eclectic collection of local artifacts ranging from relics of long-gone grand hotels to a comprehensive collection of local milk bottles.