Brick Store Museum
4.5(118)google
4.3(6)yelp
HistoryEducationalGuided TourIndoorHistoric Building
Overview
The Brick Store Museum, located at 117 Main Street in the town of Kennebunk, Maine, is one of only a few museums that opened during the Great Depression in the United States. It focuses on preserving the heritage of the Kennebunks through its collections, preservation, interpretation, and exhibition of its material culture. As a history and art center in Southern Maine, the museum's collections include objects ranging from 19th-century paintings to shipbuilding tools, from 18th-century clothing to contemporary art.
Practical Info
MonClosed
Tue10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sun12:00 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeOpen year-round, making it a reliable indoor cultural landmark. Plan a visit at 10:30 AM on a rainy autumn morning to stroll through the interconnected complex of five historic 19th-century brick commercial structures. The galleries beautifully house extensive archives detailing southern Maine's maritime seafaring trade, early architectural blueprints, and classic Americana fine arts.
Getting TherePerfectly situated in downtown historic Kennebunk at 117 Main Street. Drivers can seamlessly follow coastal US-1 right onto Main Street; the museum complex offers a dedicated, free town-use parking lot accessible directly behind the building. For transit riders, regional Concord Coach Lines motorcoaches drop off close by on their Portland-Boston corridor routes, a mere 3-minute walk away.
Travel Tips
- Housed in a block of historic 19th-century masonry structures, this downtown museum implements fixed weekly closures on Sundays and Mondays, with an absolute physical front-desk ticket cutoff at 16:00 daily.
- The main building facade fronts the high-volume Route 1 arterial corridor, placing an active stopping ban on tourist vehicles; guests must reroute to the municipal public parking matrix situated immediately behind the rear annex.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- The preservation galleries shelter ultra-low-tolerance maritime manuscripts and colonial textiles; deploying external flash units or large mechanical tripods is illegal, and all dual-strap travel packs must be secured at the reception locker desk.
Reviews
Positive
- An excellent window into Kennebunk's local history! Composed of several 19th-century historic buildings, the exhibits cover everything from early shipbuilding to local life.
- Admission is very affordable, and the indoor exhibitions rotate frequently, featuring lovely local art displays and interactive history programs that are great fun.
- The staff and volunteers inside are super warm, patiently explaining the family stories behind the artifacts. Venue management is orderly.
- Great location right on Kennebunk Main Street for easy access. Plenty of free street parking is nearby, and public restrooms inside are kept spotless.
Heads up
- The museum scale is quite small, connected through old houses. You can finish it within an hour, which might disappoint those seeking grand galleries.