Maine Maritime Museum
4.7(1.5K)google
4.7(78)yelp
HistoryHarborEducationalGuided TourInteractiveIndoorMust-See
Overview
Maine Maritime Museum, formerly the Bath Marine Museum, offers exhibits about Maine's maritime heritage, culture and the role Maine has played in regional and global maritime activities. Maine Maritime Museum has a large and diverse collection, made up of millions of documents, artifacts and pieces of artwork and includes an extensive research library. The museum is set on a scenic active waterfront on the banks of the Kennebec River and includes the historic Percy & Small Shipyard with five original 19th-century buildings, a Victorian-era shipyard owner's home and New England's largest sculpture – a full size representation of the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built, the six-masted schooner Wyoming.
Practical Info
Every day9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeJune through September is ideal to fully explore the sprawling 20-acre historic shipyard outdoor campus. Plan your arrival for 10:30 AM to tour the indoor maritime history artifacts before boarding their midday guided Kennebec River Cruise, which takes passengers on the water to view working historic lighthouses and the massive US Navy destroyers under construction at Bath Iron Works.
Getting ThereLocated at 243 Washington Street in the historic maritime city of Bath. Take US-1 North toward coastal Maine, take the historic downtown Bath exit just before the river bridge, and turn right onto Washington Street, following it south for 1 mile to the museum's spacious free private lots. It sits roughly 20 minutes on foot from the Bath downtown seasonal Downeaster train platform.
Travel Tips
- Occupying a 20-acre historic shipyard on the Kennebec River, the outdoor wooden hull framing displays and maritime outbuildings shutter fully from November to April, restricting winter visits solely to the primary indoor hall.
- The museum's popular Kennebec riverboat lighthouse cruises require separate private ticketing independent of any state or federal passes; passengers must complete security checks 30 minutes early as late arrivals forfeit fare.
Photo Tips
Photo Rules
- The facility directly borders Bath Iron Works Navy shipyard; federal defense protocols mandate an absolute drone ban across the boundary, and telephoto photography tracking naval destroyers under active construction risks immediate detention.
Reviews
Positive
- Located on a historic shipyard site, perfectly capturing Maine's grand wood shipbuilding past. The full-scale outdoor schooner sculpture is spectacular.
- Indoor galleries are modern with crisp AC. Signs and media films are well-made, making maritime details engaging and deeply informative.
- The museum offers an optional boat cruise along the river, granting water views of the active Bath Iron Works next door. Highly worth the price.
- The staff and volunteers are incredibly kind. The seating areas inside and on the outdoor lawn are abundant. Clean, unhurried vibe.
- The pristine 19th-century wooden shipyard ruins are grand; the 1:1 full-scale wooden vessel sculpture delivers top-tier visuals with maximum cultural value.
- The museum is modern and well-planned; digital audio-visual systems run smoothly with high-end accessible lifts and sanitized family toilets.
- The staff is polite and refined; artisan live woodworking demonstrations are well-regulated with bold emergency safety signs and guidelines.
- The admission pass covers a solid shipyard tour, exhibition access, and a free large lot; its priceless density of maritime artifacts offers great value.
Heads up
- The standard admission fee is slightly pricey for the overall museum scale; adding the river cruise for a whole family makes it expensive.
- Some older outdoor smith shops and sheds have uneven floors and lack ramps, making accessibility tough for wheelchairs or elders.
- In heavy rain, strolling through the outdoor historic shipyard area is difficult, and since half the highlights are outside, the value drops.
- The museum gift shop and snack cafe are overpriced and close early around 4 PM, leaving few consumer options for late afternoon guests.
- Located in Bath shipyard town away from major cities, public bus transit lines are sparse, making driving mandatory for solo international tourists.
- The complex has a long footprint including outdoor riverfront loops; winter blizzards trigger safety closures of snowy shipyard ruins, hurting tours.
- The general admission is limited; premium Kennebec river history boat cruises require separate secondary purchases with high price premiums.
- The official artisan gift shop pieces are highly expensive with steep maritime copyright premiums, and on-site food choices are rare.