Bar Harbor

About this city

Also known as: Gateway to Acadia

Nestled beautifully on the rocky northeastern shore of Mount Desert Island facing Frenchman Bay, Bar Harbor is Maine's premier coastal resort town and a legendary destination for international travelers. Established in 1796 as Eden, the town initially centered on fishing, farming, and shipbuilding until 19th-century landscape painters revealed its breathtaking marine beauty, igniting a tourism boom. During the Gilded Age, it became a playground for America's wealthiest elite, who constructed sprawling oceanfront summer 'cottages'—many of which were tragically destroyed in a catastrophic island fire in 1947. Today, Bar Harbor serves as the bustling commercial heart and main gateway to Acadia National Park, presenting a charming downtown packed with seafood restaurants, artisan galleries, and historic coastal inns.