About this city
Also known as: The Shipyard City
Excellently positioned along the wide, tidal waters of the Kennebec River just miles from the Atlantic ocean, Bath is a historic city celebrated globally as 'The Shipyard City'. Incorporated in 1847, the city's identity has been inextricably linked to maritime engineering since its first vessel was constructed in 1762. Driven by the presence of the historic Bath Iron Works (BIW), a major shipyard established in 1884, the city has manufactured hundreds of legendary commercial and military vessels, notably producing a massive percentage of the U.S. Navy's destroyers during World War II and into the modern era. The contemporary city layout carefully coordinates its bustling, high-security industrial waterfront shipyard with a beautifully preserved 19th-century brick downtown village packed with maritime folklore.
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Practical Tourism Metadata
Suggested stay: 1–2 days
Tour the historic wooden boatbuilding workshops and indoor maritime exhibits at the Maine Maritime Museum. View the colossal military destroyers under construction from the Kennebec River cruise boats. Stroll down Front Street to admire the intact 19th-century architecture.
