Beyond the lighthouses and lobster rolls, Maine is a coastal wonderland for kids ready to explore land, sea, and sky. I love how this state invites families to slow down, get outside, and dive into adventures big and small—whether it’s hiking a rocky trail or watching puffins from a boat.
To me, Maine means tide pooling at Acadia National Park, exploring hands-on exhibits at the Maine Discovery Museum, and riding the narrow-gauge trains along Portland’s waterfront. We search for sea glass at Ogunquit Beach, spot seals on Bar Harbor cruises, and climb up spiral staircases at postcard-perfect lighthouses like Portland Head Light. The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine is a rainy-day favorite, and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens dazzles with fairy houses and outdoor play areas. Whether you're visiting in the blooming spring, breezy summer, or vibrant fall, Maine always has something wild and wonderful to share.
Picture this: The kids are chasing crabs between tide pools, munching blueberry ice cream, and laughing from the top of a lighthouse—all in one unforgettable Maine day.
"Shells, sails, and storybook seaside fun? This is Maine with kids!"
Museums for Kids
1. Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine
The Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine in the city of Portland is designed to provide children with a chance to “lead the way.” The many interactive exhibit areas are grounded in the latest research on learning and the science of play, with each exhibit providing opportunities to learn through taking safe risks, navigating immersive environments, hands-on exploration, and dramatic role playing. Exhibit spaces at the Children's Museum and Theatre of Maine include Coco’s Diner, Our Town, Playscape, the Be Well Center, the Farmers Market, Toddler Park, Car Repair Shop, Discovery Woods, Lobster Boat, the Fire Truck, and many more.
250 Thompson's Point Road, Portland, ME 04102, Phone: 207-828-1234
2. Abbe Museum
The Abbe Museum has grown brom being a trailside small museum inside of Acadia National Park to a contemporary museum located in the middle of downtown Bar Harbor, Maine. The facility became the first, as well as the only, Smithsonian Affiliate within the state. Visitors will find stimulating and dynamic exhibits in the downtown Abbe Museum, along with interspersed activities and area for quiet reflection. The museum highlights the cultures and history of Maine’s native people, the Wabanaki, and is open daily from May through October and on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from November through April.
26 Mt Desert St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: 207-288-3519
For Nature Enthusiasts
3. Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park contains some of the Eastern Seaboard’s most diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes and is open year-round to visitors. Located along the coast, most of the the park spreads across Mount Desert Island, with portions on the Isle au Haut and the Schoodic Peninsula. Acadia National Park can be considered a perfect outdoor playground, with opportunities for skiing in winter, summer hikes, fishing in the spring, and fall foliage. Many visitors start their exploration either at the park’s Hull Cove Visitor Center the park headquarters. There is also an entrance at Rockefeller Hall at the Welcome Center.
20 McFarland Hill Dr, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: 207-288-3338, Video
4. Bar Harbor Ferry
The Bar Harbor Ferry departs from both the Bar Harbor Inn Pier in Bar Harbor, Maine and the Schoodic Marine Center in Winter Harbor, Maine. From either departing location, passengers aboard the ferry can enjoy a nice ferry ride to either one of the destinations, at which they will find a wide array of restaurants, shops, and activities. The boat ride from Bar Harbor takes passengers to the Schoodic Peninsula/Winter Harbor, which is the quieter part of Acadia National Park. Guests to the park can bring along their bikes, as well as bring them onto the “free” Island Explorer shuttle.
7 Newport Dr, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: 207-288-4585
5. Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company
The Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company provides a chance for visitors and locals alike of Bar Harbor, Maine to view some of the largest animals found anywhere on Earth. The whale watching tour company has been taking guests to see whales up close within the Gulf of Maine for over 25 years and offers a Puffin and Whale Watch cruise and a Whale Watch cruise. The Puff and Whale Watch is the slightly longer trip of the two, lasting between 3.5 and 5 hours. The Whale Watch trip only includes whale watching and lasts between 3 and 5 hours.
1 West St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: 207-288-2386
6. Baxter State Park
The Baxter State Park encompasses cascades, backcountry ponds, unique glacial formations, rare alpine flowers, and more, providing a parkscape that’s hard to match. Local residents of the state of Maine consider the park to be the grandest state park in the country’s New England region, an expanse of wilderness measuring approximately 210,000 acres, featuring forty-six ridges and peaks interspersed with 215 miles of trails for hiking just waiting for visitors to explore. This outdoor playground of inland Maine offers opportunities for picnicking by waterfalls, gazing down on fall colors from above the park’s tree line, and being immersed within a technicolor woodland.
64 Balsam Dr, Millinocket, ME 04462, Phone: 207-723-5140
Museums and History
7. Boothbay Railway Village
The Boothbay Railway Village in Boothbay, Maine is an educational non-profit organization and museum. This unique destination is the only place in New England where people of all ages can ride an authentic steam locomotive while surrounded by historic buildings of Maine preserved within a recreated village of vintage and aged buildings from throughout the state. Guests can also experience model trains like never before or view the collection of sixty antique automobiles. Many of the buildings house artifact displays related to the railroad history of Maine and daily life for Mainers during the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries.
586 Wiscasset Rd, Boothbay, ME 04537, Phone: 207-633-4727
8. Cole Land Transportation Museum
The Cole Land Transportation Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of a cross section of the land transportation equipment of Maine, providing current and future generations a look into the past.
The transportation-focused museum in Bangor, Maine features around two hundred antique vehicles used in the state of land transportation, include the most complete snow removal equipment collection in the United States. Other vehicles on display at the Cole Land Transportation Museum include fire engines, sleds, sleighs, wagons, farm equipment, cars, trains, carriages, and a unique collection of military vehicles and memorabilia.
405 Perry Rd, Bangor, ME 04401, Phone: 207-990-3600
Unique Attractions
9. Down East Nature Tours and Acadia Birding Festival
Down East Nature Tours provides personalized nature and bird tours for small groups, families, and individuals around Down East Maine and on Mount Desert Island. The tours are focused on learning and fun while observing many of the most elusive birds, plants, and several other animals within their natural habitats. There is a special emphasis on Seabirds, Shorebirds, Warblers, Bald Eagles, and native birds. Along with birding and nature tours, Down East Nature Tours also offers cross-country skiing, hiking, and biking tours throughout the entire year. The Acadia Birding Festival is also a popular birding activity in the area.
39 Cottage St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, Phone: 207-288-8128
10. Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory
The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory is considered by many to be the coastal region of Maine’s crown jewel, providing visitors with an amazing 360-degree view of Penobscot Bay and River, as well as views of the western mountains in the distance and the countryside of Maine. The one-of-a-kind campus of the Penobscot Narrows Observatory draws transportation and engineering enthusiasts, travel writers, and tourists, and features the world’s tallest public bridge observatory, the historic Fort Knox, a covered pavilion, plenty of backdrops for photos, and a variety of interpretive panels throughout explaining the area’s natural wildlife, the region’s history, and much more.
740 Ft Knox Rd, Prospect, ME 04981, Phone: 207-469-6553
Plan Your Trip