Rockland, Maine

Consisting of over twenty thousand square feet of art gallery space, the Farnsworth Art Museum is home to a collection of over fifteen thousand works of art and always offers something new for visitors to see. The art museum includes one of the largest collections of Louise Nevelson sculpture works in the country. Open throughout the entire year, the Farnsworth Art Museum is also the only center that’s solely dedicated to Maine-inspired and American artwork. The museum complex in Rockland is also made up of the Wyeth Center, a library, the Olson House, and the Farnsworth Homestead.

16 Museum St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-596-6457

The Rockland Breakwater Light is situated near the end of the granite breakwater stretching more than 4,340 feet into the Rockland Harbor. Construction of the Rockland Breakwater seawall was finished back in 1900, with the lighthouse completed two years later in 1902. Since the Rockland Breakwater Light is all the way at the end of the breakwater, visitors should be prepared for a walk that’s around two miles round trip. The lighthouse is open to the public on weekends during the summer months and those wanting to visit should be sure to wear comfortable shoes with good traction.

Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-594-4174

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) in the seaside town of Rockland is an institution for the contemporary arts, showcasing a series of changing exhibitions throughout the year that feature works by both established and emerging artists with connections to the state of Maine. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art is located within the downtown arts district.

21 Winter St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-701-5005

The Project Puffin Visitor Center first opened in the Rockland, Maine community in 2006 with help of private donors, local businesses, and Audubon and has since become a popular destination with both local residents and visitors. This unique center celebrates the successful Project Puffin, which works on bringing back puffins and other rare seabirds of Maine back to their historic nesting islands. At the Project Puffin Visitor Center, guests can watch puffins and a number of other seabirds through an impressive video system in real time. There is also a theater showing a twenty-minute film, a gallery, and many exhibits.

311 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-596-5566

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

The Coastal Children’s Museum offers children and their parents the opportunity to learn about a myriad of interesting facts about the fascinating world we live in, all while having fun. Children get the chance to explore, interact and discover the arts, science and the natural world, far from the restrictions of the classroom. The museum is also dedicated to showcasing the diversity of the mid-coast of Maine, as visitors make their way through a succession of fun and interesting child-sized exhibits. There are play and crafting areas as well as marine fish tanks and a touching pool. The museum is open all year round.

Coastal Children’s Museum, 75 Mechanic St, Rockland, ME 04841, 207 596 0300

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

The Harbor Square Gallery is housed within one of the most beautiful historic buildings in Rockland, Maine. The graceful structure dates back to the year 1912 and today is home to the Muir Garden for Contemporary Sculpture and the Contemporary Art Gallery, featuring some of the state’s most beautiful works of art. A gorgeous spiral staircase leads up to the rooftop sculpture garden overlooking Main Street and the blue harbor. Inside the gallery’s collection specializes in gold jewelry.

374 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-594-8700

The Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over sixty offshore islands, along with four coastal parcels, giving it a total of over 8,200 acres across over 250 miles of the coastline of Maine. THe wildlife refuge aims to restore and manage the nesting seabird colonies. The national wildlife refuge has a visitors center, however, in the downtown area of Rockland, at which guests can find a variety of information, such as how they can see the Atlantic puffins in Maine, as well as a number of conservation-oriented exhibits and free weekend or night programs on occasion.

Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 9 Water St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-594-0600

Where to Eat:

First opening its doors in February of 2009, the Home Kitchen Cafe has a mission of serving good, satisfying, hearty, and fresh food that’s all made on-site at the restaurant. The cuisine offered at the Home Kitchen Cafe is comfort food with a hint of the American Southwest, prepared using the highest quality seasonal and local produce available. Popular dishes on the menu include the famous lobster tacos, the “Home Schooled,” and the “Home on the Range.”

650 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-596-2449

Primo which opened in 2000 inside a more than 130-year-old farmhouse, offers several different dining options on top of a hill that overlooks the town of Rockland. Located on the ground floor are two intimate and historic dining rooms that offer a white-tablecloth setting for dinner, as well as the Primo Room featuring a more modern, country design. On the second floor of Primo, guests will find the Cocktail Lounge and the Counter Room providing dinner service at casual, cozy tables or at the bar. The restaurant also has its own on-site farm spanning across more than four acres.

2 Main St, Rockland, ME 04841, Phone: 207-596-0770