Damariscotta, Maine

The Lincoln County Community Theater in the town of Damariscotta hosts more than five hundred events every year in the historic Lincoln Theater, striving to offer high quality and diverse programs that offer social, educational, artistic, and entertaining experience designed to enrich the community. The Damariscotta theater originally opened as the Lincoln Hall in 1876 as a venue for a variety of live entertainment, dances, and civic functions. In the 1920’s it became a movie theater with 500 seats. Today, the theater is owned and operated by the resident theatre troupe of Lincoln County Community Theater, founded in 1977.

2 Theater St, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-563-3424

Known for its great customer service, the Maine Coast Book Shop and Cafe consists of several locations along Maine’s coastline. Each of the book stores is open all seven days of the week, year-round. Along with a wide variety of books, the Maine Coast Book Shop and Cafe in Damariscotta is also home to the Barn Door Baking Co. Café, which offers a great little spot for visitors to grab a coffee drink and freshly baked goods, as well as sit with friends and talk about their favorite books.

158 Main St, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-563-3207

Established in 1968, the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop is a spacious book store in Damariscotta, Maine that overlooks the Damariscotta River. The shop offers over fifteen thousand books consisting of dozens of different categories, including rare books and possibly first editions. In addition to the numerous books, the Skidompha Secondhand Book Shop also sells puzzles, audiobooks, movies on videotape and DVD, and music CDs. All of the items at the shop are donated by the community and the staff is made up of volunteers. With a desire to help the local community, all proceeds support programs at the Skidompha Library.

17 Backstreet Landing, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-563-7807

Aboca Beads in Damariscotta is a jewelry and bead store situated in the heart of the small town along Maine’s coast. With a goal of providing a place to “experience creativity,” all jewelry displayed in the shop is made in the shop with a wide array of ceramic beads, gemstones, bone, wood, glass, and freshwater pearls. The collection of beads at the Aboca Beads shop include handmade beads from all over the globe, including beads from Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, Czech Republic, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya. A selection of locally handcrafted pendants and beads are available as well.

157 Main St, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-563-1766

Where to Eat

The Damariscotta River Grill provides an authentic Maine dining experience for both locals and tourists alike in Damariscotta, Maine. The restaurant invites everyone to “come as they are” to dine on fresh seafood meals, as well as bar-and-grill and traditional specialities. The Pemaquid oysters served at the locally owned and operated Damariscotta River Grill are sourced fresh from the Damariscotta River just outside the window. Along with its award-winning wine list featuring several affordable favorites, the restaurant is known for its heart portions, nightly specials, and cozy bar, with a Happy Hour.

155 Main St, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-563-2992

The Barn Door Baking Co. in the New England town of Damariscotta, Maine is a small-batch bakery that makes everything from scratch in-house. The baked goods are delivered to the bakery’s storefront in the town’s local bookstore down the street as they come out of the oven. These delicious baked goods are complemented by fresh espresso and coffee drinks, along with Samovar Tea and smoothies. The bakery also takes special orders for pastries and cakes, and custom decorate cakes for any need.

162 Main St, Damariscotta, ME 04543, Phone: 207-790-3909

For History Buffs

The Whaleback Shell Midden State Historic Site, simply called Whaleback for short, is an 11-acre recreational space in Damariscotta. It is owned and operated by the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust in partnership with the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and is known historically for once being the site of a massive oyster shell heap. The midden was formed over thousands of years by Native Americans and reached massive heights until they were later removed in the 1800s. Visitors to Whaleback can see storyboards of this site while enjoying various recreational activities such as fishing, hiking, swimming, and winter sports like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Hikers can gain access to the Round Top Farm via Whaleback’s 8-foot-wide trail which is best for easy walks and even bikes thanks to its gentle grade and stone dust finish.

535 Main Street, Damariscotta, Maine 04543, Phone: 207-563-1393