Highest-rated specialty museums in Maine by visitors

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, , the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Maine on as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#30. Maine Mill

- Rating: 4.6/5 (42 reviews)
- City: Lewiston
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#29. Maine Military Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (45 reviews)
- City: South Portland
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#28. The Telephone Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (21 reviews)
- City: Ellsworth
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#27. 5th Maine Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- City: Peaks Island Portland
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#26. Poland Spring Preservation Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- City: Poland Springs
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#25. Wendell Gilley Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (60 reviews)
- City: Southwest Harbor Mount Desert Island
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#24. Penobscot Marine Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Searsport
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#23. Fawcett's Antique Toy and Art Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (61 reviews)
- City: Waldoboro
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#22. Bar Harbor Historical Society

- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)
- City: Bar Harbor Mount Desert Island
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#21. Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Brunswick
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#20. Maine Granite Industry Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (87 reviews)
- City: Mount Desert Mount Desert Island
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#19. Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (84 reviews)
- City: Alna
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#18. Umbrella Cover Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (73 reviews)
- City: Peaks Island Portland
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#17. Stanwood Homestead Museum and Bird Sanctuary

- Rating: 4.6/5 (47 reviews)
- City: Ellsworth
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#16. Sail Power and Steam Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (133 reviews)
- City: Rockland
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#15. Maine Jewish Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (121 reviews)
- City: Portland
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#14. Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (76 reviews)
- City: Bethel
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#13. International Cryptozoology Museum

- Rating: 3.4/5 (252 reviews)
- City: Portland
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#12. Boothbay Railway Village

- Rating: 4.5/5 (257 reviews)
- City: Boothbay
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#11. The Seal Cove Auto Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (231 reviews)
- City: Seal Cove
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#10. Abbe Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (360 reviews)
- City: Bar Harbor Mount Desert Island
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#9. Maine Lighthouse Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (254 reviews)
- City: Rockland
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#8. Project Puffin Visitor Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (199 reviews)
- City: Rockland
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#7. Owls Head Transportation Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (430 reviews)
- City: Owls Head
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#6. Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (326 reviews)
- City: Port Clyde
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#5. Cole Land Transportation Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (360 reviews)
- City: Bangor
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#4. Owls Head Lighthouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (443 reviews)
- City: Owls Head
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#3. Seashore Trolley Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (459 reviews)
- City: Kennebunkport Kennebunks
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#2. Maine Maritime Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (776 reviews)
- City: Bath
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#1. Portland Observatory

- Rating: 4.6/5 (545 reviews)
- City: Portland
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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