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The Natural History Center, Bar Harbor

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The Natural History Center

6 Firefly Lane, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
207/801-2617
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Ranked #11 of 43 activities in Bar Harbor
5.0 of 5 stars 21 Reviews
Type: Tourist/ Visitor Centres
Owner description: This is a new small business in Bar Harbor, Maine. From its retail store base, they are offering nature-based tours and will be conducting citizen... more » Owner description: This is a new small business in Bar Harbor, Maine. From its retail store base, they are offering nature-based tours and will be conducting citizen science research. « less
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21 reviews from our community

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Fort Worth, Texas
2 reviews
“Excellent guided hiking tours”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 June 2013

The Natural History Center is small but packed with information on the local Acadia area. The main focus of the store is Ornithology, but it has all sorts of materials available for purchase as well a plethora of education materials. The real gem of the Natural History Center is the owner Richard MacDonald. He offers guided nature hikes and bird... More

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Springfield, VA
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Bar Harbor and Acadia Birding”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 November 2012

In planning our Quebec to Boston cruise we (two couples) primarily used TripAdvisor to plan port excursions rather than use those hosted by Holland America; our interests were primarily birding and photography. Rich MacDonald and his company, The Natural History Center, was a find. He met us only steps from the tender dock, whisked us out of town and into... More

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Belgrade, ME
Top Contributor
51 reviews 51 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“LOVED IT!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 November 2012

This was wonderful!!! Very informative and a great stop at any time. Love this kind of thing so we didn't want to miss it!!!

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 5 more reviews by tishlangdon for Bar Harbor
Rochester, New York
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“not what we expected”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 October 2012

not alot in shop, people were friendly, didn't use tour center, had a good section of used books on nature ,outdoors

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See 11 more reviews by pappy335 for Bar Harbor
MDIbirdnerd, Owner at The Natural History Center, responded to this review
25 October 2012

Thank you for the review. Unfortunatley, you visited us at the end of the season when we our not replenishing our inventory (the Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park tourism season pretty much ends at the end of October). We hope you will visit our region again, perhaps earlier in the season when we have a full inventory. More

Crofton, Maryland
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Natural History Tour of Acadia”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 September 2012

We've been to Acadia many times before, but Rich customized his tour to our interests and told us many things about the park and island we had not been aware of. While hiking along trails, Rich pointed out any number of things we would never have noticed on our own. I was particularly interested in learning that one could spot... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
“Bird watching”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 August 2012

Rich was wonderful. Though it was the wrong time of year for spotting many birds, we did hear many, many birds. And I did add birds to my life list. It was a great day! I will do it again the next time I get back to the states. Highly recommended!

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Orlando, Florida
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
9 attraction reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Great addition to our Mt. Desert Island vacation”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 July 2012

We booked a tour with the Natural History Center because we wanted to learn more about the birds, plants, & history of Acadia from an expert and from a local’s perspective. We got so much more out of our trip by doing so, than just relying on guide books alone. Rich was accommodating, flexible, and knowledgeable, and we felt we... More

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See 3 more reviews by gardenbird for Bar Harbor
Quebec City, Canada
1 review
“Ideal for bird watcher”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 July 2012

We went for a wonderful bird watching tour with Rich. Great experience ! Lots of birds, Rich is very generous and is also an expert. Jean from Quebec

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Matthews, North Carolina
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
4 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Excellent, friendly staff.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 July 2012

Very helpful staff and lots of good information. Easy to get to and free brochures and maps.

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Cairns, Australia
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Add another dimension to your Bar Harbor visit”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 July 2012

I visited Bar Harbor at the end of April with a non-birding friend, but one who is as keen on nature as the next person. We happened upon The Natural History Center, felt immediately at ease with Rich, and decided to go on a half day tour with him. It was the highlight of my trip to Maine. Rich as... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1

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The Natural History Center
6 Firefly Lane
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
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