Maine Maritime Museum
Maine Maritime Museum
4.5
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Maine Maritime Museum is located on a beautiful 20-acre campus on the banks of the Kennebec River in historic Bath, Maine, and open year round. May through October, visitors can enjoy one of our daily lighthouse cruises. Our BIW Story tour provides an exclusive look at modern-day shipbuilding. Indoors, visitors enjoy air-conditioned galleries with exhibits and hands-on activities for all ages. Outdoors, visitors can join a guided tour of the historic Percy & Small Shipyard, learn about lobstering, enjoy lunch under the sculpture of the schooner Wyoming (the largest wooden sailing vessel built in North America), see a blacksmith at work in their shop, watch wooden boats being constructed in the Boatshop, or play on a pirate ship. There's so much to see, admission is good for two days & children under 18 receive free admission. See why USA Today named Maine Maritime Museum the best museum in Maine!
Duration: 2-3 hours
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- Michelle M2 contributionsWorthwhile maritime museumVery worthwhile museum. We got there late in the day, unfortunately, due to how the day worked out for us. Your ticket does include 2 days within a 7 day period, which would be useful as there is a lot to see. We were not able to do one of the boat tours due to our late schedule on this day, but those looked very worthwhile as well. **Not sure if these boat tours are offered year-round or are a seasonal thing, so you may want to check this before visiting if a boat tour is desired. **The outside buildings closed at 4:30, so we did have to rush to see the buildings that were outside of the main museum building. The map was also misleading and we didn't think we were allowed to see the buildings that were listed as white, but found out later that these were accessible as well.Thank you so much for mentioning the 2-day admission. There is a lot to see and do here, and we hope to be as accommodating as possible! And we appreciate the feedback regarding the early closure of our additional exhibits and the map, we will keep this in mind moving forward. Thank you again for visiting!Written 2 November 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 21 October 2023
- JA6 contributionsA must-see for boat loversMaine Maritime Museum is situated along the Kennebec river in Bath, Maine, adjacent to the Bath Ironworks. We booked on the Land and Sea tour, which I highly recommend, especially if you have never been to Bath. The tour took us on a trolley through Bath where our very knowledgeable tour guide (a former employee at Bath Ironworks) described the history of the town as well as the history of Bath Ironworks (where military vessels are built). Even the trolley driver piped in with some interesting history. Following this, we toured part of the museum and then boarded a tour boat which took us past the Ironworks where we could see several vessels in various stages of construction. We were able to cruise up the Kennebec river and back again- great narration and interest details about the area. Saw a few eagles along the way! The museum itself has retained its very interesting shipbuilding history and has some wonderful displays. The boat-building workshop was very impressive - they have an excellent connection with several schools in the area and provide programs for kids to be able to participate in boat construction. Well done, Maine Maritime Museum!Thank you so much!Written 30 October 2023This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 25 October 2023
- Susie VAFredericksburg, Virginia29 contributionsOrganized, well shown maritime museumMuseum located on the river. The campus is extensive with many exhibits. It was of interest to all of us, from 8 years to 76 years young. We spent over 4 hours & still didn’t see it all. Would recommend, especially on a rainy dayThank you!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2024Travelled with familyWritten 22 June 2024
- Keith FScotland, United Kingdom691 contributionsGreat visitThis is a fascinating museum, spread over a wide area. The tour guides are very knowledgeable. We heard all about the Wyoming, the largest wooden boat built and visited the blacksmith shop, other workshops and saw other boats in construction. The museum is well worth a visit.Thank you!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 1 July 2024
- KC lNew Hampshire87 contributionsMaritime history worth the tripMy sister and I went on a road trip and decided to stop here. It is worth the stop. You can see all kind of Maritime history based in Maine. We went on a one hour cruise up the Kennebec river. Saw a lot of wildlife and bath ironworks the gentleman doing the Narrative was very informative and learned a lot about Maine maritime history.Could not have said it better—thank you so much!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 14 July 2024
- Melissa BPhoenix, Arizona266 contributionsExcellent historical interpretation!We opted for the museum and boat experience--I had been several times to the museum years ago, and was glad to see the exhibits about different 'camp' and Native American lifestyles. The boat excursion was really fun, although I missed seeing every sturgeon that breached the water. Lots of osprey and lighthouses--especially some older lighthouses that aren't that common anymore. Great shipbuilding exhibits and a terrific working ship building loft where you can see boats being made, repaired, and listen to the teaching of new shipbuilders. Great stuff for kids too!I always miss the sturgeon, too! But seriously, thank you for mentioning the rotating exhibits, we debut new and different exhibits every year!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 31 August 2024
- regina sTrenton, New Jersey11 contributionsMore than I expected.This interactive museum is fun for adults and children. Learned so much about the making of vessels, lobsters and a good ole blacksmith shop to boot! They have many people on site to answer questions, tell stories and there is also a ship that takes you to see lighthouses for an extra fee. Most everyone there is a volunteer so their hearts are really into it. Great day!So glad to hear this, thank you for such a thoughtful review!!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 19 September 2024
- JoAnn S84 contributionsGreat museumThis place was great! Just not enough time to cover it all! Staff was kind and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the tour given by guide. We weren’t able to squeeze in the boat tour. We were there a couple of hours but really needed the whole day.Thank you! Hope you'll join us again sometime!Written 11 October 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited September 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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d0rinnea
Rhode Island105 contributions
May 2021
We booked a harbor cruise at the museum as part of our Memorial Day trip to Maine and it was the highlight of the weekend. It was an overcast, cold day but we thoroughly enjoyed checking out the exhibits and walking the grounds to see the buildings. The cruise was great and had interesting narration to explain the sights as we rode around in the harbor. There's even a small playground area (shaped like a ship) on the grounds for kids to get some energy out.
My only complaints were that the restaurant was closed so we left to get lunch. We would likely have stayed a little longer if we'd been able to eat there and it just didn't seem worth it to leave and come back. Also, they had a huge selection of sweatshirts and fleece for adults and none for kids. Since it was a cold day, we would have happily bought sweatshirts for the entire family but they didn't have anything child sized.
If you have an interest in New England maritime history or boats, it's a must-see.
My only complaints were that the restaurant was closed so we left to get lunch. We would likely have stayed a little longer if we'd been able to eat there and it just didn't seem worth it to leave and come back. Also, they had a huge selection of sweatshirts and fleece for adults and none for kids. Since it was a cold day, we would have happily bought sweatshirts for the entire family but they didn't have anything child sized.
If you have an interest in New England maritime history or boats, it's a must-see.
Written 29 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andre M
Worcester, MA225 contributions
Oct 2021
We booked the afternoon Autumn Lights Cruise at 3:30 p.m. (duration: 2 hours) at the Maritime Museum. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our Popham Beach vacation during the first October week of 2021.
The boat goes from the Maritime Museum (right next to the Bath Iron Works) on the Kennebec River all the way down to the mouth of the river next to Fort Popham (where we stayed at a beach cottage for one week) and at Pond Island (open sea) it turns around and goes back to Bath.
During the 2 hours on the boat there was FORTUNATELY not much loudspeaker speeches (which often destroy such cruises), but the captain made us aware of the 4 light houses on the Kennebec River and the bald eagles (we saw two bald eagles on both sides of the Kennebec River).
Once the boat is past Fort Popham you can see two more lighthouses on Pond Island and on Seguin Island (that one is the lighthouse with the highest elevation in Maine).
We had a great time, I took more than 300 photos and we can highly recommend this boat tour. You need a warm coat.
The boat goes from the Maritime Museum (right next to the Bath Iron Works) on the Kennebec River all the way down to the mouth of the river next to Fort Popham (where we stayed at a beach cottage for one week) and at Pond Island (open sea) it turns around and goes back to Bath.
During the 2 hours on the boat there was FORTUNATELY not much loudspeaker speeches (which often destroy such cruises), but the captain made us aware of the 4 light houses on the Kennebec River and the bald eagles (we saw two bald eagles on both sides of the Kennebec River).
Once the boat is past Fort Popham you can see two more lighthouses on Pond Island and on Seguin Island (that one is the lighthouse with the highest elevation in Maine).
We had a great time, I took more than 300 photos and we can highly recommend this boat tour. You need a warm coat.
Written 28 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gregory M
Westchester, IL337 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
The museum is located on 20 acres on the Kennebec River. There are a number of original buildings from the Percy & Small Shipbuilders which built wooden ships in the late 19th and early 20th century, including the Wyoming, the largest wooden ship built in North America and commemorated by an actual size sculpture on the grounds. There are hourly docent tours. We arrived the day after the cruises resumed ($38 for the cruise and admission to the museum). The cruise along the Kennebec River lasts an hour and points out several light houses, bell towers, range lights and wild life. We saw an adolescent bald eagle in a tree. The cruise also takes you by the Bath Iron Works shipyard where you get a close up look at US Navy ships under construction. You ca also tour the Donnell House on the museum campus which was the residence of another shipbuilder next to the P&S shipyard. The first floor of the house has been restored including some of the original furniture and belongings. There are docent led tours of the Donnell house every 30 minutes. We were there 4 hours and didn’t get to see everything. Your admission ticket lets you return one more time within 7 days. It is well worth the visit.
Written 18 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenna
59 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
We had an amazing experience on the Autumn Lights Cruise! We capstoned our honeymoon with this experience. We did book ahead of time, and we’re thankful we did as it appears to have been full. Although we did not partake, there were light snacks and refreshments (including coffee) available for purchase.
The crew were kind, friendly, and informative. They shared local history, landmarks (of course focusing on the river lighthouses), and wildlife. We feel very fortunate that we were able to see 2 eagles, countless seals, and many other waterfowl! The seals were so cute popping up and checking out what us tourists were doing! The fog rolled in and we were worried it would ruin our views but actually cast a really cool vantage point over the river!
This hopefully a helpful tip - our cruise docked and we left the museum around 5:45 so we just recommend accounting for a little leeway around the 5:30 end of cruise if you’re making dinner reservations. We didn’t have dinner booked until 7:20 so we weren’t in a rush!
We talked about doing another tour with them on subsequent trips to Maine! Thank you so much!
The crew were kind, friendly, and informative. They shared local history, landmarks (of course focusing on the river lighthouses), and wildlife. We feel very fortunate that we were able to see 2 eagles, countless seals, and many other waterfowl! The seals were so cute popping up and checking out what us tourists were doing! The fog rolled in and we were worried it would ruin our views but actually cast a really cool vantage point over the river!
This hopefully a helpful tip - our cruise docked and we left the museum around 5:45 so we just recommend accounting for a little leeway around the 5:30 end of cruise if you’re making dinner reservations. We didn’t have dinner booked until 7:20 so we weren’t in a rush!
We talked about doing another tour with them on subsequent trips to Maine! Thank you so much!
Written 16 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wendykb
Boothbay, ME8 contributions
Jan 2020
I've been to this museum 3 times now, twice in warm weather when the outer buildings are open, and once in winter, when exhibits are limited to the main building. Every single time I've found myself entranced by and involved in the histories being told. Lots of great stuff to look at and read, presented in intriguing and effective ways. There's a good amount of interest to kids, and tons for anyone willing to spend time reading or viewing the stories.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LBlank-SalinasCA
Salinas, CA196 contributions
Sept 2021
Being from the West Coast, we had little advance information about the Maine Maritime Museum, tucked in along the Kennebec River just beyond BIW (Bath Iron Works, which builds modern destroyers for the US Navy). We had an incredible 4+ hour visit to the museum, which included a narrated tour and history of wooden shipbuilding in Bath, construction of the world's longest wooden sailing schooner (Wyoming), multiple exhibits throughout the museum, and a narrated cruise down and up the Kennebec River. Well done throughout!
Written 20 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YonkersPamela
Bedford, NH8 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
My husband and I traveled from NH to see this wonderful museum. Full of history well told by various exhibits and the docent we had, Ray, as well as the docents on the Mary E. moored there. Just fabulous! Despite some changes due to Covid, many out buildings are open to go through. Well thought out with a colorful descriptive map of the grounds. Nothing disappoints. Right on the river with cruises daily. Spend time and slow down to learn and get the feel of the place, originally the Percy & Small shipyard. You may even see an Eagle or two........
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Retiredfarrier
Summerdale, AL128 contributions
Jun 2022 • Solo
Huge museum took me 1 1/2 days to see everything. Tells the story of Percy and Small Shipbuilding Co. from its inception until it’s closing right on the grounds with many of the original buildings remaining. Inside the main museum Are movies & exhibits about the area shipping ,lighthouses, and the Wyoming, one of the Largest and most famous ships built by this company. In the building scattered around the grounds are exhibits and tools that tell of each separate portion of ship building- rope making, planking ,caulking, sail making, &Blacksmiths shop. There was a human Blacksmith working in the shop that day also. I got a big kick out of learning about all the separate special tools of each trade. There are all kind of old artifacts even a whole building about lobstering and another filled with antique boats. Everything was intriguing and well done. The ticket to get in was somewhere around 17 or $18, but for all that entertainment and interesting stuff it was sure worth it.
Written 24 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary Lou T
Haverhill, MA58 contributions
Aug 2021
My husband and I had a few hours before our family reunion began, so we stopped in at the Maritime Museum. We took a 45 minute free tour of the grounds where a guide told us about the shipbuilding done on the site in the early 1900's. Visitors can view buildings where blacksmiths worked and trees were planed to prepare them for building the sailing ships. The museum offers many rooms full of artifacts dealing with light houses, fishing, ship building and seafarers' clothing and memorabilia. A nice way to spend a few hours on the water in Bath, Maine.
Written 7 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel80
Tyler, TX521 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
This Museum that does a Great Job of telling the history of the Percy & Small Shipbuilding Co. which operated on this Site from 1894 to 1920 as well as housing/displaying many other Maritime artifacts. Highly recommend both of the docent-led Talks including the Shipyard talk/tour which is offered at least twice a day (check with Museum for times before or just after your arrive for times available that day). We VERY MUCH ENJOYED the 3 hours we spent at MMM!!!
Written 18 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Debra! Thank you for your interest in our cruises. Yes! You can bring food and non-alcoholic beverages on all of our cruises. Beer, wine, and snacks are also available for purchase on board!
Written 25 July 2022
Yes, $17.50 or $16.00 for seniors. Plan to spend the whole day.
Start with the docent tour that is one hour. Then you are on your own to walk the ground in and out of historic buildings. Save the museum last. There is a food service building on the grounds.
Written 14 July 2019
Hello! Dogs are not only welcome but encouraged on the south side of our campus; we even have a poop bag station! It's a lovely little loop to walk your dog. Inside the museum's buildings and historic shipyard (the fenced in part) only service animals are permitted.
Written 25 July 2022
Do you need to buy tickets to the Iron Works tour in advance or can they be purchased when we arrive?
Written 18 August 2015
Hello! The Bath Iron Works Story: By Land and Sea tour has evolved a bit over the years. Unfortunately, due to security protocols, the public isn't allowed into the shipyard. The 2.5 hour tour starts in our Bath Iron Works exhibit with a volunteer tour guide (usually a BIW retiree), then heads up Washington Street on the trolley, where the tour guide will point out features that can be seen from the road. The group then boards the cruise boat Merrymeeting and visitors will give a glimpse of BIW from the water. There's usually even time for a Q&A with the tour guide!
This tour does occasionally sell out; tickets can be purchased in advance or day-of but we strongly encourage getting them in advance.
Hope this helps!
Written 25 July 2022
Michel ange J
Dol-de-Bretagne, France
Bonjour je demeure en France mais un amis m'envoie vers vous. Je recherches des plans de modélisme que vous pourriez me fournir. Ces plans sont les plans d'un grand voilier 6 Mâts qui à pour nom " WYOMING " cela est il possible d'acheter ces plans et à quel prix s'il vous plait. Merci de bien vouloir répondre à ma demande
Written 9 April 2015
Baseaballe been berry-berry gooth to me
Written 17 August 2015
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