Area Attractions
Bar Harbor and the surrounding areas offer a vast selection of things to do with layers of history and happenings to explore. There really is something for everyone here in Bar Harbor and we’re sure we can help you find the perfect adventure to experience on your next trip to our beautiful area. Take a look at some of the offerings below. We’ve provided detailed descriptions, links and other helpful information to assist you in planning your next stay with us here in Bar Harbor!
Tours of Acadia
Acadia National Park Tours specializes in sightseeing tours of Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. Tours are approximately 2 1/2 hours and run at least twice a day at 10 am and 2 pm. The trip is fully narrated and will give you an in-depth introduction to Acadia as well as an extensive background on the areas history.
For more information check them out at www.acadiatours.com
Oli’s Trolley offers fully narrated tours of Mount Desert Island in a fun, relaxing way to discover the unique treasures of Mount Desert Island. Enjoy their friendly guides’ knowledge and flair for storytelling while you journey past historic landmarks and fantastic scenery. For new visitors and returning guests alike, Oli’s Trolley offers an unforgettable way to explore Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park.
For more information check them out at www.olistrolley.com
Band Concerts
In July and August, the Bar Harbor Town Band puts on free concerts in the gazebo at the Village Green. This longstanding tradition is a great way to cap off an evening in Downtown Bar Harbor. Concerts play on Monday and Thursday nights during the summer months. Check out the Bar Harbor Town Band on their Facebook page for more information.
For more information please visit www.barharbormusicfestival.org
Bird Watching
The Acadia Birding Festival is an annual spring-time gathering for birding enthusiasts. Organized group activities and guest speakers highlight this multi-day event. If you’re planning a trip to Bar Harbor and are interested in participating, check out www.acadiabirdingfestival.com for more information and schedules.
Downeast Nature Tours is a leader in ecotourism for the Down East Maine region. They provide affordable and educational bird watching tours for small groups by combining ornithology, wetland ecology, and environmental education into a unique hands-on learning experience. DNT owner, Michael J. Good, MS has been offering personalized bird watching and nature tours since 1993, for individuals, couples, families and small groups.
For more information check out www.downeastnaturetours.com
Boat Tours
Acadian Nature Cruises leaves daily from Bar Harbor, Maine (just 1/4 mile from the Highbrook) in search of eagles, porpoises, seals, and other interesting marine mammals and birds. They also feature views of timeless mansions, Egg Rock lighthouse and occasionally migrating birds that have ventured into Frenchman Bay. Tours typically last about two hours and several trips per day are available during the season.
For more information check them out at www.acadianboattours.com
The Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company is the areas only Whale Watching excursion company. But that’s not all they do, they also offer historic lighthouse tours, nature cruises, lobster fishing and seal watching tours and excursions to Baker Island. Leaving daily from the town pier in Downtown Bar Harbor the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Company is your one stop shop for boating adventures.
Check them out at www.barharborwhales.com
The 151′ Schooner Margaret Todd offers sailing excursions around Frenchman’s Bay from off the town pier. Approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours, these trips provide a great opportunity to take in the coastal sights while setting sail on a magnificent watercraft from a bygone era.
For more information check them out at www.downeastwindjammer.com
For an authentic Maine experience, join Captain John Nicolai aboard his traditional Downeast-style lobster boat, Lulu. Captain John is regarded as one of the area’s foremost experts on lobster. His tours have been prominently featured both locally and nationally.
For more information about Captain John and Lulu check them out at www.lululobsterboat.com
Sailing from the marina at Northeast Harbor, the Sea Princess is about a 20-minute drive from the Highbrook but offers a different cruising experience than the tours leaving out of Bar Harbor. They navigate the protected waters off Northeast Harbor to show you a different part of MDI where you’ll be able to see wildlife, magnificent summer cottages, and the Cranberry Islands.
For more information on the Sea Princess check them out at www.barharborcruises.com
Brewery and Winery Tours
Tours at the Atlantic Brewing Company offer guests samples of their classic beers as well as featured brews from their Small Batch Series throughout the day. Tours of their brew house are at 2, 3, and 4 pm every day during the season. Each tour is followed by a guided tasting. Before or after the tour, stop into Mainely Meat BBQ for a late lunch or early dinner. Serving up delicious BBQ 7 days a week.
For more information check them out at www.atlanticbrewing.com
Bar Harbor Cellars is a small production winery in Bar Harbor located at Sweet Pea Farms. They offer daily tours and tastings and their onsite restaurant, Sweet Pea’s Cafe, serves up delicious items literally from farm-to-table.
For more information check them out at www.barharborcellars.com or their respective Facebook pages. Winery page and Cafe page.
Ferries
Offering daily trips from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor, the Bar Harbor Ferry can take you on a scenic boat ride to the other side of Acadia. Explore Schoodic Peninsula and the village of Winter Harbor. Bring your bicycles or explore on foot.
For schedules and rates visit www.downeastwindjammer.com/cruises/bar-harbor-ferry
Food Tours
Experience a taste of Bar Harbor with a walking tour of some of the Downtown’s best culinary offerings. These tours will take you around to sample some local delicacies and give you a chance to learn about some local history. Maine Foodie Tours provides unique food tours in several towns throughout the state. They are the premier foodie guides of Maine!
Check them out at www.mainefoodietours.com
Golfing and Mini-Golfing
Established in 1888, Kebo Valley Golf Club is the oldest golf club in Maine, and eighth oldest golf club in the United States. Kebo has tested the skills of many of the country’s finest players, most influential politicians, and leaders of industry. Kebo include 18 spectacular and well-maintained golf holes, each hole will challenge and excite players of any level.
For more information visit them at www.kebovalleyclub.com
If mini-golf is more your pace then Pirates Cove in Bar Harbor is the perfect activity for a few hours of fun. This 36 hole adventure golf course actually offers two separate courses. Their Original Course and Blackbeard’s Challenge. Fun for all ages and a great way to either break-up a day or cap off a night!
Check them out at www.piratescove.net
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
If you’re interested in trying a truly unique way to see Acadia consider a horse-drawn carriage ride. These 1 or 2-hour tours will take you along the Carriage Roads of Seal Harbor. Leaving from Wildwood Stables inside of Acadia, the carriages will take you along some of the magnificent roads and bridges that were designed and built by John D. Rockefeller Jr and his fellow visionaries. Reservations are strongly recommended as space is limited.
For more information check out their website at www.acadiahorses.com
If seeing Downtown Bar Harbor the old-fashioned way interests you, check out Wild Iris Farms. They offer horse-drawn carriage rides around the Downtown area all season long. Prior to 1913, all automobiles were banned from Mount Desert Island. During that time, horses and horse drawn carriages were the standard modes of transportation. Rides can be reserved in advance but if you’re walking around the Downtown you may also get a chance to take a ride back in time.
For more information check out www.wildirishorsefarm.com
Live Entertainment
For over 40 years the Acadia Repertory Theatre has put on a tradition of live, professional theatre on Mount Desert Island. Located in the village of Somesville, this quaint 148-seat venue showcases an impressive mix of comedies, dramas, mysteries and family theatre.
For events, showtimes and more information check them out at www.acadiarep.com
Movies
Originally opened in 1932, the Criterion Theatre has become a centerpiece of Downtown Bar Harbor. The Art Deco theatre has been recently restored closely to its original grandeur. Featuring first run movies, live entertainment and musical performances, this Downtown centerpiece has been a haven for arts and entertainment for almost a century.
For more about the Criterion, and its history check out www.criteriontheatre.org
For an original spin on the traditional movie theatre, check out Reel Pizza. This modern duplex-cinema plays a combination of first-run hollywood movies, independent films, and the occasional foreign film. But what sets them apart is how they’ve integrated a made to order pizza parlor with the traditional movie theatre. You can enjoy a great movie in their spacious seating while you indulge in one of their fresh made pizzas. It’s dinner and a movie all wrapped in one.
For showtimes and information check them out at www.reelpizza.net
Museums
The Abbe Museum offers an in-depth look into the history and cultures of the Wabanaki Native Americans. Their people have lived in parts of Maine for thousands of years and still exist in parts of Maine today. With two locations inside of Acadia National Park and Downtown Bar Harbor, the Abbe Museum offers everyone the chance to learn more about the Wabanaki and Native American history.
For more information check them out at www.abbemuseum.org
The Bar Harbor Historical Society is a non-profit organization that strives to collect, preserve, promote and celebrate the history of our community. If you would like to learn more about the colorful history of Bar Harbor on your next visit, take a little time to explore their museum at 127 West Street.
For more information visit their website www.barharborhistorical.org
Located directly across the street from the Highbrook Motel, the Dorr Museum features dioramas of coastal Maine wildlife and a tide pool tank that houses a variety of live sea stars, hermit crabs, snails and other marine creatures. Visitors of all ages can touch, smell, listen and create while learning about the natural history of Maine. All exhibits are designed and produced by students at College of the Atlantic.
For more information, check them out www.coa.edu
The Seal Cove Auto Museum is home to a world-class collection of early Brass Era cars. Tucked away in a metal building on a back road of Mount Desert Island, these automobiles represent the technology, design aesthetic, and lifestyle of the years between 1895-1917.
For more information check them out at www.sealcoveautomuseum.org
Rock Climbing
Acadia Mountain Guides is based on Mount Desert Island, home to Acadia National Park where dramatic cliffs and vertical granite walls rise from the sea to offer some of the best rock climbing and scenery in New England. Since 1993 AMGCS has been providing climbing instruction and guiding to discerning clients from around the world. AMGCS is the only Maine accredited climbing school that has been consistently accredited by the American Mountain Guides Association since inception nearly two decades ago.
For more information check them out at www.acadiamountainguides.com