Penobscot Marine Museum
Penobscot Marine Museum
4.5
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Made up of 13 buildings, this seafaring village is the oldest maritime museum in Maine. The museum has a vast collection of boats including commericial fishing boats and recreational watercraft.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
99 reviews
Excellent
55
Very good
36
Average
4
Poor
4
Terrible
0
Brendan S
Arlington, VA1,580 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
The Marine Museum is a “campus” of 13 old buildings that have been repurposed as exhibit spaces for old boats, a photography exhibit, and another about the fishing industry.
The audience for this museum must be pretty limited. The boats are an assortment of rusting rowboats with faded paint. There are different kinds of rowboats, but they were indistinguishable to me, and I was not interested in the history of a rowboat someone built long ago. The fishing exhibit was informative. A camera obscura exhibit and the photos of animals were of some interest, but had nothing to do with boats. Several buildings are closed while they set up new exhibits. I spent a little under an hour here.
The audience for this museum must be pretty limited. The boats are an assortment of rusting rowboats with faded paint. There are different kinds of rowboats, but they were indistinguishable to me, and I was not interested in the history of a rowboat someone built long ago. The fishing exhibit was informative. A camera obscura exhibit and the photos of animals were of some interest, but had nothing to do with boats. Several buildings are closed while they set up new exhibits. I spent a little under an hour here.
Written September 26, 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.
bbwex
Pittsburgh, PA678 contributions
Aug 2021
There's really not much to see. The building with the photographic exhibit is interesting, though there aren't all that many photographs, and many have little to do with marine things. The other buildings' exhibits were not worth much time.
Written August 6, 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.
Road-Maven
Oxford, CT694 contributions
Sep 2019
12 buildings house local artifacts including small boats, paintings and couple of period homes tell the story of the seafaring town of Searsport Maine. Some exhibits are geared for youngsters. Expect to spend a couple of hours.
Written September 12, 2019
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.
Nancy P
24 contributions
Sep 2017
This Museum is delightful for those who love the old days of Three Masted Sailing Ships and the sea. One can spend a whole day there with many lovely paintings, scrimshaw (art work of whales teeth the sailors did while at sea) and artifacts from that time period. Also, a Sea Captains home with furnishing of the time period. There are small boats displayed and an area for kids to explore as well. They also have a lovely gift shop. The town also is very quaint and right on Route One, thus easy to find to explore. Great Museum for kids and adults who love History of the Sea.
Written August 28, 2018
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.
viajera1741
Washington DC, DC226 contributions
Sep 2017 • Friends
This is a type of "living" museum, it's an entire street of old buildings. Each building is staffed with very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable volunteers (employees?) So the experience is like stepping back into history, in a town that produced a prodigious number of sea captains back in the day. Very interesting to learn of the great number of women from this town that also went to see in the 19th century.
Written September 9, 2017
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.
SylRickTraveler
873 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
This is an outdoor/indoor museum of the seafaring history of the area. The exhibits are presented in multiple buildings throughout the "campus", including 2, 19th C, captain's homes, set up as they would have been in that era. China trade items, photographs, furniture, etc. There is a display of model ships that are very intricately made & one of the buildings contains some old, regional, fishing boats. The staff on hand in each building were knowledgeable. It was interesting and informative but I did feel that the $15 admission was steep and would probably not recommend this as a must-do.
Written August 28, 2017
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.
WPHS57
White Plains, NY48 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
Searsport at one time handled 10% of all United States shipping. That one statistic should make even the layman sit up and take notice. For anyone already interested or experienced in the subject, this museum is a must. Allow two hours to adequately see the exhibits, which are housed in several buildings. There are boats small and large; there are model ships of amazing detail and workmanship; there are photographs and artifacts to inform you about the industry and the people (there were hundreds of sea-captains!) that put this area on the map. Throughout the buildings and grounds there are a number of great docents, whose encyclopedic knowledge and eagerness to share will enhance your visit. Make this an obligatory stop if you are in the area.
Written July 28, 2017
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.
NYfolkgirl
New York City, NY122 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
An astonishing amount of incredibly crafted ship models and information! Also many full sized boats rescued from salvage. Nice building with kids activities and another where they can dress like lobster men. The postcard exhibit was astonishingly comprehensive and informative- great film! Thanks!
Written August 27, 2016
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.
19Paulbagpipe
Mocksville, NC129 contributions
Jun 2016 • Family
This museum in the tiny town of Searsport was on our list but I was expecting a one room type of deal. Instead it encompasses a whole series of historic buildings, beautiful artwork, old fishing boats and canoes, lots of pictures and knowledge staff discussing the history and people of what was at one time the home of the largest number of ship captains involved in trading with the Orient. Who'd have thought! Really a must stop for those interested in local history and the sea. Took us about 2 hours to complete it.
Written June 29, 2016
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.
Phillip M
Winter Harbor, ME54 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
This is a smallish marine museum with a strong Maine emphasis. They have a huge photo archive of late 19th/early 20th century images which was our reason for this return trip. They have a collection of various small boats for sail and oar and one larger lobster boat on the grounds. The museum is spread out through several buildings including homes and a church. There is also a research library within the museum. The staff, though limited in number, were unlimited in helpfulness and friendly attitudes. All in all, a very worthwhile visit.
Written June 28, 2015
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.
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Claim your listingPenobscot Marine Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Penobscot Marine Museum
- Hotels near Penobscot Marine Museum:
- (0.56 mi) Captain Nickels Inn
- (0.54 mi) The Homeport Inn & Tavern
- (0.36 mi) Beautiful, Private Oceanfront Cottage on Penobscot Bay
- (0.36 mi) Colcord Cottage- quintessential oceanfront cottage
- (0.54 mi) Canoe House Bungalow and Spa Retreat in Searsport
- Restaurants near Penobscot Marine Museum:
- (0.15 mi) Coastal Cafe and Bakery
- (0.14 mi) Hey Sailor!
- (0.16 mi) Tozier's Market
- (1.20 mi) Anglers Restaurant
- (8.79 mi) Margaret's
Penobscot Marine Museum Information
Excellent Reviews | 55 |
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Very Good Reviews | 36 |
Penobscot Marine Museum Photos | 31 |