Maine Maritime Museum

We are museum lovers and had a great time visiting this museum. It was very kid friendly, surprisingly so for a museum not explicitly created for kids. It was also super interesting and felt worth the entry price. If we are ever back in Maine we will have to check it out again!

Very nice with knowledgeable guides. We bought the full package; museum tour, trolley ride and boat ride. Facilities are nice, staff friendly and seeing the warships was great. The tour of Bath and the town's ship building history was okay. The river tour was not special but the guide had entertaining stories. I went to see the ships which are an impressive feat of manufacturing. These are war machines. Five ships in process in Oct 2025. Cool. So why not five stars? Can't get into the facility, can't get close to the ships. Yes, I understand it's a real factory. Safety, efficiency and secrecy are the priorities. Got it. The view from the river was good, and the narration was strong. I recommend it. But it won't get five stars until you get inside.

This place was very neat! We stopped here on out way up the coast of Maine. They offer many different boat tours of the river too. We did the lighthouse sites one and were able to see 6 lighthouses on a 2 hour tour. It was beautiful. While out on the water we got to see some bald eagles, a bald eagle nest, some seals and or course many other forms or wild life. It was well worth the cost, and it really wasn't even exspensive! It also got us free entrance into the museum too. When we return to ME, we plan to stop here again!

Great museum. Continuous and term displays are well done, interesting, easy to consume. Loved the "Up T' Camp" display. The Bath Iron Works video is OK. Just makes 5 stars.

Such a cool museum. The campus is expansive and covers info on ship building. I really liked the buildings to the west with the blacksmith and boat builders working. The Wyoming monument is also incredible!

This was a cool place to see. Unfortunately tbey close the outdoor displays at 4 and we got there too late to see them. The main building still had some good exhibits but make sure you get there well before 4 to see the whole thing. Going in the off season was nice as the tickets were very affordable.

Excellent. I recommend anyone who has any sense of history visit this exhibition. Also the boat tour is really worth the money. Well run organization! Highly recommend

Took a cruise to view the Kennebec River lights, Fort Popham, Sequin Light, and all the water in-between. Lovely trip; friendly, knowledgeable crew. Toured the museum grounds before the cruise, which are well worth visiting of themselves. Will be returning.

Came for an Oyster and Cocktail 3:30 cruise. Staff were very friendly. With your ticket you get a free days admission into the museum. The cruise was over 90 minites and came with a dozen oysters and a drink for $80. They capped the cruise at 22 people to ensure the shuckers can get enough oysters shucked. They show you the oyster farms and give other information throughout the tour. 10/10 worth it and think its a must-do when i

What a wonderful place!!! There is so much to see and lots to learn. The museum area was inclusive, interesting and fun for everyone. We loved it!!!

What a wonderful cruise! The crew mates were awesome. So friendly and knowledgeable. You could tell they really enjoyed their jobs. The boat was comfortable with great views of the river. We weren't able to go all the way to the mouth of the river because a thick fog started rolling in, but that was okay! Instead we went past the museum in the other direction and got to see and learn about the Bath shipbuilding yard which was fascinating. They only produce military ships which are used to shoot down drones, planes, missiles, submarines, etc. And even after that extra add-on, they gave us rain checks to come back another day to take the boat ride again!

What a wonderful museum dedicated to the history of ship building in Bath, Maine. You could easily spend a day here. There are several buildings on the grounds restored to their original purpose with information on what was done there. There is also a building featuring the history of the lobster industry. One of the coolest things was a to scale sculpture of the last wooden schooners built there, The Wyoming. The masts were so tall they couldn't do those to scale because they would need lights on them to warn aircraft.

Lighthouses here we come! Although we had visited 2 of the lighthouses by land, there is nothing like seeing a lighthouse from the water! The Maine Maritime Museum offers lighthouse tours on the Merrymeeeting, docked at their back door, in different hour increments throughout the summer season. We were so excited to book the 2 hour lighthouse tour on the Kennebec to see up to 6 lighthouses! The day was warm and sunny and we loved being on the water. We were able to see Doubling Point Light, the Kennebec Range lights, Squirrel Point Light, Perkins Island Light, Pond Island Light, and Sequin Island Light (in the distance). We also saw multiple bald eagles, ospreys, eagle and ospreys nests, seals, cormorants (which we initially had mistaken for loons). Thanks Bob for eagerly answering this question. Bring some binoculars. The crew was knowledgeable and helpful, although it was hard to hear the captain on the bow which was a shame . There are drinks and snacks and hats available for purchase. You also get to see and hear about the Bath Iron Works shipyard goings on which is amazing. $47 per person for a wonderfully spectacular 2 hour cruise which we would highly recommend! Admission to museum is included with this purchase.Wow! I am coming back for the 4 hour lighthouse lovers tour for sure!

Bottom Line: A wonderful museum nestled on 20 acres alongside the Kennebec River telling the history of the Percy and Small shipyard and all of Maine's maritime history. My husband and I visited the Maine Maritime Museum on a beautiful day in May and loved it! Unfortunately we didn't have much time at the museum so we prioritized what we wanted to see and after our visit I indulged in all of the SoundCloud audio tours and YouTube videos I could get my hands on. The museum is situated on 20 acres alongside the Kennebec River and includes 10+ buildings including the primary Maritime History Building. I saw where some other reviews noted that many of the secondary buildings aren't open in the winter so that is something to be aware of. Anyway, here are some of the museum highlights for me: - Friendly staff that helped us prioritize our time on the grounds - The Maine Maritime Museum is built on the site of the former Percy and Small shipbuilder which is the only remaining wooden shipyard with original structures. It was fascinating to wander through the historic buildings and learn about building wooden ships. - Learning about the Wyoming, the biggest wooden ship ever built in North America, impressive. The sculpture really shows the enormity of the ship. - The lobstering exhibit was fascinating and I particularly enjoyed learning about different colored lobsters with genetic mutations. - Oil painting of the Charles P. Notman schooner by S.F.M. Badger, c. 1895-1915. It's gorgeous and I wish the gift shop had prints of it or even notecards. - The Fresnel lens from the Cape Elizabeth/Two Lights lighthouse that is housed inside a room to scale with the actual lighthouse. - Views of Bath Iron Work's dry dock from inside the museum and the museum property. - The lovely museum gift shop. Overall, this museum is excellent and the people of Bath must be so proud of their rich shipbuilding and maritime history and the ongoing efforts at neighboring Bath Iron Works. I'm already looking forward to returning to this Maine gem!

And I saw museum and grounds to walk around on. The lighthouse simulation is exceptional, it really gives you a feeling of how the light worked and what it look like from the top of that lighthouse. We had a tour that talked about the making of the Wyoming and you could see the size of the ship, but that was it in terms of What was delivered. You could see pictures in the blacksmith area of the construction. It kind of gave you an idea of what they went through to build it. The carpentry area and the paint area seemed to have some nice remnants of equipment, and there were a few displays that helped you to understand what was going on. Other parts of the museum had a boat building shop that was practical. It was nice to see the small boats that they built with middle school students. The lobster area was nice for us folks who aren't from Maine. Help me understand what lobster men and women go through. Overall, it is a nice museum and grounds. I think it would be neat if they had the funding to create a boat building display on the grounds to give you a better feel of what it was like when a ship was under construction.

Beautiful facility with a fantastic staff. The displays are both informative and eye catching. This is a place everyone should visit when in Maine.

The Maine Maritime Museum was well worth the time and money spent. We chose to do the 2 hour boat tour - which included a SECOND admission to the museum any day for the next week. While there we had a live, friendly blacksmith who was teaching us about the art itself. We were greeted and welcomed by the staff who were nothing besides polite. I would bring my family here again.

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!

Super cool little museum. They are always adding new things, so it's cooler every time! The new slavery exhibit it interesting and covers some important things to remember about history. Apparently, Frederick Douglass came to Maine to do a speech! My favorite room is either the lighthouse or the shipwreck room. The lighthouse keeper room dioramas are neat, and if you look at the windows, you can see that the picture of the coast is actually a video. The museum is quiet and relaxing, and they have a very cozy sitting area. Every season is neat, because they decorate and make things look pretty awesome. However, the other exhibits outside of the main building are not open in the winter, but it is still very pretty to look at.

What to do in Maine on a drizzly, cool day? Do something inside! Some of the art museums, like Portland Art Museum, are not open daily, but this place is. Interesting exhibits in main building and the other buildings on the campus. Guides were knowledgeable. Learned a lot. Definitely worth the price of admission for several hours spent here.

This is a wonderful museum. It is situated on 20 acres on the shores of the Kennebec River with a variety of exhibits both inside the museum at south, in the historic house and in all of the working exhibits where you can see how ships were and are built. You could take a lighthouse cruise or an educational tour of bath ironworks to see how that defense ships are built for the government. I highly recommend this museum! Great for a family, couples, groups, veterans, seniors, and individuals interested in Maine's maritime heritage.

This was a wonderful place to visit! The people who work here are so nice to kids! Lots of great displays, some hands on. My son loooooooved being able to turn the wheel and "call in emergencies". There is also a great lighthouse light display (thanks to this room we found the lighthouse museum in Rockland). Outside the museum (on the grounds) Enjoy the wonderful blacksmith shop! You might get lucky and watch a volunteer blacksmith (who is very great with kids) See lots of cool saws in the mill shop The Donnell House is also very neat. We were supposed to do one of the boat tours, but it was cancelled. When we are back in Maine, we will try again. I definitely recommend this place!

I haven't been to the Maine Maritime Museum in over 15 years!! It has grown and evolved and, frankly, better than ever. We went to take guests from Portland, Oregon - people we know love museums and boy, did they love it and so did we. Wayne has never been, so he was amazed, and we are planning our return trip. We weren't prepared for the cruise (I had done it before, but...) and so we spent all of our time exploring the many exhibits. I am still in awe of the sculpture interpretation of the Wyoming - holy cow! Having grown up among lobstermen it was kinda cool to watch the videos & I really like the lighthouse and the different paintings. It has changed a LOT over the years, and it was amazing. One thing we noted - when we knew we were going I went to the website to see if there was a AAA or AARP discount, there isn't BUT there is a NARM discount (North American Reciprocal Museum). That means that if you have a membership in a participating organization, you are granted reciprocal privileges at the Maine Maritime Museum - awesome!

Wow wow wow! What a place. Amazing volunteers running the information desks, and a well-appointed interior with incredible exhibits. As we arrived, the museum attendant asked if we would like to go on a cruise of the bay which was departing within 30 mins of our arrival, so of course we said yes. The cruise was an hour long, and the docent was knowledgeable and gave us a great education on the history of the bay as well as up to date information on the ships being built for the navy. We would highly recommend the museum and cruise, and next time we visit Maine, we would love to take the 3-hour tour of the bay!

Awesome museum. We did the BIW trolley tour and boat tour combination. The trolley tour was about an hour long and so was the boat tour. We learned so much about the BIW and the town of Bath on the trolley tour. The boat tour we saw many lighthouses, eagles, and past BIW by water. So cool. The museum grounds are huge and more than a days worth. We were there from 12 to 5 with the two tours and the museum itself. The volunteers are so knowledgeable and friendly. There was a blacksmith shop with an actual blacksmith making iron pliers. She was very nice and just could watch her for hours pounding the steel in the fire. The museum is right in the Kennebec River close to BIW. Awesome facilities. First class all around.

Very surprising. I wasn't expecting much. We were just driving up through Bath and I yelped things to do and this popped up. At first I thought I was just paying for the main buildings museum which had a few things but it was two rooms of just this stupid local artwork of things like a painting of cheese toast. However when we were about to leave we were told it is actually a campus with lots of shipbuilding exhibits around the main building. Now those were interesting. Seeing all the different techniques used to build the old scooners and wooden ships was fascinating. How they bent the wood, made the nails, the environments the workers lived in, etc. Well worth the price.

This is a great museum. There were lots of volunteers, teaching abouIt was fun and educational.

Very well done museum with both classic indoor exhibits and outdoor activities. The docents were excellent.

This museum is top notch. We love visiting local, homegrown historic places and this location had it all. The modern museum building has multiple display rooms that explain ship building and other interesting nautical themes. There are also original work buildings to explore on the surrounding grounds including an excellent time lapse video on how the ships are pieced together during construction. We opted for the additional trolley and boat tour in addition to the museum and grounds tour. You can really see how massive the ship building yards and processes are from the boat. Our tour guide Carl has 30+ years as a BIW engineer and explained the facilities as well as the river highlights. We learned so much and thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful museum. It was a highlight of our week in Maine.

A fantastic museum where you could easily spend the day! The volunteer staff was excellent and incredibly knowledgeable. The museum is going through some renovations to help restore some of the original shipyard buildings. It is very exciting to see a museum so committed to preserving its history and presenting information in a relatable and fun way.

We love this museum so much that we became members. It is a museum that works hard to be relevant to all ages but does not pander to children. If you can do it, I highly recommend the boat tours. You will always leave, having learned something new.

I cannot recommend the land and water tour enough!! The tour guides were fantastic at explanation and narration. We were given enough time to see everything. The exhibits were well latex out. There is food on site is good. I had a wrap and it was large enough to share. It was fresh. My favorite stop in the Portland area!

I love MMM! The outside ship for children is great! The museum is full of nautical information and displays. You can even take a boat ride in the summer past lighthouses! Delightful!!

We visited the museum in the winter so weren't able to explore the outdoor exhibits. There were some interesting things but the museum is fairly small and I wish there was more for kids. It's a little on the expensive side, though we went during a free time. I did love the pints on the pier event in the fall, though

Fantastic, poignant museum. A wonderful collection that covered so many eras and aspects of ships and maritime history, all so beautifully presented. a must-see!

Really nice day in Bath it's a very small maritime museum inside most is outs side in the outer buildings most of which are from the the original ship builders from late 1800 - early 1900 but if you take the boat ride/ tour of the Kennebec river it comes with admission to the museum we really enjoyed the say here

Great museum. Loved the shipwreck!!!!

This museum was amazing! All the background behind all the ships and the different displays was so interesting. We went on the cruise along the river, and the captain made the boat right so great! Explaining different facts about Maine and showing us all the different lighthouses and how long they have been there! Also a great place to take photos!

My wife was most interested in the Maine Maritime Museum and I was most interested in the "tour" of the Bath Iron Works that you could take from the Maritime Museum. Well, turns out the the Maritime Museum was excellent and I'm really glad that we visited this attraction. The main building has some great maritime exhibits and history of the region's shipbuilding past. However, the exhibits scattered around the grounds are the real hit of this museum. There's 1 building will 2 floors of old boats in various stages of restoration; there's another building with a lot of information on the lobster industry; there's the old wood working shop with a lot of the original equipment and other buildings/exhibits related to the history of ship building in Bath. There's also a restored sea captain's house that's open for tours. The Maritime Museum was a real hit and well worth the time. The "tour" of the Bath Iron Works was disappointing. The Irons Works is one of 2 ship years in the U.S. manufacturing destroyers for the U.S.Navy. Before the tour starts, there is a short video that explains the work of the shipyard and it's role in manufacturing destroyers. Then - for the tour itself, you board a small tour bus at the museum and "drive past" the shipyard. The tour guide was a retired engineer from the shipyard and he shared a lot of interesting information about the Iron Works. They also have an active duty sailor join the tour to share some insights on the final fit-out of the destroyers and the crew that will be assigned to the ship once it's commissioned for duty. Interesting information aside, the tour does not go into the Bath Iron Works and what you see of the Iron Works you can see just be driving by in your car. The tour guide was able to point out some stuff in the Iron Works that you may or may not have observed on your own. However, I thought the tour would actually involve going into the Bath Iron Works. I still enjoyed the tour and the narrative but it wasn't what I had expected.

This was a great rainy day activity. We walked through the museum and all of the outbuildings. Saw an iron display outside and did a tour of the house. The house was probably my favorite as our guide did a great job of giving the information without it being boring. I liked the videos in the lobster area as they were really informative. The only downside of the museum is that it is A LOT of information. If you have the time, take 2 days (our tickets were good for consecutive days but I don't know if this is offered all the time). We didn't do a boat tour due to the rain but it was offered for an extra charge. A great glimpse into shipbuilding but would have been better if we had the time to stretch it out.

What a wonderful rainy day excursion. My favorite exhibit was the lighthouse with its time lapse video. In the lantern room, which is an actual replica of the one at Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, you witness the four seasons changing in 8 minutes and get to appreciate what a wonderful creation lighthouses were/are and the loneliness of the folk who worked them. I enjoyed too, the story of the Mary E - one mans quest to raise a sunken ship. And, I tried my hand at being a steamship captain, docking the vessel via a series of bells and whistles. There's a lot more to learn in the outbuildings but I won't give it all away.

My husband and I came here in late September 2008, during our Fall Foliage Tour. I'd lived in NH before and spent many days off in ME, but I had never ventured to Bath before. To please my husband's interest in ships and things mechanical, I put this museum on our schedule. It's worth every penny! Great hall with exhibitions. Then you get to walk through workshops spread across the property. I enjoyed chatting with an older man in the boat building shop; he could have talked all day about the high school project of building a boat every year! My husband absolutely enjoyed all the equipment; in fact he took the pics I posted! If you're in the area, make this one of your must-do destinations. During the Fall, go online and book a boat tour before they run out of tickets! They accept credit cards and I believe it was $10 for adult entrance tickets.

Visiting in off season and trying to see everything in a couple of hours was easy being the only guests. So much history and it's nice to see what they have been able to save. A volunteer in the wood shop stopped what he was doing to tell us about the program that local school students participate to learn to make different wood items. It's a good museum for all ages.

Only come here if you have a lot of time to explore! We only set aside a couple hours and so we didn't get to see much outside of the main museum building. Both my boyfriend and I thought it was one of the best museums we have ever been to. They do a great job making an immersive and interactive experience for you. There was so much information available. We couldn't get to it all. But we left knowing and appreciating so much more about Maine!

A great way to spend a few hours learning about the amazing maritime history of Maine! Located in the grounds of a former shipyard the museum has multiple buildings explaining all parts and processes of the shipbuilding process. The volunteers are incredibly well informed and wonderful to talk to. Highly recommend if you are passing through the area.

Very informative. We enjoyed walking through the museum and learning a lot about Maine's maritime history. Lots about lighthouses too. Very enjoyable!

This is much more interesting than you think it will be. Nice displays, interesting history and informative videos. We did the land and sea tour and enjoyed it very much. And the grounds are lovely for a picnic.

Diamond in the rough. Exceeded all expectations. Worth while detour off US1 for locals and vacationers alike. If you have time, the boat tours are a great value.

I loved this. Loved! I enjoy museums, historical sites and the like. This included original buildings and grounds, an indoor museum and an optional boat ride on the water. Total for two people: $76. Marvel at the memorial for the Wyoming and conduct a creative walk-skip around goose droppings on the grounds. Please, please, please do meet Mr. Hetzel who mans the woodshop (my terminology) and teaches today's students about woodworking, accomplishment and character. Go on the schooner for an informative ride on the accompanying body of water - you may get to see happy-go-lucky seals checking you out. Nearby is the present-day shipyard for current military ships, including destroyers. The central-air-conditioned museum encompasses a bevy of artifacts and knowledge on ships, their construction and maritime way of life. Though the entire grounds and activities/exhibits offered may look simple/straightforward, they actually make for an involved and lengthy visit. They teach the wisdom and healthy fear of maritime life. If I recall correctly the $38/person for the above-mentioned exhibits and activities covers visitors for two days. Please check this information with the ticket desk.

Ships rivers and history A great maritime museum tucked away on the Kennebec River. Many superb displays explaining the great nautical history of Bath and staff that seem to enjoy talking forever with you about the history. The people there seemed to be able to answer any question about the town, Bath Iron Works, or nautical history in general. A superb museum keeping Maine's ship building history alive.

Well worth a visit. Beautifully displayed artifacts, some hands-on options, and of course it helps to have a gorgeous setting on the Kennebek River! Allow 90 minutes or so.

We visited the Maine Maritime Museum to take one of their river cruises and thoroughly enjoyed it. We took the Seven lights--Hell's gate cruise which they describe as: "Cruise by Bath Iron Works, then pass through Hells Gates on the Sasnoa River to the historic Sheepscot River to the Kennebec River. You get close-up views of seven lighthouses." It was excellent. The Captain and mate were friendly and informative. The boat was comfortable and perfectly suited for this tour. We especially enjoyed seeing sites from the water that I've seen only from the shore. Ft Popham, BIW and Reed State Park were highlights. The trip was about three hours and a bargain at $35. This included admission to the museum for two days which is a $15 value. This was a great trip and I'd highly recommend it!

This museum should be a must for any visitor to Coastal Maine. A huge space, the museum spans several acres and includes a restored ship captains' home, a building devoted to the history and development of lobster fishing and small boats, a comprehensive classic maritime museum with excellent exhibits on trade and fishing in the 18th and 19th centuries (as well as modern innovations in sailing and seamanship), an active ship building school, and harbour tours of the area - to name a few! The staff very knowledgeable and eager to discuss most any topic regarding nautical history - particularly of the Bath area. On our visit, a restored fishing vessel was docked and open for visitors (it's a traveling museum in its own right) and we paid a nominal fee for a 1 1/2 hour cruise of the area (General Dynamics has an ship building site in Bath, and we were able to see some nuclear vessels being built for the Navy and Air Force on our tour). Bald Eagles and Ospreys as well! What a fantastic day out. Don't miss it.

The museum is located along the river in a beautiful setting, and includes exhibits inside the main building, on the grounds outside, as well as in outbuildings. The exhibits are tastefully done and offer an excellent glimpse into Maine's shipbuilding and maritime history.

I am by no means a sailing aficionado or a maritime expert, but I thoroughly enjoyed this museum. $20 might sound steep for an admission price, but given the size of the museum and outbuildings, as well as the live boatbuilding apprentice shop onsite, it is well worth it. Onsite staff very knowledgeable, and the monument (for lack of a better word) to the Wyoming (a giant vessel built on site at the turn of the century) really makes you appreciate the level of craftsmanship and skill it took to construct one of these massive vessels. Also - an adorable pair of groundhogs are onsite, sit and watch them stealing apples from the tree out back!

Superb museum, and don't miss the optional Bath Iron Works trolley tour. Our friends who took the boat trip also raved about that.

Beautiful museum! Great exhibits, friendly staff, nice open layout. The paintings were my favorite - just gorgeous work on display here. I would recommend this museum to anyone and would come back any time.