McCurdy Smokehouse Museum
Museum · Lubec ·

McCurdy Smokehouse Museum

Museum · Lubec ·

Historic former herring processing facility, now a museum

fishy smell
informative tour
maritime history
historical tour
friendly staff
lubec history
smoking process
last operating smokehouse
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by Courtesy of Moira Brown
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by Courtesy of Lubec Landmarks
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by Courtesy of Lubec Landmarks
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum by null

Information

50 Water St, Lubec, ME 04652 Get directions

Restroom
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom

Information

Static Map

50 Water St, Lubec, ME 04652 Get directions

+1 207 733 2197
mccurdysmokehouse.org
wix

Features

•Restroom
•Wheelchair accessible parking lot
•Wheelchair accessible restroom

Last updated

Jan 31, 2026

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7 Spots for Sumptuously Smoky Meats and Fish

"At the end of a wood-pile wharf in Lubec, Maine, is a cluster of wood-shingle structures, some of the last still-standing remnants of the region’s once-booming trade in smoked fish. The two-story structures date to the beginning of the 20th century. Inside them, countless herring were deboned, smoked, pickled, and prepped for shipping across the U.S. and Canada. Some locals say that the scent of brine still lingers in the buildings where fish were lanced and smoked.  Business dried up around 1991, and the structures were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Since then, some of them were furnished into a waterfront museum to the historic trade. Others slid into disrepair. In January 2018, a storm dislodged the brining shed. It drifted through the water and across the thin Lubec Narrows to land in Canada. The waterlogged remains of the shed were trucked back across a bridge to Lubec, where they will be rebuilt on a slightly smaller scale." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

https://www.atlasobscura.com/lists/unique-smokehouses
Courtesy of Lubec Landmarks
McCurdy Smokehouse Museum

Nipako S.

Google
Highly recommend checking out this museum if you're in the area. The gentleman who is giving the tours currently worked here for six years, so he has first hand experience in how the smoking of the herring and sardines was done. Apparently this was the last operating smokehouse in the United States and it closed in the early 90s due to the FDA requiring them to remove the enterals of fish in the beginning of the process, rather than the end, which this was not set up to do. There was also a building that used to be across the river and it floated away during a high tide. Another building that was attached to the current museum was also lost a few years ago during a bad winter storm. They are currently trying to raise money to lift up the buildings several feet higher, as two of them flood as much as a foot of water during extreme high tides, so they are also at risk of collapse or floating away. Inside you'll find posters with information on how the mackerel were caught, strung onto rods for smoking, smoked (for two months!), then taken down for processing and packaging. There used to be smokers and canneries all over Maine, but this is a one of a kind now, despite being a booming industry for so long. Still smells like fish now, and it was 10x stronger back in the day. Imagine how it was in the 30s when there were multiple smokers and canneries running! Highly recommend checking out this cute little piece of history if you're in the area to learn a lot more about Maine's history, as well as support their effort in saving these buildings.

Stephanie W.

Google
I’m always up for a historical tour and the museum definitely did that. You’ll watch a short film about its history then you’re free to roam the building. The man who was there the day I went was very friendly and let me ask a gazillion questions. After that we chatted for quite a while about all kinds of stuff. I’d go back for sure if we were in Lubec again.

Perks A.

Google
McCurdy represents a part of Lubec’s maritime history. Lubec had a significant role in producing canned sardines. The Smokehouse was part of the process to smoke the fish. According to the tour, they used rods as part of the smoking process. In the day there was also a brining shed.

Jack D.

Google
The tour was a great introduction to a very important slice of Lubec history. Highly recommended!

M R.

Google
Very nice small museum capturing the now gone herring smoking industry that once thrived in Lubec. Museum is located in the last of the facilities in Lubec (and the USA) and yes, it still has that distinct fishy smell! The gentleman on duty when we visited was so kind and informative. He walked us through the entire process and history, including its demise in the 1990s. Only $4 adult less a $1 discount if you have AAA. Well worth the time if you are stopping in Lubec or visiting Campobello Island.

Running C.

Google
Found this very interesting given an entire way of life had disappeared in this town. My tour guide was soooo cool, forget his name but he made the visit for me. I come from a fishing family and listening to him reminded me of my great uncles and their tales of the "old days".

Celeste Ö.

Google
A wonderful woman told me the history of this place. Such a special gem to the town of Lubec.

Ashlee F.

Google
Great place. Did not catch the gentleman's name that was working on 9/13/2025, but had a great conversation with him.