Highest-rated specialty museums in Maine by visitors

In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in Maine on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

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#30. Maine Mill

- Rating: 4.6/5 (42 reviews)
- City: Lewiston
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#29. Maine Military Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (45 reviews)
- City: South Portland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#28. The Telephone Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (21 reviews)
- City: Ellsworth
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#27. 5th Maine Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (37 reviews)
- City: Peaks Island Portland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#26. Poland Spring Preservation Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (57 reviews)
- City: Poland Springs
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#25. Wendell Gilley Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (60 reviews)
- City: Southwest Harbor Mount Desert Island
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#24. Penobscot Marine Museum

- Rating: 4.4/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Searsport
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#23. Fawcett's Antique Toy and Art Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (61 reviews)
- City: Waldoboro
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#22. Bar Harbor Historical Society

- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)
- City: Bar Harbor Mount Desert Island
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#21. Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (99 reviews)
- City: Brunswick
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#20. Maine Granite Industry Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (87 reviews)
- City: Mount Desert Mount Desert Island
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#19. Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (84 reviews)
- City: Alna
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#18. Umbrella Cover Museum

- Rating: 4.3/5 (73 reviews)
- City: Peaks Island Portland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#17. Stanwood Homestead Museum and Bird Sanctuary

- Rating: 4.6/5 (47 reviews)
- City: Ellsworth
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#16. Sail Power and Steam Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (133 reviews)
- City: Rockland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#15. Maine Jewish Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (121 reviews)
- City: Portland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#14. Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (76 reviews)
- City: Bethel
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#13. International Cryptozoology Museum

- Rating: 3.4/5 (252 reviews)
- City: Portland
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#12. Boothbay Railway Village

- Rating: 4.5/5 (257 reviews)
- City: Boothbay
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#11. The Seal Cove Auto Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (231 reviews)
- City: Seal Cove
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#10. Abbe Museum

- Rating: 4.2/5 (360 reviews)
- City: Bar Harbor Mount Desert Island
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#9. Maine Lighthouse Museum

- Rating: 4.5/5 (254 reviews)
- City: Rockland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#8. Project Puffin Visitor Center

- Rating: 4.5/5 (199 reviews)
- City: Rockland
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#7. Owls Head Transportation Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (430 reviews)
- City: Owls Head
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#6. Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (326 reviews)
- City: Port Clyde
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#5. Cole Land Transportation Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (360 reviews)
- City: Bangor
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#4. Owls Head Lighthouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (443 reviews)
- City: Owls Head
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#3. Seashore Trolley Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (459 reviews)
- City: Kennebunkport Kennebunks
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#2. Maine Maritime Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (776 reviews)
- City: Bath
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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#1. Portland Observatory

- Rating: 4.6/5 (545 reviews)
- City: Portland
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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