Timeless Echos

OVERVIEW

Browse two eye-opening museums – one candidly revealing Bar Harbor’s past, the other offering a glimpse into the lives of the area’s indigenous people. The Bar Harbor Historical Society museum is located within La Rochelle, the city’s first Gilded Age mansion made of brick. Inside the 35-room former Bowdoin family residence, you will find exhibits that showcase the staggering wealth of the industrialists who built summer “cottages” in Bar Harbor during the late 1880s. The museum also details momentous historical events such as the Fire of 1947, which contributed to the end of the Gilded Age influence and spurred the redevelopment of the city that exists today. A short walk will bring you to the Abbe Museum, whose collection presents the rich history of the native Wabanaki people that lived in Maine for thousands of years. Through photography, artifacts, art work and digital interactives, the story of their conflicts, adaptation and survival is told in fascinating detail.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit the Bar Harbor Historical Society, which occupies a 35-room former Gilded Age mansion.
• Gain insight into Bar Harbor’s history and how the city has changed since the Gilded Age.
• Browse the Abbe Museum and learn about the Wabanaki, the area’s indigenous people.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.