A visitor’s guide to local history

Isabelle Curtis, News Contributor
Fri, 07/19/2024 - 11:45am
Boat models at Boothbay Region Historical Society’s museum. File photo
Much is on display at Hendricks Hill Museum on Southport Island. File photo
A 1968 Mustang – one of the dozens of antique autos on display at Boothbay Railway Village Museum
A display on “The Wicked Witch of the West,” Margaret Hamilton, from the “Wizard of Oz” at Hendricks Hill Museum. File photo
A variety of old tools at Boothbay Region Historical Society’s museum. File photo
A display at the Narrow Gauge Museum at Boothbay Railway Village Museum. File photo

    Boothbay Region Historical Society

    Located in the 1874 home of Elizabeth F. Reed and the surrounding grounds of Fullerton Park, Boothbay Region Historical Society offers visitors six rooms full of artifacts, photographs, maps and memorabilia. For those interested in researching personal heritage, local archives including town records, newspapers, family histories, account books and more are also available. Keep an eye out for their forthcoming 2024 Speaker Series! Admission free. Donations encouraged.

    Open: Thursday-Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    Location 72 Oak St., Boothbay Harbor

    Contact: (207) 633-0820

    Boothbay Railway Village Museum

    The Village is celebrating its 60th season! An outdoor history museum, the Village covers 35 acres and boasts more than two dozen historic and reconstructed buildings. Take a walk through their re-created town showcasing rural Maine life from 1850 to 1950 or check out the Antique Automobile Exhibit with more than 60 vehicles from the first half of the 20th century. Also, don’t forget to take a ride on the 100-year-old steam locomotive! Available during open hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: $15 Adults 18-64, $8 Children 3-17, $12 Adults 65-plus years old, Under 3 free.

     Open: Open starting on June 16 (Father’s Day). Tuesday – Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

     Location: 586 Wiscasset Road, Boothbay

     Contact: (207) 633-4727

    Hendricks Hill Museum

    Built by John Cameron circa 1810, the house was home to the Cameron family for a century before it was donated to Southport in 1987. The central building offers a snapshot of Maine history from the past century with eight staged rooms: kitchen, parlor, map room, marine room, pantry and three upstairs bedrooms. Plus, three exhibition rooms and a reference room with archival and genealogical materials. Visitors can also see the boat shop to learn more about local nautical practices and fishing traditions. Free admission. Donations encouraged.

     Open: Open July and August. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

     Location: 419 Hendrick’s Hill Road, Southport

    Contact: (207) 633-1102

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