Things to Do in Bath, Maine
The best things to do in Bath, Maine, are the Maine Maritime Museum, a sail on the replica ship Virginia and the 19th-century downtown. Bath is a small city of 8,766 people on the Kennebec River and the seat of Sagadahoc County.
They call it the City of Ships for good reason. Shipbuilding here started in 1743, and roughly 5,000 vessels have been launched since. Bath Iron Works, founded in 1884, has built hundreds of ships, mostly Navy warships, and remains a major employer.
Maine Maritime Museum
The museum sits on the Kennebec and takes in the old Percy & Small Shipyard. That yard built the six-masted schooner Wyoming, considered the largest wooden ship ever built. Guided shipyard tours, the Victorian Donnell House, a working blacksmith shop and a boat restoration center are part of a visit. The museum acquired the shipyard for preservation in 1975.
★ Good to know Shipyard tours run daily at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. from mid-May through October, included with admission. The museum also runs cruises aboard the Merrymeeting in season.
Maine’s First Ship
In 1607, colonists at the nearby Popham Colony built the Virginia, the first oceangoing ship built by English shipwrights in the New World. Volunteers have reconstructed her as a pinnace you can tour or sail on. The visitor center is in the historic Bath Freight Shed on the waterfront.
★ Good to know Sails and deck tours run in season, so check the schedule and book ahead.
Downtown Bath
Front and Centre streets hold the Federal, Greek Revival and Italianate buildings that draw most visitors. Look for the 1858 Custom House and the Seth Thomas street clock at Front and Centre, built in 1911 and restored in 2000. The city’s name came from postmaster Dummer Sewall, after Bath in Somerset, England.
★ Good to know Stop at the Bath Regional Information Center at 15 Commercial Street for the walking map. Main Street Bath won a Great American Main Street Award in 2012.
Library Park Summer Concerts
Main Street Bath puts on free concerts at Library Park, 33 Summer Street, from June through September. They start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays.
★ Good to know Bring a lawn chair and snacks.
Thorne Head Preserve and the Whiskeag Trail
High Street dead-ends at this Kennebec Estuary Land Trust preserve at the north tip of town. Trails run through old pine and hemlock woods to tidal marsh and river views, and bald eagles often perch at the water’s edge. The Whiskeag Trail continues about 5 miles to the Bath YMCA.
★ Good to know It’s free and open dawn to dusk, and leashed dogs are welcome.
Chocolate Church Arts Center
This downtown arts center puts on concerts, dance and theater on its Main Stage and in its Annex. It also runs Art Lab programs and a summer series.
★ Good to know Check the season lineup on its website before you go.
Popham Beach State Park
Popham is Maine’s busiest state park beach, 14 miles south of Bath in Phippsburg on Route 209. It has bathhouses, rinse-off showers and charcoal grills. Shifting sand has reshaped the beach and dunes dramatically in recent years.
★ Good to know Watch the tide if you cross the Morse River toward Fox Island; the sandbars flood about two hours after low tide. The park charges an entry fee year-round.
Also in town
Bath Heritage Days fills downtown every Fourth of July weekend.
Why is Bath, Maine, called the City of Ships?
Because of how many ships were built here. Shipbuilding started in 1743, and roughly 5,000 vessels have been launched from Bath. Bath Iron Works has built hundreds of ships, mostly for the Navy.
Can you tour Bath Iron Works?
Bath Iron Works is a working General Dynamics shipyard. For the city’s shipbuilding story, the Maine Maritime Museum’s Percy & Small Shipyard tours are the way in.
How far is Popham Beach from Bath?
About 14 miles south, on Route 209 in Phippsburg. It’s Maine’s busiest state park beach and charges an entry fee year-round.
What other Maine towns pair well with Bath?
Freeport is a short drive south; see things to do in Freeport. Boothbay Harbor is up the coast; see Boothbay Harbor and all our small towns in Maine.
Where to find them
- Maine Maritime Museum 243 Washington St., Bath, ME 04530 Website Directions
- Maine's First Ship Bath Freight Shed, Bath, ME 04530 Website Directions
- Downtown Bath Front St., Bath, ME 04530 Website Directions
- Thorne Head Preserve and the Whiskeag Trail end of High St., Bath, ME 04530 Website Directions
- Chocolate Church Arts Center Bath, ME 04530 Website Directions
- Popham Beach State Park Route 209, Phippsburg, ME 04562 Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Bath, see the official visitor site →
Some links in this section are affiliate links. If you book through them, Best Small Towns in America may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Where to stay in Bath
Keep exploring
Boothbay Harbor, MEAbout 11 miles as the crow fliesDeep peninsula harbor for puffin cruises, gardens and island trips.Things to do in Boothbay Harbor →
Freeport, MEAbout 15 miles as the crow fliesL.L.Bean's hometown, with Casco Bay trails beyond the outlets.Things to do in Freeport →
Rockland, MEAbout 38 miles as the crow fliesPenobscot Bay art town with Wyeths, a breakwater and lobster.Things to do in Rockland →Also nearby: Camden · Kennebunkport · Bethel