Things to Do in Boothbay Harbor, Maine
The best things to do in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, are puffin and whale cruises, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and the harbor footbridge. It’s a Lincoln County town of 2,027 people at the tip of a peninsula between the Sheepscot River and Linekin Bay.
English fishermen worked an outpost at nearby Cape Newagen as early as 1623. The deep, sheltered harbor could hold 400 to 500 vessels in a storm. Boothbay Harbor split from Boothbay in 1889, and scenes from the 1956 movie Carousel were filmed here.
Cap’n Fish’s Cruises
Cap’n Fish’s runs the widest menu of trips from the harbor. The Audubon Puffin Cruise goes to Eastern Egg Rock, where the National Audubon Society re-established a puffin colony. There are also whale watches, a whale-and-puffin combo, and a 1.25-hour harbor cruise that hauls a lobster trap and passes seals and two lighthouses.
★ Good to know One of those lights is Burnt Island Light, built in 1821 and the second-oldest surviving lighthouse in Maine.
Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Maine’s botanical garden sits just north of the harbor in the town of Boothbay. You can spend a full day on its gardens, woodland trails and art, including a set of giant trolls hidden in the woods. Its regular season runs from May 1 into mid-October.
★ Good to know Gardens Aglow, the winter light show, runs from mid-November into early January; tickets cost less online than at the gate.
Maine State Aquarium
The state’s Department of Marine Resources runs this small aquarium on McKown Point in West Boothbay Harbor. It’s one room of about 1,800 square feet, with tanks on Gulf of Maine sea life and a 26-foot minke whale skeleton overhead. Two life-size harbor porpoise models greet you at the entrance.
★ Good to know Its summer season ends on Labor Day weekend, with Saturday hours in September. Parking is very limited.
The Footbridge and Downtown
The wooden footbridge links the east and west sides of the harbor. Luther Maddocks built the original in July 1901, reportedly in just 11 days, when no contractor would take the job. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2023, and it’s the best spot in town for watching boats.
★ Good to know Downtown’s shops and restaurants are a short walk from either end of the bridge.
Monhegan Island Day Trip
Balmy Days Cruises takes the Balmy Days II out to Monhegan, 12 miles off the coast. You can go for the day or stay overnight on the island. The same company runs a one-hour narrated mailboat tour and 1.5-hour sails on the Friendship sloop Bay Lady.
★ Good to know All Balmy Days trips leave from Pier 8 at 42 Commercial Street.
Boothbay Railway Village
This museum village on Route 27 in Boothbay runs rides in a vintage coach behind a 100-year-old steam locomotive. It also has an antique auto museum with more than 60 cars and trucks from 1902 to 1962. Historic buildings, a schoolhouse and a detailed model railroad round it out.
★ Good to know Call ahead to confirm which trains are running on the day you visit.
Boothbay Region Land Trust Preserves
The land trust keeps nature preserves across the peninsula open to the public for free. Together they hold more than 30 miles of hiking trails. It also hosts more than 100 free educational events a year.
★ Good to know The land trust’s website has a regional trail map for picking a preserve near where you’re staying.
Can you see puffins from Boothbay Harbor?
Yes, by boat. Cap’n Fish’s Audubon Puffin Cruise goes out to Eastern Egg Rock, where the National Audubon Society re-established a puffin colony. There’s also a whale-and-puffin combo trip.
Is Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor?
It’s in the neighboring town of Boothbay, just north of the harbor. Its regular season runs from May into mid-October, and Gardens Aglow lights it up from mid-November into early January.
How far is Monhegan Island from Boothbay Harbor?
About 12 miles offshore. Balmy Days Cruises runs trips on the Balmy Days II from Pier 8, for a day visit or an overnight stay.
What other Maine towns pair well with Boothbay Harbor?
Bath and its Maine Maritime Museum are on the way up Route 1; see things to do in Bath. For more, browse our small towns in Maine.
Where to find them
- Cap'n Fish's Cruises 42 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 Website Directions
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 105 Botanical Gardens Dr., Boothbay, ME 04537 Website Directions
- Maine State Aquarium 194 McKown Point Rd., West Boothbay Harbor, ME 04575 Website Directions
- The Footbridge and Downtown Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 Website Directions
- Monhegan Island Day Trip Pier 8, 42 Commercial St., Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 Website Directions
- Boothbay Railway Village 586 Wiscasset Rd., Boothbay, ME 04537 Website Directions
- Boothbay Region Land Trust Preserves Boothbay peninsula, ME Website Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Boothbay Harbor, see Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce →
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Where to stay in Boothbay Harbor
Keep exploring
Bath, MEAbout 11 miles as the crow fliesKennebec River shipbuilding city with a top maritime museum.Things to do in Bath →
Freeport, MEAbout 25 miles as the crow fliesL.L.Bean's hometown, with Casco Bay trails beyond the outlets.Things to do in Freeport →
Rockland, MEAbout 31 miles as the crow fliesPenobscot Bay art town with Wyeths, a breakwater and lobster.Things to do in Rockland →Also nearby: Camden · Kennebunkport · Ogunquit