One of the best features of Five Gables Inn is the easy access to so many attractions. You could stay here for a week and not have the time to visit everything that is within an easy day’s drive. To assist with the dilemma of which attractions to choose, we present this list of recommended museums to add to your schedule.
Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland – 45 miles away
The museum celebrates Maine’s role in American art by displaying a nationally recognized collection of pieces by American artists. The museum features 20,000 square feet of gallery space and boasts over 15,000 works of art. The campus houses many buildings including:
- The Wyeth Center: Home of the works of Andrew, Jamie, and N.C. Wyeth.
- The Museum Library: A noncirculating collection open to the public.
- Gamble Education Center: Workshops and art camps are held here throughout the year.
- Farnsworth Homestead: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
- Wyeth Study Center: Collection of Andrew Wyeth’s work that is changed each spring and fall.
Upcoming exhibits include:
- “Leonard Baskin: I Hold the Cracked Mirror Up to Man” The dark side of humanity is the subject of many of the woodcuts in this exhibit.
- “Ashley Bryan: Beauty in Return” celebrates the work of the 2022 Maine in America award. Bryan is well known in the children’s literature field for writing and illustrating more than 50 books for children.
Maine Maritime Museum, Bath – 27 miles away
The tagline for the indoor and outdoor museum is “This is Maine. The rest is history.” The 20-acre campus sits on the banks of the Kennebec River. Highlights include an immersive experience that makes visitors feel like they are standing at the top of a lighthouse, a full-size sculpture of the largest wooden sailing vessel ever built in North America, craftsmen perfecting their trade in a working boat shop, and a human-sized lobster trap. Upcoming exhibits include:
- “Looking for Winslow Homer” Zach Horn interprets Winslow Homer’s seascapes through stop motion animation, paintings, and projections.
- “Uncharted: Maine Artists / Maine Waters” A celebration of our relationship with the sea during a time of rapid change to oceans and environmental systems.
- “Fakes, Forgeries, and Facsimiles” How do museum professionals authenticate the works in museums? Find out in this immersive experience that allows visitors to conduct their own investigations.
Portland Museum of Art, Portland – 60 miles away
Generated by the growth and diversification of its collection, the museum is actively working to renew, revitalize, and redefine their role in society. Efforts to make art accessible for all led to the opening of the David E. Shaw Family Sculpture Park. The free park hosts special events, live music, and family activities. Admission to the museum is free for everyone under the age of 21 thanks to the Susie Konkel Pass. Current and upcoming exhibits include:
- “Down North” This is the first exhibit devoted to the North Atlantic region. Featured artists live in Maine, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Indigenous Nations.
- “Interaction of Color” The concept of color has never-ending possibilities as evident by this display of prints from the Portland Museum of Art collection.
- “Flying Woman: The Paintings of Katherine Bradford” Approximately 40 paintings will be arranged chronologically with vibrant palettes and eccentric compositions.
Maine Lighthouse Museum, Rockland – 45 miles away
This is the largest collection of lighthouse, lifesaving, and U.S. Coast Guard artifacts in the nation. The establishment of the museum is thanks to the hard work and significant collection of decorated Coast Guard Officer Ken Black. The museum features sparkling lighthouse lenses alongside stories from lighthouse keepers and their families. One exhibit focuses on women who worked as lighthouse keepers. All active and retired U.S. Coast Guard members receive free admission.
Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum, Brunswick – 33 miles away
U.S. maritime patrol aviation was a key player in World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Cold War. Many of those brave sailors trained in Brunswick. A wide-screen flight simulator allows visitors to “fly” various aircraft including the Blue Angel’s F-18 Hornet. Displays explain the tactics and equipment used in anti-submarine warfare. This relatively new museum invites companies like Lockheed and Boeing to loan artifacts for display.
