8 Old-World Towns to Visit in Maine
Everyone’s main priority is often living in the present and focusing on the moment. But there are times when one feels an attraction towards the nostalgic and antiquated or a pull from the past. And in the case of Maine, the biggest harvester of lobsters in the whole US, travelers can find several old-world towns to visit in this New England state. As thrilling and engaging as it might be to go traipsing through the Acadia National Park, Mount Katahdin, and other natural wonders in Maine, you will not feel disappointed or dismayed when you are immersing yourself in Maine’s history in its many old-world towns to visit this 2024. So spend your vacation in the “Vacationland” of Maine, and make new memories and grab some mementos from Maine’s historic and oldest small towns.
Kittery
As Maine’s first town since 1647, the Old World town of Kittery is a close neighbor to the New Hampshire city of Portsmouth. The town has changed its name several times in the past, from Piscataqua Plantations, Champernowne’s—after local pioneer Captain Francis Champernowne—and finally to Kittery Court, the family home of one of the town’s founding members Alexander Shapleigh in Kingswear, England. To the Native Americans in Maine, Kittery was also called Amiciskeag which in Algonquin meant “fishing point” as an allusion to the abundance of freshwater creatures in the Isles of Shoals, Kittery Point, and Badger’s Island.
One might be interested in touring the historic Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island where General William Whipple used to live, a man who fought in the Battle of Saratoga and was also one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence to end the American Revolutionary War. This same shipyard also contributed much to the American Civil War and World War II. You might also want to head over to Appledore and Smuttynose Islands in search for lost treasures left behind by legendary pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. Whatever you intend to accomplish in Kittery, remember to get a much-needed break at The Kittery Inn and Suites or The Water Street Inn.
Scarborough
About seven miles south of the city of Portland, the small town of Scarborough is a premier resort town that promises relaxation and bliss from the city bustle. Since being incorporated in the year 1658, Scarborough has entertained generations of visitors with its lush landscapes and pleasant beachside attractions. Whether you are journeying through the Scarborough Marsh—the largest contiguous tidal marsh in Maine, with fowls and other birds lounging about near the Dunstan River—or enjoying the temperate shorelines of Scarborough Beach State Park, you will not feel disappointed by one of the oldest resort towns in Maine. Come and see Prouts Neck, a peninsula community south of Scarborough Beach State Park which inspired the beautiful artworks of Winslow Homer at the Portland Museum of Art. Finally, consider booking a room in one of Scarborough’s humble establishments such as the Higgins Beach Inn.
Brunswick
Brunswick, about 26 miles north of Portland, is the gateway to numerous islands, marshlands, and bays near the falls of the Androscoggin River. It was first founded as Pejepscot in the year 1628 to serve as a trading post for the British Empire. During the American Civil War, two notable figures lived in Brunswick and in nearby island communities—first, Joshua Chamberlain, a professor at Bowdoin who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg; and second, Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and member of the Underground Railroad, and whose house has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
Travelers will definitely be interested in the Bowdoin International Music Festival occurring in different months of the year, as well as historic exhibits and artworks at Bowdoin College Museum of Art—one of nine art museums of the Maine Art Museum Trail—the Brunswick Naval Aviation Museum, and the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum. If you are curious to see more, then you ought to book a room at either The Brunswick Hotel or The Federal.
Wiscasset
Beside the tidal waters of the Sheepscot River and Back River estuaries lies the small town of Wiscasset. Only about 18 miles east of Brunswick, National Geographic hailed Wiscasset to be the “Worm Capital of the World” due to the many summertime activities of worm digging, clam grabbing, lobster fishing, and other kinds of sports. Among the several historic structures still standing in or near Wiscasset is Fort Edgecomb, one of the nation’s best-preserved blockhouses built in the year 1809. Meanwhile, the Lincoln County Museum and Old Jail gives you further contexts into Wiscasset’s inception and development, while the Lincoln County Courthouse continues to be the oldest functioning courthouse in New England.
If you have a taste for the past, then sate your antique appetites by visiting the Federal-style, 19th-century mansions of Castle Tucker and the Nickels-Sortwell House. The more adventurous of you might also want to brave the challenging rope climbs and escapades of the Monkey C Monkey Do Park. As for those of you seeking accommodations, look no further than to the Wiscasset Woods Lodge.
North Yarmouth
Only about 16 miles north of Portland, travelers will be amazed and astounded by the quaint and splendid delights of North Yarmouth. Crisscrossed by several streams and rivers such as Royal River, North Yarmouth has remained a lovely residential homestead since its rural beginnings in the year 1680. Those seeking the simple amusements of an ordinary, countryside lifestyle can experience Maine’s outdoors Wescustogo Park, Chandler Brook Preserve, and the Desert of Maine—the latter, specifically, contains a barn museum from 1783 and other informative sites and centers on North Yarmouth’s agricultural past. Visitors can admire the globe at the Eartha Globe Museum, and afterwards even more scenic treks and trails at Pratt’s Brook Park, Bradbury Mountain State Park, and at the nearby Sebago Lake with its Frye Island in the middle.
Paris
Paris, the City of Lights, may be thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean in France, but for citizens in Maine or in any other state, you can step into the similarly named small town of Paris. Although a relatively recent town as it was incorporated in the year 1793, Paris is nevertheless notable in history because it was the home of Hannibal Hamlin, Vice President of the United States when President Abraham Lincoln was in his first term. Furthermore, Paris itself is a jewel of a town since it is literally on top of on top a Paleozoic bed of quartz crystallization called pegmatite, in which many semi-precious gems and rare minerals like beryl, garnet, tourmaline, amethyst, and smokey quartz can be found. Travelers can enjoy live performances at the Celebration Barn Theater, stroll through the verdant McLaughlin Garden, and undertake scenic hikes through the Streaked Mountain Trail. Though the town of Paris may not have many big city elements compared to the capital city of France, it is nonetheless a lovely place to visit.
Biddeford
Though a close twin to Saco, Biddeford has its own unique history and attractions for anyone and everyone to admire. It is hailed as Maine’s youngest city mainly because the median age of the town’s residents is around 29. In actuality, Biddeford is one of the oldest communities in Maine, having been established alongside its sister Saco in the early 1600s to be a textile center of national and regional prominence. Visitors to Biddeford can find two of Maine’s prominent institutions for growth and development, these being the award-winning Southern Maine Heath Care and the University of New England.
One can be thrust back into the past by touring the First Parish Meetinghouse, built in 1758 and serving as the oldest public building in Biddeford. Or you can peruse vintage vehicles at the Maine Classic Car Museum. Beyond the antique attractions in Biddeford, you can always enjoy Maine’s landscapes at Clifford Park's 140-acre trail system, the Rachel Carson U.S. Wildlife Preserve and the East Point Audubon Sanctuary, the Blandings Park Wildlife Sanctuary, and Fortunes Rocks Beach. No need to worry about accommodations, not when you are staying at The Lincoln Hotel.
Saco
Although Saco shares certain features and attractions to its close counterpart, Biddeford—such as the Saco River—what makes it stand out on its own is its unique beginnings. Originally called Pepperellborough after the town’s European founder, William Pepperell, Saco was once a place of seasonal hunting for the indigenous cultures in Maine, specifically at Saco Falls. The Saco Museum delves more into Saco’s past when it was known to the Pequawket tribe as Sowocatuck. Those eager for exploration should definitely venture into the Saco Heath Preserve and Ferry Beach State Park, as well as soak in the fun splashes of Aquaboggan Water Park and Funtown Splashtown USA. As a town “friendly by nature,” you will certainly love Saco’s resplendent lodgings like the Classic Inn, Saco Motel, or Sun Retreats Wild Acres.
Maine, the state that the Algonquin-speaking cultures once called the “Land of the Frozen Ground,” might not have witnessed much warfare during the American Revolutionary War and Civil War, but it nevertheless gave its own contributions to era-defying and epoch-making moments in American history in historic towns like Kittery, Brunswick, Scarborough, and more. Regardless of whether you are simply enjoying the antiquated atmospheres of small towns like Saco and Biddeford, or getting to see what life used to feel like in gorgeous communities like Wiscasset and North Yarmouth, all of these destinations are sure to satisfy anyone and everyone in the US and beyond. Come over and see the old-world towns worth visiting in the state of Maine.
