On Mount Desert Island Lies the "Gateway to Acadia," Maine's Lobster HQ
A small town, on a small island, it’s easy to underestimate Bar Harbor. But don’t be fooled, this quaint island community has had a big impact on Maine’s economy, culture, and history ever since it was formally incorporated in 1796 as the town of Eden.
Located off the east coast of Maine, on beautiful Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor has been a popular resort for over 200 years. Throughout the centuries, the town has taken on many different personalities, from the summer playground of the rich and famous to the home of Maine’s lobster industry and from the gateway to the stunning Acadia National Park to a center of academic excellence.
Bar Harbor is full of surprises. Much more than your average beach destination, the town is a year-round paradise packed with outdoor adventures, cultural attractions, historical sites, thriving local businesses, and arts venues.
The History of Bar Harbor
To trace the history of the settlement that later became known as Bar Harbor, we have to go all the way back to its roots. Archaeologists believe that Native Americans first inhabited Mount Desert Island around 5.000 years ago and that the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes lived there year-round. European colonists began arriving in the 1600s and it was French explorer Samuel de Chaplain who gave the island its current name in 1604. Word of Mount Desert’s rocky cliffs, rugged mountains, and stunning ocean views quickly spread, making it a thriving resort community by the 1800s.
In 1855, local businessman Tobias Hardy built the first hotel on the island and others soon followed. Among the tourists was a large contingent of artists who were attracted by the area’s captivating landscapes. These early painters laid the foundations of Bar Harbor’s thriving arts community and helped the town grow. In 1918, the town changed its name from Eden to Bar Harbor. By that point, elite families had begun flocking to the area, seeing it as the perfect secluded destination for a summer home. This sparked a property boom as big names such as the Vanderbilts, Rockerfellers, Morgans, and Pulitzers began buying up prized parcels of land. This set the stage for what has become known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Bar Harbor when investment poured in, along with a dazzling list of high society movers and shakers.
The glitz and glamour wasn’t to last, however. In 1947, a devastating fire destroyed much of the town, obliterating 67 summer estates and five hotels. With the country still struggling out of the Great Depression, Bar Harbor simply couldn’t afford to rebuild to its former glory and the era of opulence was over.
A New Golden Age
Of course, that wasn’t the end of the town. With one of the most visited parks on its doorstep and plenty of recreational activities on offer, Bar Harbor was always destined to be a tourist hub and it continued to draw guests from all over. Tourism, combined with its centuries-old lobster fishing industry, helped the town recover and today it has a booming, diversified economy and just over 5,000 full-time residents.
If you’ve tucked into a lobster dinner anywhere in America, there's a good chance that shellfish came from Bar Harbor. The town’s industry includes fishing, processing, and packing and it’s a huge contributor to Maine’s seafood sector. Bar Harbor is also home to one of the country’s best known boat builders, Hinckley Yachts.
You won’t find Mount Desert Island’s largest employer in its fishing, boating or tourism industries however. That honour goes to the Jackson Laboratory, one of two leading medical research facilities located here. Walking around town during term-time, you may see a few students milling about. Bar Harbor is home to the College of the Atlantic, one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges, which was founded in 1969.
Acadia National Park
Around 4 million visitors come to Acadia National Park each year to see Maine’s diverse coastal environment at its very best. Comprising of rocky headlands overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, sandy beaches, inland lakes, mountain peaks, and secluded bays, the park is one of Maine’s greatest natural treasures and easily accessible from Bar Harbor.
Established in 1916, the park covers nearly half of Mount Desert Island and has over 100 miles of hiking trails. It’s also a busy habitat for many different flora and fauna with over 1,100 plant species, 338 bird species, and around 40 species of mammals including foxes, beavers, racoons, coyotes, and bobcats.
There are several historic structures in the park, including carriage roads and trails dating back to the 1800s, lighthouses, gatehouses, and bridges. For many visitors, the best way to see the park is to take its famous 27-mile Park Loop Road which winds around the east side of Mount Desert Island, stopping by key landmarks including Cadillac Mountain — known as the first place in the United States to see the sunrise.
Bar Harbor Events
In keeping with its heritage as an early artist’s colony, Bar Harbor has a packed schedule of arts festivals. One of the biggest and longest running is the Bar Harbor Music Festival which began over 50 years ago and takes place every summer with a varied line-up that includes recitals, chamber music recitals, jazz shows, opera performances, orchestra concerts, dance shows, and more.
The Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance blends music, heritage, and history together to create a one-of-a-kind event celebrating the music and dance of Acadian, Cape Breton, Irish, Québécois, and Scottish cultures. This week-long summer festival features workshops, classes, concerts, and community dances.
From entertainment to ecology, Bar Harbor also takes time to celebrate its natural assets with the Maine Ocean Festival. Hosted by the town’s Oceanarium, this educational event coincides with World Ocean Day in June and is designed to raise awareness about the area’s diverse marine life and the health of our oceans through interactive exhibits, games, and an ocean-themed carnival.
Tourist Attractions in Bar Harbor
Acadia National Park might be the main attraction, but there’s lots to do in Bar Harbor once you’ve finished exploring the park.
In the summer, water activities are popular and there are plenty to choose from. Book a fishing charter, take a sightseeing tour of the bay, or do some coastal kayaking. The area is also one of the best whale watching destinations in the world and you can get up close with some of the other marine wildlife on a lobster fishing experience, a puffin cruise, or a seal watching tour.
Back on land, take the ‘Museum in the Streets’ self-guided walking tour to see the town’s historic sites, each marked with an informative placard that details its origins or hop aboard Oli’s Trolley which offers narrated tours of downtown and Acadia National Park. For something a little different, try eating your way around Mount Desert Island with the Lobster Roll Tour, a guide to Bar Harbor’s best seafood restaurants.
In winter, the island is a little quieter but still worth a visit for those looking to avoid the summer crowds. At this time of year, you can skip the lines at the local museums including the LaRochelle Mansion, a stately waterfront home that dates back to Bar Harbor’s golden age, and the Abbe Museum where you can learn about Maine’s native peoples. Acadia National Park is open year-round, although some roads and trails may close seasonally. Skiing and snowshoeing gear rentals are available.
An Island Getaway
First known by its original name of Eden, it’s easy to see why Bar Harbor’s first inhabitants thought it was paradise. Surrounded by the timeless beauty of Acadia National Park, this island town has reinvented itself many times over the centuries while maintaining a firm grip on its heritage and history. Connected by road to mainland Maine, Bar Harbor is still very much its own world, giving visitors a chance to see a side of New England they’ve never experienced. Next time you feel in need of an island vacation head out to where Maine meets the Atlantic and see why Bar Harbor has been a must-see destination for over a century.
