Bar Harbor, ME Road Trips

1 Bar Harbor Historical Society, 127 West Street, ☏ +1 207 288-0000. mid-June to Oct: M-Sa 1-4PM, open by appointment in the winter. Closed holidays. Listed on the National Register of Historic places, the museum exhibits memorabilia, maps, antique clothing and pictures. free. (updated Aug 2019) 2 Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert St, ☏ +1 207 288-3519. May-Oct: 10AM-5PM, Nov-Apr: Th-Sa 10-16. Devoted to the Native American tribes of Maine. The new Abbe museum is much larger and offers plenty of activities for both adults and children. A good rainy day activity. Open to school groups and programs by appointment in the winter. $8/adult, $7/senior, $4/youth, children under 10 free. (updated Aug 2019) The Abbe Museum:Original, ☏ +1 207 288-3519. Located at Sieur De Mont, this one-room museum is the original MDI Native American museum. A bit pricey, but lots of information. 3 Village Green (intersection of Mt. Desert Street and Main Street). The well-groomed park is a great place to take a break from walking, shopping, etc. Toss a frisbee, enjoy your ice cream, read a book, or just take a nap. The gazebo hosts the town band every Monday and Thursday night. On summer nights, there are often concerts on the bandstand. Street performers will often roam the sidewalks, and there's free Wifi! Just create an account name and sign on. 4 Sieur de Monts Spring Nature Center. Home to the Wild Gardens of Acadia. The Bar Harbor Whale Museum (West St facing the harbor). 10AM-8PM. The museum is devoted to whales and other sea creatures.

In general, Bar Harbor is more interesting from 9PM-5AM during the summertime, when the crowds are thinner and the air cooler, although the Police Department never sleeps. Acadia Sailing Company, ☏ +1 207 669-5900. Offers a two- or three-hour sail with a native captain on a 25-foot Crosby Catboat built in 1915. 6 passenger maximum & nice dogs sail free. Trips depart from the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center dock (119 Eden St) daily. 1 The Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co., 1 West St. Cruise Frenchman's Bay and get up close and personal with whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea birds and more. 2 Diver Ed's Dive-In Theater, 146 Gilbert Farm Rd, ☏ +1 207 288-DIVE (3483). Dive-In Theater is a family-friendly 2-hour interactive marine life boat cruise. 3 Lulu Lobster Boat Ride, 55 West St, ☏ +1 207 963-2341, [email protected]. The only lobster boat and seal watch tour in Bar Harbor hosted on a traditional Downeast-style lobster boat. After fourteen successful seasons delighting passengers in the Hancock area and Bar Harbor, Lulu sails out of downtown Bar Harbor. The Harborside Hotel & Marina is Lulu's base of operations. Lulu takes you on a two-hour tour offering the most exclusive, personal and unique cruise in Bar Harbor. 4 Schooner Margaret Todd, 27 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-4585. A 151-foot, four-masted schooner. Bring your own drinks, alcohol permitted. Be on the lookout for whales, seals, porpoises, and puffins. Sails at 10AM (morning sail), 2PM (afternoon sail), and 6:30PM (sunset sail).

Those seeking real adventure on a budget in Bar Harbor may find the bar and restaurant prices cost-prohibitive, but the Hannaford Supermarket on Cottage Street offers no end of inexpensive food and drink including liquor. 1 Ben & Bills Chocolate Emporium, 66 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-3281. Ben & Bills may have long lines in the summer. Known for their lobster ice cream and hand-made chocolate. 2 CJ's Big Dipper, 150 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-2128. The big dipper refers to CJ's "Magic Wand," which he dips in each batch of ice cream. 3 Jordan's Restaurant, 80 Cottage St, ☏ +1 207 288-3586. Breakfast served all day. 4 Mount Desert Island Ice Cream, 7 Firefly Ln, ☏ +1 207 460-5515. Serves homemade ice cream. Ever had Strawberry Balsamic? Chocolate Wasabi? Cinnamon, nutella? MDI ice cream pushes the boundaries on flavor, but their ice cream is spectacular. 5 Rosalie's Pizza, 46 Cottage St. For some of the best pizza in town. A seat upstairs at the windows gives a nice view down to Cottage St. 6 Cafe This Way, 14 Mount Desert St, ☏ +1 207 288-4483. This cafe has incredible food, and a warm inviting atmosphere. Dinner can be pricy, but go for breakfast and the prices are low! Known locally for a great place for a Sunday hangover brunch. 7 Downeast Deli, 65 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-1006. 8 Galyn's Restaurant and Galley Lounge, 17 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-9706. Daily Mar-Nov: 11:30AM-2:30PM, 4-10PM. Head to the Galley Lounge for happy hour 4-6PM each afternoon. Reservations are accepted. 9 Geddy's, 19 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-5077.

1 Atlantic Brewing Company, 15 Knox Rd, ☏ +1 207 288-2337, toll-free: +1-800-475-5417, [email protected]. 2 Bar Harbor Brewing Company, 8 Mount Desert St, ☏ +1 207 288-4592, [email protected]. 3 Carmen Verandah's, 119 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-2766, [email protected]. 4 Fish House Grill, 1 West St, [email protected]. 5 Tail Gate Sports Bar and Pizza, 131 Cottage St, ☏ +1 207 288-4700. Su M Th 11AM-10PM, Tu W F Sa 11AM–1AM. Pizza, wings, burgers, sandwiches, and a variety of shareable appetizers. Two pool tables, arcade games, and 15 big screen TVs. (updated Jun 2020) 6 Lompoc Cafe and Brew Pub, 36 Rodick St, ☏ +1 207 288-9392, [email protected]. This cozy little cafe offers a selection of seasonal dishes, along with a full bar. There are frequent open-mic nights, and even an outdoor Bocce court! Indoor and outdoor seating. 7 The Thirsty Whale Tavern, 40 Cottage St, ☏ +1 207 288-9335. Open year round. Comfortable booths and a full bar make this location a great place to spend an evening with friends. 8 Morning Glory Bakery, 39 Rodick St, ☏ +1 207 288-3041. Open year round. Free wireless internet. Coffee, daily made bread, freshly made sandwiches, low prices. Try the sticky-buns and you'll be addicted instantly. Eat in or take out. 9 Opera House Internet Cafe, 27 Cottage St, ☏ +1 207 288-3509. Open May–October. Offering fee based internet access (wired and wireless), coffee & pastry, come in and to online or simply hang out and play Scrabble, chess, checkers or many other games.

Room rates in Bar Harbor vary drastically with time of year and also with category of accommodation. 1 The Acadia Hotel, 20 Mount Desert St, ☏ +1 207 288-5721, toll-free: +1-888-876-2463, [email protected]. $59 early May; $149 August. 2 Acadia Inn, 98 Eden St, ☏ +1 207 288-3500, toll-free: +1-800-638-3636, fax: +1 207 288-8424, [email protected]. $69 early May; $179 August. 3 Atlantic Eyrie Lodge, 6 Norman Rd, ☏ +1 207 288-9786, toll-free: +1-800-HABA-VUE (4222-883), [email protected]. Cheapest rooms are on 1st and 2nd floors, more expensive for corner rooms (two big windows), rooms on upper floors, and those with kitchens. $62 mid-May to mid-June; $202 July and August. 4 Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Conference Center, 119 Eden St, ☏ +1 207 288-5801, toll-free: +1-800-336-2463, fax: +1 207 288-8402, [email protected]. Open year-round. All rooms ocean view. Room categories from least expensive: Oceanview, kitchenette, deluxe, superior. $92 Jan-mid May; $203 July - Labor Day. 5 Bar Harbor Grand Hotel, 269 Main St, ☏ +1 207 288-5226, toll-free: +1-888-766-2529, fax: +1 207 288-8548, [email protected]. Open Apr 14 - Nov 11. $75 mid-April - mid-May; $195 July and August. 6 Bar Harbor Inn, 1 Newport Dr, ☏ +1 207 288-3351, toll-free: +1-800-248-3351, [email protected]. Open Mar 24 - Nov 26. There are two restaurants at the Inn, the Reading Room Restaurant and the Terrace Grille. $79 Apr - Jun; $369 Jul and Aug.

30 min from the city of Ellsworth via Route 3. 45 min - 1 hour from Bangor, Maine, depending on traffic. Take I-395 and Route 1A to Ellsworth. From Ellsworth continue on Route 3 to Bar Harbor. 3½ hours from Portland, Maine. Take I-95 to exit 182, I-395 and follow the directions from Bangor. Alternatively, take I-95 to Route 3, exit 113, just north of Augusta, and follow Route 3 east to Belfast, and then to Ellsworth and Bar Harbor. 5 hours from Boston, Massachusetts 7 hours from Burlington, Vermont. Take I-89 South to Montpelier, get on Route 2 West and follow until Newport, Maine. Get on I-95 North and take exit 185 to the "Acadia Region". Follow the signs along Route 1 to Bar Harbor. 7 hours from Quebec, Canada The 1 Hancock County-Bar Harbor Airport (BHB IATA) is in Trenton on the outskirts of Ellsworth, on the mainland adjacent to Mount Desert Island. There is scheduled air service to Boston, and seasonal flights to Newark that go on to Vero Beach. During the summer there is free bus service between the airport and Bar Harbor, which takes about 45 minutes, depending on the traffic. Taxi service and rental cars are also available. Downeast Transportation. Bus service from Bangor, Ellsworth, and Trenton. (updated Jul 2025) Bay Ferries, toll-free: +1-877-762-7245. departs Bar Harbor 3:00PM EDT, departs Yarmouth 9:30AM ADT. Seasonal car and passenger ferry, 3.5-hour crossing between Bar Harbor and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Frequency: daily July–Aug 2023, 5 times/week (no Tu, We) Sept–Oct 9, 2023.

Depending on the time of year you find yourself in town, and your intended goals, your visit may necessitate different modes of transportation. With many of the nearly 3 million annual visitors arriving in the summer months, getting around town by motor vehicle is a bad idea. Bar Harbor is much, much quieter between October and April. Use the Island Explorer buses to get around the island. They are sponsored by L.L. Bean and you don't have to worry about parking. Driving a large truck or SUV is ill-advised, as parking in Bar Harbor is not suited to such vehicles. On the bright side, bringing less stuff requires befriending of locals, improvisation, and overall a more fun Maine experience. The central area of Bar Harbor is quite small and easily explored by foot. This includes the shopping and eating establishments on Main St. and Cottage St., and the activities at the town pier. Bicycles can be rented in town and may be put on the front of the buses.

While Maine has relatively low crime rates compared to the rest of the United States, Bar Harbor is rather different during tourist season. Locking of one's car is advised, although car theft is almost unheard of. It is unsafe to venture out onto Maine's coastal waters without having the necessary equipment and experience. This is true of kayaking, canoeing, sailing or any other kind of boating. The water is cold and hypothermia can set in in a short amount of time. Dense fog often rolls in very quickly as well as the occasional storm. If you are determined to go out on your own, to do so without every single passenger wearing a PFD, or without having a compass and knowing how to use it, or without understanding how to navigate safely around other boats and water hazards is not only foolish but could result in serious fines from the Coast Guard or a Marine Patrol officer. There are numerous companies on Mount Desert Island and else where that offer guided sea kayak, sailing, and power boat tours.