Main Street Maine
Welcome to Main Street Maine, part of the National Maine Street Program that’s thriving in eleven of Maine’s historic downtowns: Biddeford, Saco, Westbrook, Brunswick, Bath, Rockland, Belfast, Gardiner, Augusta, Ellsworth and Skowhegan.
These Maine downtowns have a number of similarities. Charming 19th-century brick shopfronts, narrow, tree-lined streets and classic American architecture and that uncanny feeling of timelessness you just don’t feel anywhere else.
Let’s start in Belfast with the first thing you’ll need if you’re going to do some Main Street strolling. Shoes. And what better place to get a new pair of kicks than the oldest shoe store in America? That would be Colburn Shoe Store on the actual Main Street in Belfast, established in 1832. Or give your feet a rest onboard a traditional-style wooden boat in beautiful Belfast Bay and the Passagassawakeag River as you row with DoryWoman Rowing.
Continue exploring working waterfronts in Bath at the Maritime Museum and enjoy a river cruise where you can see the ships up close and personal. And for an exhilarating trip back in time, follow your compass north to Rockland where you can set sail with the historic fleet of two-masted Windjammers.
Ellsworth, the newest Main Street Maine Community, has a charming downtown area showcasing elegant 1920s-era brick architecture full of eclectic shops, inviting restaurants, and scenic views of the Union River.
In Skowhegan, you’ll want to come hungry. Make a beeline to The Bankery – an artisan bakery and cake shop that makes everything from scratch – inside a vintage bank building. One taste and it’ll steal your heart. The Bankery uses locally sourced grains from the perfectly named Maine Grains. As does nearby Miller’s Table Restaurant and the Bigelow Brewing Company. Some grains have all the luck.
The Kennebec River that passes through Skowhegan connects to three other of Maine’s Main Streets – Augusta, Gardiner and Bath. Think river walks like in Saco, summer concerts, picnics, bike trails and locally flavored events like the Swine and Stein in Gardiner.
It was the rushing rivers like the Kennebec that elevated the state into a leading textile producer. Today, the historic mills are churning again with creativity, new business and shopping. At Fort Andross Mill Complex in Brunswick, you can enjoy restaurants, antique shopping, and much more.
We can’t end our day on Main Street without experiencing one of Maine’s great historic theaters like The Strand Theater in Rockland, Johnson Hall in Gardiner, The Colonial in Belfast, The Grand Theatre in Ellsworth, Chocolate Church in Bath, City Theater in Biddeford, and the Strand Cinema in Skowhegan. And don’t miss the Saco Drive-In for a traditional summer night!
Businesses & Organizations
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