7 Standout Main Streets In Maine
Across the United States, Main Streets are experiencing a renaissance of sorts, with repurposed historic buildings, redesigned green spaces, and lively local shops that are breathing new life into old neighborhoods. In Maine, these revitalized streets in towns like Belfast, Ellsworth, and Camden blend small-town charm with modern creativity, offering a range of experiences from cozy cafés, indie bookshops, and vintage stores to scenic walking trails that lead directly to picturesque waterfronts. So why not forget fancy road trips, pricey gas, and crowded tourist spots? Stay local and explore seven standout Main Streets in Maine.
Belfast
Main Street in Belfast is a walkable street that rolls downhill toward Penobscot Bay, where you’ll find the coastal town’s busy harbor. Grab your smartphone for photographs, and get a feel for the town’s layout by taking a walk. There are several walking trails to explore in town, like the 0.8-mile Belfast Harbor Walk, which crosses the scenic, pedestrian-friendly Armistice Footbridge over the Passagassawakeag River (the “Passy”) and connects downtown Belfast to the working waterfront and marina. The 2.2-mile Belfast Rail Trail follows the western bank of the river via a former railroad bed, perfect for walking, cycling, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. The trail is also wheelchair- and stroller-accessible.
The town is a designated Main Street America town, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving historic downtowns, such as Belfast, whose iconic red-brick buildings have been transformed into trendy cafés, co-ops, farmers markets, and indie bookstores like Left Bank Books and Anodyne Book Shop.
Kennebunkport
Kennebunkport is the quintessential postcard-perfect New England town. The town’s Main Street is centered around Dock Square, a lively area filled with local art galleries, souvenir shops offering the highly sought-after “Kennebunkport” pastel hoodie, penny candy stores, and seafood restaurants. Spend the morning indulging in retail therapy, some housed in the historic fishing shacks that have been transformed into colorful boutiques, such as Daytrip Society, which offers funky apparel and curated home items.
For lunch, stop in at local landmark, Alisson’s, a Kennebunkport tradition, whose menu features classic Maine lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and a rotating selection of 26 local craft beers. Discover one of the town's premier properties, White Columns of the Kennebunkport Historical Society, a Victorian-era home built in 1853, featuring original furnishings, maritime history, and a familiar tale of a family of once-prosperous shipbuilders who lost their fortune with the arrival of the railroad.
Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor’s Main Street is set against the backdrop of the spectacular granite peaks of the Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, where you can be the first to watch the sun rise from atop Cadillac Mountain with a golden turmeric latte and a New York City bagel from the Village Green Cafe in downtown Bar Harbor. If you want to stay closer to town, Agamont Park is a stunning urban park located where Main Street meets Frenchman Bay. People watch or check out the fancy yachts moving in and out of the harbor from the benches overlooking the waterfront.
Just a short walk from Main Street, visit St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church, a 19th-century stone church renowned for its ten stained-glass Tiffany windows. In addition to the famous panes designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the landmark also features 43 memorial windows by a diverse collection of artists from around the world, spanning over a century, and are among the best-preserved examples of Tiffany’s ecclesiastical art.
Damariscotta
Overlooking the scenic Damariscotta River, the eponymous town has one of the most photogenic Main Streets in the Pine Tree State. While the downtown core is compact, it’s full of charming local shops, cozy cafés, galleries, and over-the-top river views. Known as the “Oyster Capital of Maine,” you don’t need a reason to book a table at any one of the town’s oyster restaurants, like the farm-to-table River House restaurant right on the water. Order a plate of Damariscotta River Oysters to share and pair it with a briny Keel Haul cocktail.
Post oyster-slurping, wander down Main Street to discover the many independent shops, many of them selling Maine-made goods. Bookworms will enjoy popping into Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop, one of the oldest bookstores in the state, founded in Bar Harbor in 1886. Don’t miss Renys Department Store, an old-school department store that first opened in downtown Damariscotta in 1949, where you’ll find everything from Marshmallow Fluff to flannel blankets to lots of Renys merchandise.
Ellsworth
Known as a gateway to Acadia National Park, Ellsworth is another Main Street America town, whose Main Street is lined with family-owned shops, homey restos, and coffee shops housed in classic New England red brick buildings that give it a nostalgic small-town vibe. Before heading off to shop until you drop in this quirky small town, fuel up at the Airline Brewing Company right on Main Street. Enjoy a traditional pub experience, choosing from a menu of steak and ale pies, grilled cheese toasties, and jumbo sausage rolls, and wash it all down with an Irish stout.
Just off Ellsworth’s main drag, antique hunters, treasure seekers, and vintage collectors will love the Old Creamery Antique Mall, which proudly advertises “Old things arriving daily!” Another store you literally can’t miss in the small town is the 21,600-square-foot Big Chicken Barn, an antique and collectible book store, housed in a former poultry barn once used to raise thousands of chickens during the heyday of Maine poultry farming.
Camden
Called the “Jewel of the Coast,” Camden is a blend of classic New England seaside charm and beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces, complemented by nationally recognized landmarks. Main Street slopes toward the harbor, where design and architecture enthusiasts will discover the Camden Harbor Park and the Camden Public Library Amphitheater, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2013. While the park was designed by the sons of the architect who designed New York’s Central Park, the amphitheater was the creative brainchild of Fletcher Steele, often referred to as “the father of modern landscape design.”
Continue taking in the sights of Camden from a table at the Salt Wharf, a harborside dining room and rooftop bar where you can order sharing platters for the table, such as a mini lobster roll flight, crispy Brussels sprouts, and deviled eggs. Be sure to check out the house martinis during happy hour.
Brunswick
Home to Bowdoin College, one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges, Brunswick is a vibrant college town. It was founded in 1794 and boasts an impressive roster of graduates, including Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Brunswick’s aptly-named Maine Street is a bustling hub filled with restaurants, indie bookstores, and artsy spaces, such as the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, housed in a distinctive Beaux-Arts building. The museum is one of nine art museums on the Maine Art Museum Trail, featuring more than 20,000 objects in its permanent collection. It’s free to the public.
After exploring the college, wander down to the waterfront and enjoy the Androscoggin Brunswick-Topsham Riverwalk. This 1.30-mile-long walking loop, situated near the historic Androscoggin Swinging Bridge, offers scenic views of the water, surrounding trees, and the skyline. Back on Maine Street, be sure to hit up Frosty’s Donuts, a local institution that has been serving up hot coffee and glazed donuts since 1965.
From Belfast and Kennebunkport to the Acadia-adjacent beauty of Bar Harbor and Ellsworth, Maine’s Main Streets are brimming with small-town charm. In Damariscotta, river views and fresh oysters set the scene, while Camden introduces you to classic New England architecture and stunning landscape design. Brunswick combines a vibrant college-town energy with arts and culture, making Maine Street a lively hub for both locals and visitors. Whether you’re hunting for used books, sipping a local craft beer, or strolling along a pretty waterfront, these seven standout Main Streets invite you to explore the unique spirit of the Pine Tree State.
