9 Best Downtowns In Maine

Maine is home to signature New England downtowns you won't find anywhere in the country, from repurposed 19th-century mill blocks with riverfront footpaths to sidewalks with clear views of lobster boats on a working waterfront. Biddeford makes an easy weekend base with the restored City Theater inside the old 1890s Opera House and the Biddeford Mills Museum steps from the Saco RiverWalk Trail. Saco delivers its own compact getaway with a half-mile Historic Walking Tour that begins at the red-brick Dyer Library. Belfast rounds out a coastal downtown day with the Belfast Harbor Walk and the granite Belfast Armistice footbridge. These picks are the 9 Best Downtowns in Maine for building a full trip around one walkable, story-packed core!

Biddeford

Starting in the southern part of Maine, the NRHP Biddeford Main Street Historic District actively preserves its milling roots. The Biddeford Historical Society also celebrates the town’s Franco-American influence with the bilingual Museum in the Streets walking tour. The map includes 30 historically significant buildings listed in both French and English. This includes the fully restored 1890s Opera House, City Theater, which currently produces five community theater productions per year.

For other extracurricular activities, the Biddeford Mills Museum on Main Street offers an hour-and-a-half tour for $25 for adults and $5 for children, and the 1.5-mile Saco RiverWalk Trail runs right next to the museum.

Visitors can hop off the trail on Factory Island for lunch or dinner at the well-reviewed Run of the Mill Public House and Brewery. Housed in the renovated York Manufacturing Mill No. 3 building, their menu features a taste of Biddeford through locally sourced ingredients and outdoor seating available with a view of the Saco River waterfront.

Saco

Across the Saco River from Biddeford lies the NRHP Saco Historic District on Main Street. The RiverWalk Trail stretches from Biddeford into Saco, offering an interactive tour and a viewpoint of the Cataract Dam.

Saco also offers its own Historic Walking Tour, featuring 27 historic places along Main Street. The walking tour is a .5-mile stroll through the old town, beginning at the historic red-brick, Colonial Revival Dyer Library and Saco Museum. The museum began simply, with curiosities brought in by members to amuse others, and now there are displays of thousands of local artifacts encompassing history, science, and the arts.

Brunswick

In the midcoastal region of Maine, Brunswick feels like a museum haven. The Pejepscot Historical Society manages two house museums, the Pejepscot Museum and the Skolfield-Whittier House, located less than a block from Maine Street. The Pejepscot Museum is free and open year-round while the Skolfield-Whittier House is $15 for adults and $10 for children and only open from Memorial Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The Pejepscot Museum rotates two different exhibits each year, while the Skolfield-Whittier House preserves artifacts with a glimpse into the 19th-century upper-middle-class lifestyle of Maine.

Just on the outskirts of Brunswick’s downtown area, Bowdoin College celebrates the National Historic Landmark, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. Harriet’s Writing Room is open to the public on Fridays and by appointment.

Lastly, the Pejepscot History Center also extensively restored the historic home of one of Bowdoin College’s presidents, Joshua Chamberlain. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children and the museum operates from Memorial Day until Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Bath

Within the boundary of the NRHP Bath Historic District, the historic Maine’s First Ship replicates the pinnacle Virginia, the first English ocean-going ship built in the Americas, which inspired 400 years of shipbuilding near the town on the Kennebec River. In season, the local visitor center offers both sailing and deck tours on the reconstructed ship.

Embark Maine Tours also offers five of its own walking tours starting at $25, including the flagship downtown tour, historic neighborhoods, or a boat-and-walking tour combo.

For those on a budget, Bath’s downtown area also offers two self-guided tour brochures: Historic Architecture and Historical Highlights of downtown Bath’s 19th-century brick facades. While working up an appetite and window-shopping the visually appealing storefronts, visitors pop into the top-rated Fountain Ice Cream and Deli for old-fashioned refreshments.

Ellsworth

Just around the corner from Ellsworth’s historic Main Street, behind the Ellsworth Public Library, the Riverwalk runs along the Union River and concludes with a relaxing overlook of the riverfront. Only a couple of blocks from the river, the NRHP-listed Grand Art Deco theater downtown showcases live performances. Perhaps before attending a performance, visitors enjoy an adult beverage in either well-reviewed Black Moon Public House or Provender Kitchen and Bar, both of which provide delicious food or cocktail options in a welcoming setting.

Just half a mile further from the downtown area, the NRHP seasonal Black House Museum at Woodlawn displays three generations of the Black family’s furniture, portraits, books, silver, china, and glassware. Even when the museum is not open for the season, visitors can explore the grounds on the 180-acre estate for a taste of 19th-century living in this part of Maine.

Belfast

Belfast's picturesque waterfront is one of the many highlights of this historic city. The Belfast Harbor Walk extends along Penobscot Bay, where visitors can take in sweeping views of sailboats, lobster boats, and the working waterfront. Nearby, the 19th-century brick and Italianate buildings of Main Street house bookstores, galleries, and other locally owned shops, keeping Belfast's culture alive and well. The seasonal Belfast Museum is located inside the city's Historic District and is a starting point for the Museum in the Streets guided walking tour.

While perusing the area, don't forget to see the Belfast Armistice footbridge that crosses over the Passagassawakeag River. This stone bridge dates back to 1921 and connects East and West Belfast. But before or after all that walking, visitors may feel inspired to upgrade their footwear at the oldest shoe store in America, the highly rated Colburn Shoe Store, established in 1832.

Gardiner

Inland in the state of Maine, the NRHP Gardiner Historic District on Water Street is another beautiful place to take in your surroundings. The Downtown Gardiner History Tour is interactive with informative panels connected by blue sturgeon fish painted on the ground. The Tilbury Town Walking Tour is more ambitious as it takes walkers to the houses in Gardiner’s historic neighborhood. It features the landmark Robinson House, where the local poet Edwin Arlington Robinson both lived and composed poetry.

The Kennebec River Rail Trail runs parallel to the existing railroad and the river from Gardiner to Augusta. It’s also a segment of the East Coast Greenway trail from Florida to Canada.

Augusta

Museum in the Streets connects at least two of Augusta’s NRHPs, the Water Street and Winthrop Street Historic Districts. The walkable tour features three bilingual walks, each with 10 to 30 informative panels.

On Water Street, the Colonial Theater exemplifies a major restoration project. The theater opened its doors in 1913 and was closed by 1969. It was acquired in the 1990s when concerned citizens stepped up to protect it from demolition. Today, its 1913 heritage can still be seen inside, and it functions as the last-standing theater in downtown Augusta. While visiting, consider catching a performance or touring the historic theatre before continuing on to a meal in downtown.

Augusta also has two museums: the Maine State Museum (reopening on October 24, 2026), located in the NRHP Capitol Complex Historic District, and the Old Fort Western Museum, located just across the river from downtown.

Skowhegan

Located in the NRHP Skowhegan Historic District, the Bernard Langlais Indian sculpture honors the region's Indigenous people. It stands out from the other 21 pieces on the public Langlais Art Trail, found throughout the historic area, due to its incredible height of 62 feet, set atop a 20-foot base.

Both the restored historic venue Spotlight Cinemas at the Strand and Main Grains are located in Skowhegan's historic downtown. Maine Grains hosts tours of the gristmill now housed in the historic former Somerset County Jail building.

Upstream from Skowhegan Falls, the seasonally operated Skowhegan History House was originally built in 1839. After it was purchased by writer Louise Helen Coburn, she added the museum room and collected Skowhegan memorabilia, creating a slice of life from the mid-1800s that was opened to the public.

Amazing Maine Downtowns

These 9 downtowns in Maine stand out above the rest due to their history, accessibility and simple beauty. In southern Maine, Biddeford and Saco’s historic districts celebrate their street-walking tours and their shared riverwalk. In Midcoast Maine, Brunswick, Bath, Ellsworth, and Belfast are home to historical landmarks you won't find anywhere else. And in inland Maine, the historic districts of Gardiner, Augusta, and Skowhegan also offer walking tours and culturally significant art to admire. These historic downtowns offer visitors of all ages an incredible array of cultural and historical experiences.