Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 53 BO O K O F L I S T S 2 0 21 H O S P I TA L I T Y / E N T E RTA I N M E N T Maine's most popular tourist attractions Ranked by 2019 attendance 2019 Attendance No. Employees No. Volunteers Description Top executive Year founded 1 Acadia National Park P.O. Box 177, Bar Harbor 04609 288-3338, nps.gov/acad 3,437,286 100 2,900 50,000 acres of the Acadia archipelago and Schoodic peninsula with historic carriage roads, hiking trails and motor roads along diverse natural habitats and glacially-sculpted mountains Kevin Schneider Michael Madell 1916 2 Funtown Splashtown USA 774 Portland Road, Saco 04072 284-5139, funtownsplashtownusa.com 500,000 600 0 Maine's largest amusement and water park Violet Cormier 1967 3 Sugarloaf Mountain Resort 5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley 04947 800-843-5623, sugarloaf.com 400,000 1,000 200 Home to the only lift-serviced above treeline skiing and riding in the East; a member of the Boyne Resorts family of resorts and attractions Karl Strand 1951 4 Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens 132 Botanical Gardens Drive, Boothbay 04537 633-8000, mainegardens.org 225,000 N/A 295 acres of tidal shore connects people, plants and nature through horticulture, education and research; cultivated gardens, woodland trails, education program and docent-led tours Gretchen Ostherr 1992 5 Portland Museum of Art 7 Congress Square, Portland 04101 775-6148, portlandmuseum.org 170,831 N/A More than 18,000 works of art, major exhibitions, esteemed guest speakers, free school tours, family activities, films, curator talks, tours of the Winslow Homer Studio Mark H.C. Bessire 1882 6 Fryeburg Fair 1154 Main Street, Fryeburg 04037 935-3268, fryeburgfair.org 161,476 650 25 Maine's largest agricultural fair, food, horse & oxen pulls, tractor & truck pulls, livestock competitions, Woodsmen's Field Day, midway, exhibits, Maine products. Rachel Andrews Damon 1851 7 Allagash Brewing Co. 50 Industrial Way, Portland 04103 878-5385, allagash.com 140,000 150 Award winning craft brewery Rob Tod 1995 8 Maine Wildlife Park 1 56 Game Farm Road, Gray 04039 657-4977, mainewildlifepark.com 125,000 4 200 Over 30 species of native Maine wildlife, nature trails, picnic and grilling areas, gardens, nature store, snack shack and adjacent fish hatchery Curt Johnson 1940 9 Songo River Queen II 841 Roosevelt Trail, Naples 04055 693-6861, songoriverqueen.net 119,000 12 0 Sightseeing / Cruise ship Kent Uicker 1971 10 Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine 142 Free St., Portland 04101 828-1234, kitetails.org 106,000 20 100 Children's museum & the oldest continuously operating children's theatre in the country 2 Julie Butcher Pezzino 1926 11 Fort Knox and Penobscot Narrows Observatory 740 Fort Knox Road, Prospect 04981 469-6553, FortKnoxMaine.com 100,371 25 125 Two-for-one admission fee attraction includes a preserved, Civil- war seacoast fort and observatory with elevator rides over 400 feet up for views of the Penobscot Bay region Dean Martin 2006 & 1923 12 Farnsworth Art Museum 16 Museum St., Rockland 04841 596-6457, farnsworthmuseum.org 71,784 54 18 Celebrates Maine's role in American art through a collection of 15,000 works, the Wyeth Center, Farnsworth Library and more Christopher Brownawell 1948 13 Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum 49 Thames Street, Portland 04101 828-0814, mainenarrowgauge.org 60,000 5 50 2 Foot Railroad operating historic train tours along Casco Bay in Portland Maine. Wes Heinz 1993 14 Maine Maritime Museum 243 Washington St., Bath 04530 443-1316, MaineMaritimeMuseum.org 55,000 25 250 Nonprofit promoting Maine's maritime heritage; gallery exhibits, children's activities, educational programs, research library, trolley tours, narrated lighthouse and nature cruises Amy Lent 1962 15 Maine State Museum 230 State St., Augusta 04333 287-2301, mainestatemuseum.org 43,634 25 46 Stories of human interactions with the natural environment over the past 12,000 years; premier repository of the state's natural, prehistoric and historical legacies Bernard Fishman 1836 3 16 Wells Reserve at Laudholm 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells 04090 646-1555, wellsreserve.org 40,000 15 400 The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is more than 2,000 acres of protected land on Maine's southwest coast. The reserve is open every day for the public to enjoy. Its trails and education programs attract locals and visitor from away who appreciate nature, science, and history. Paul Dest Nik Charov 1984 17 Acadian Boat Tours 47 West St., Bar Harbor 04609 801-2300, acadianboattours.com 23,000 20 0 Sightseeing boat tours including local sights along the shoreline as well as Puffin trips, Fishing tours and our Somes Somes Fjord trips. Also have private, 6 passenger trips available. Diane Smith 2000 18 DEW Haven 20,000 N/A N/A N/A 49 Thames Street, Portland 04101 828-0814, mainenarrowgauge.org 14 Maine Maritime Museum 243 Washington St., Bath 04530 443-1316, MaineMaritimeMuseum.org 55,000 25 250 Nonprofit promoting Maine's maritime heritage; gallery exhibits, children's activities, educational programs, research library, trolley tours, narrated lighthouse and nature cruises Amy Lent 1962 15 Maine State Museum 230 State St., Augusta 04333 287-2301, mainestatemuseum.org 43,634 25 46 Stories of human interactions with the natural environment over the past 12,000 years; premier repository of the state's natural, prehistoric and historical legacies Bernard Fishman 1836 3 16 Wells Reserve at Laudholm 342 Laudholm Farm Road, Wells 04090 646-1555, wellsreserve.org 40,000 15 400 The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is more than 2,000 acres of protected land on Maine's southwest coast. The reserve is open every day for the public to enjoy. Its trails and education programs attract locals and visitor from away who appreciate nature, science, and history. Paul Dest Nik Charov 1984 17 Acadian Boat Tours 47 West St., Bar Harbor 04609 801-2300, acadianboattours.com 23,000 20 0 Sightseeing boat tours including local sights along the shoreline as well as Puffin trips, Fishing tours and our Somes Somes Fjord trips. Also have private, 6 passenger trips available. Diane Smith 2000 18 DEW Haven 918 Pond Road, Mount Vernon 04352 293-2837, www.dewhaven.com 20,000 N/A N/A N/A 19 Merryspring Nature Center 30 Conway Road, Camden 04843 236-2239, merryspring.org 12,500 3 125 A non-profit, 66-acre nature park and education center in Camden and Rockport, Maine, with trails and gardens open to the public every day during daylight hours, free of charge. Toni Goodridge 1973 20 Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine 46 University Drive, Augusta 04330 621-3531, hhrcmaine.org 10,500 5 18 The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine is located at the Michael Klahr Center on the campus of the University of Maine at Augusta. The HHRC presents exhibits and educational programs for students, educators and community members. In addition, we host numerous meetings and outside programs during the year. There is no admission to view exhibits and most programs are free. Rentals are available and negotiated based on availability and requirements. Shenna Bellows 1985 1 2018 data 2 Moving to Thompson's Point and doubling in size, exhibits, and admissions in 2021 3 Originally founded as part of the State House, the museum, as known today, moved into the new Cultural Building in 1971. This list was compiled by Timothy Doyle and published in the July 27, 2020 Maine Fact Book. N/A: Not available. SOURCE: Each attraction via survey, visitmaine.com and Maine Office of Tourism. 1 2018 data 2 Moving to Thompson's Point and doubling in size, exhibits, and admissions in 2021 3 Originally founded as part of the State House, the museum, as known today, moved into the new Cultural Building in 1971. This list was compiled by Timothy Doyle and published in the July 27, 2020 Mainebiz Fact Book. N O T E S : N/A: Not available. S O U R C E : Each attraction via survey, visitmaine.com and Maine Office of Tourism. THE POWER OF GOOD We may not know what's next, but when we work together, we'll get through. goodwillnne.org Our strength is in our communities.

• Cover