Directions: From the South To help you
make the most of your visit, this page will aid you in getting acquainted with our
region.
Other Local Museums and Cultural Attractions
Just across Maine Street from the Joshua Chamberlain Museum is Bowdoin College, home
of two notable
museum. The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is widely
regarded as having one of the best college art collections in America.
Highlights include Winslow Homer works and
memorabilia, works of 19th and 20th century American artists, and an
substantial collection of European and ancient art given by James
Bowdoin III. The Peary-Macmillan
Arctic Museum is named in honor of
explorers Admiral Robert Peary (Class of 1877) and Donald MacMillan
(Class of 1898). The museum houses artifacts, photographs and documents
relating to various arctic expeditions. It also contains a formidable
collection of stuffed walruses, polar bears and seals, making it our
staff's choice for a great place to take your kids. Free Campus tours
are also available from the admissions office. These worthwhile tours encompass many
of Bowdoin's historic buildings.
Other Summer attractions on the Bowdoin College campus include the Maine
State Music Theater, which presents professional musical theater during
the summer, and the Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, which brings
musicians from across the country and around the world, and
which presents weekly concerts during the summer at Bowdoin and
elsewhere in Brunswick. Just a short walk away is Brunswick's other
professional theatre company, the Theater project, located on School
Street. Presenting a wide range of professional, collaborative,
community and children's theater productions, this organization stages
productions year-round. Also downtown, within a short walk of the
Society are several art galleries, ten restaurants offering a variety of
cuisines, the innovative Eveningstar Cinema at the Tontine Mall, and a
range of shops.
Pejepscot is strategically located within a short drive of many of
the state's other museums and historic sites. Ten minutes to the
east is Bath and the astonishing Maine
Maritime Museum, a campus of
buildings on the Kennebec River devoted to Maine's ship-building and
maritime heritage. There's always something to do at the Maritime
Museum, from boat trips, to hands-on demonstrations, to award-winning
exhibits, to children's programs.
In Augusta, about half an hour's drive to the north, is the
Maine State Museum and the State Capitol Complex, which feature free
exhibits on maine's history, art and culture (Be sure to view the portrait of
Joshua L. Chamberlain as governor in the Maine State House). Certain
afternoons, one may also tour the Blaine House, home of 19th century
political legend James G. Blaine and now used as Maine's official
gubernatorial residence.
To our immediate south, about 10 minutes away, Freeport Historical
Society owns the untouched Pettengill Farm (great for a quiet walk) which presents a farm landscape as it might have looked in the 18th or early
19th centuries. It's out of the way, but worth the trouble to find, call
(207) 865-3170 for more information.
Portland, a half hour to our south, also offers an array of historic sites,
from the Victoria Mansion, to the
Center for Maine History (which includes the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House), to the Tate
House Museum, described as "the crown of the Maine mast trade".
Portland Harbor is well worth a visit, and serves as one
entry point to Casco Bay, the body of water south of Brunswick. Replete
with fortified islands and military history, the harbor is easily
visited through frequent (and inexpensive) ferry excursions run by Casco
Bay Lines, from Portland. Just offshore and reachable by frequent boats, is Peaks Island,
home of the 5th Maine Regiment Community Center, a Civil War Museum and Center of
events open during the summer. Before you go, however, be sure to call
207-766-3330 or 766-5514 to confirm hours at the center.
Maine is replete with attractions for the historical tourist, with
hundreds of museums, historical societies, historic landscapes, house
museums and historic sites, from Kittery to Madawaska. The
Maine Department of Tourism maintains a comprehensive list of museums in the state
. Their home page provides
excellent information on other Maine
recreation opportunities, as well, from beaches
to mountains to the ubiquitous moose.
Lodging in Brunswick
Follow route 295 past Freeport [LL Bean is just about a mile from the
highway], and take exit 28 at Brunswick, after the sign for "Bowdoin
College". Once off the highway, you will be on Pleasant Street. Pass
motels, gas stations, car dealerships and other businesses and at the third traffic light
keep right (where Route 1 bears left) and go straight up the hill. Pleasant Street will end at
Maine Street. Turn right, and you will be able to see us. The Society
headquarters and the Skolfield-Whittier House are located diagonally
across the street and across the green "Mall", just across from Dunkin Donuts. Parking is available
along Park Row near our building, and a few slots are available
behind.
To reach the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, continue up Maine Street,
toward the big gray First Parish Church, standing on the left side of the
street, at the top of the hill. The Chamberlain Museum is
located at 226 Maine Street, across from and just past the church
opposite the Bowdoin College campus on the corner of Potter Street.
Parking is available behind the Chamberlain Museum.
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Directions: From the North
Directions: From Down East
Finding A Place To Stay
Pejepscot Historical Society's museums are located within walking
distance of a number of cultural and historical attractions, and within
a few minutes' drive of several scenic beaches, state parks, and other
historical sites and museums. The greater Brunswick region offers more
cultural activity than nearly any other region in Maine: a recent
cultural survey showed nearly 600 artists and arts organizations active
in the immediate area. To explore these extensive cultural resources, check out the
Brunswick Area Cultural Directory
for listings of the people and organizations involved in local arts and culture.
Brunswick's central location makes it a
great place to stay, and it can serve admirably as a "hub"
for a Maine vacation.
A wide range ofaccommodations is available in the greater Brunswick area,
from historic Bed and Breakfasts within walking distance of the Society,
to oceanside inns in Harpswell and the nearby islands, to a range motels
and campgrounds. The Chamber of
Commerce of the Bath-Brunswick Region offers a complete list of
local accommodations, as well as free maps and information on
your vacation in the Bath-Brunswick area.
Driving Directions to Pejepscot
FROM THE SOUTH:
The Society is located about half an hour's drive east
of Portland, and about two and a half hours north of Boston. To get here
from the South, take the Maine Turnpike to route 295, pass through Portland and continue northeast.
Driving Directions to Pejepscot
FROM THE NORTH:
Leave Interstate 295 at the Topsham-Brunswick Exit 31 and
follow the signs for Brunswick. Crossing the Androscoggin River, you
will find yourself on Maine Street. The Society buildings are about six
blocks beyond the bridge, opposite Dunkin Donuts. The Chamberlain Museum
is further up the street, at #226, just beyond the First Parish
Church.
Driving Directions to Pejepscot
FROM DOWN EAST:
Exit Route One on the left after the downtown underpass
just past the Topsham Exit. This is Cushing Street. Follow Cushing
Street until it ends at Pleasant Street. Turn left. Follow Pleasant
Street until it ends at Maine Street, turn right. The Society buildings
are just across the Mall, opposite Dunkin Donuts. The Chamberlain Museum
is further up the street, at #226, just beyond the First Parish
Church.
159 Park Row
Brunswick, ME 04011
Phone: 207-729-6606
Fax: 207-729-6012
Site Maintained by The Pejepscot Historical Society
©1996-98 Pejepscot Historical Society
Please send comments to
Pejepscot Historical Society
pejepscot@suscom-maine.net
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