Discover 10 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Castine (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dice Head Light, Wilson Museum, and Fort George. Also, be sure to include Maine Maritime Academy in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Castine (Maine).
Table of Contents
Dice Head Light
Lighthouse in Castine, Maine. Dice Head Light is a lighthouse in the town of Castine, Maine. First established in 1829, the light was deactivated in 1937 and replaced by a skeleton tower 475 feet to the south. When that structure was destroyed by a storm in 2007, however, the old light was reactivated in 2008.
The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to Castine Historic District.[1]
Address: 1 Battle Ave, Castine
Wilson Museum
Museum in Castine, Maine. The Wilson Museum is a museum in Castine, Maine, United States. It was founded using the collection of Dr John Howard Wilson, a geologist.[2]
Address: 120 Perkins Street, 04421 Castine
Fort George
Park in Castine, Maine. Fort George was a palisaded earthwork fort built in 1779 by Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War in Castine, Maine. Located at a high point on the Bagaduce Peninsula, the fort was built as part of an initiative by the British to establish a new colony called New Ireland. It was the principal site of the British defense during the Massachusetts-organized Penobscot Expedition, a disastrous attempt in July and August of 1779 to retake Castine in response to the British move. The British re-occupied Castine in the War of 1812 from September 1814 to April 1815, rebuilding Fort George and establishing smaller forts around it, again creating the New Ireland colony. The remains of the fort, now little more than its earthworks, are part of a state-owned and town-maintained park.[3]
Maine Maritime Academy
Public university in Castine, Maine. Maine Maritime Academy is a public college focused on maritime training and located in Castine, Maine. The academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Unlike federal service academies, a congressional recommendation is not required to attend this state school. Students are not obligated to go to sea or into the military after graduation, and a large portion of the graduating class chooses shore-side employment, often in maritime related fields or the power generation industry.
Maine Maritime Academy is one of six, non-federal, maritime training colleges in the United States and one of only two that fields a Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) unit. The college is affiliated under the New England Commission of Higher Education.[4]
Address: 1 Pleasant St, Castine
Bowdoin
The schooner Bowdoin was designed by William H. Hand, Jr. and built in 1921, in East Boothbay, Maine, at the Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard now known as Hodgdon Yachts. She is the only American schooner built specifically for Arctic exploration, and was designed under the direction of explorer Donald B. MacMillan. She has made 29 trips above the Arctic Circle in her life, three since she was acquired by the Maine Maritime Academy in 1988. She is currently owned by the Maine Maritime Academy, located in Castine, Maine, and is used for their sail training curriculum. She is named for Bowdoin College.[5]
Castine Yacht Club
Sailing, Marina
Address: Water Street, Castine
Pentagoet Archeological District
The Pentagoet Archeological District is a National Historic Landmark District located at the southern edge of the Bagaduce Peninsula in Castine, Maine. It is the site of Fort Pentagoet, a 17th-century fortified trading post established by fur traders of French Acadia. From 1635 to 1654 this site was a center of trade with the local Abenaki, and marked the effective western border of Acadia with New England. From 1654 to 1670 the site was under English control, after which it was returned to France by the Treaty of Breda. The fort was destroyed in 1674 by Dutch raiders. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1993. It is now a public park.[6]
John Perkins House
The John Perkins House is a historic house museum on the grounds of the Wilson Museum at 120 Perkins Street in Castine, Maine. Built in 1765 on Court Street, it is one of the oldest houses in Castine, and a well-preserved example of Georgian architecture; it was moved to its present location in 1968-69 and restored. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. It is open for tours on a limited basis during July and August; the Gallery located in the basement is open from May to September.[7]
TV State of Maine
TS State of Maine is the training ship of the Maine Maritime Academy.[8]
Address: Town dock, Castine
Cate House
The Cate or Adams House is a historic house at the northwest corner of Court and Pleasant streets in Castine, Maine. Built in 1815 during the height of the town's prosperity, it is a fine local example of a Federal period house. It was built for Thomas Adams, a local politician, and was for a time the residence of author Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[9]