Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Lewiston (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Lost Valley Ski Area, Bates College Museum of Art, and Androscoggin Bank Colisée. Also, be sure to include Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Lewiston (Maine).
Table of Contents
Lost Valley Ski Area
Ski area in Auburn, Maine. Lost Valley is a ski area in the northeastern United States, in Auburn, Maine. Its east-facing slopes feature 21 trails & 9 gladed trails across the hill, and is served by four lifts two chairlifts, one ground lift carpet & one tow lift in their snowtubing park. Lost Valley is home to the Maine Family Snow Tube Park.[1]
Address: 200 Lost Valley Rd, 04210-8598 Auburn
Bates College Museum of Art
Museum in Lewiston, Maine. The Bates College Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of, and maintained by, Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. It holds various mediums of arts that showcase Maine and the greater American area. The museum's collection offers an overview of modern and contemporary art. The Museum publishes numerous art collections, and art publications every year. The primary focuses of the main collections are works on paper, including modern and contemporary art including drawings, prints and photographs.
It is the largest museum of art in the city of Lewiston, Maine, followed by Museum L/A. In the 1930s, the college secured a private holding from the Museum of Modern Art of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night, for students participating in the 'Bates Plan'. It holds 5,000 pieces and objects of contemporary domestic and international art. The museum holds over 100 original artworks, photographs and sketches from Marsden Hartley. The MoA offers numerous lectures, artist symposiums, and workshops.
The entire space is split into three components, the larger Upper Gallery, smaller Lower Gallery, and the Synergy Gallery which is primarily used for student exhibits and research. Almost 20,000 visitors are attracted to the MoA annually. The museum opened on October 7, 1955, as the Treat Gallery by Norma Berger, the niece of Marsden Hartley. With the ushering of the Olin Arts Center on to the campus, the gallery was formed into the Museum of Art at Bates College in 1986. The scope was also increased to facilitate educational programming in sync to the scholarly pursuits of the college and with the Lewiston-Auburn community.
In 2005, the museum reorganized into four galleries: the Bates Gallery, Collection Gallery, the Underground Synergy Seminar space, and the 150 Art Reader Stairwell. As of 2010 the director of the museum is Dan Mills.[2]
Address: 75 Russell St, 04240 Lewiston
Androscoggin Bank Colisée
Arena in Lewiston, Maine. The Androscoggin Bank Colisée is a 4,000 capacity multi-purpose arena, in Lewiston, Maine, that opened in 1958. The Androscoggin Bank Colisée was built to replace St. Dominics Regional High School Arena, and initially constructed and operated by the Catholic parish of SS. Peter and Paul. Currently, it is the home of the Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League. The Colisee is also used for concerts, conventions and trade shows. There is 17,000 square feet of exhibit space. For conventions, the Colisee can accommodate up to 4,800 patrons.[3]
Address: 190 Birch St, 04240-6408 Lewiston
Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Church in Lewiston, Maine. The Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston, Maine, also known as Ss. Peter and Paul Church, is a church which is a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.[4]
Address: 122 Ash St, 04240 Lewiston
Auburn
City in Maine. Auburn is a city in south-central Maine within the United States. The city serves as the county seat of Androscoggin County. The population was 24,061 at the 2020 census. Auburn and its sister city Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston–Auburn.[5]
Museum L-A
Museum in Lewiston, Maine. The Museum L-A, with the full name of Museum L-A: The Story of Work and Community in Lewiston-Auburn, is located in the Bates Mill Historic District, in Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine.
The museum focuses on the local history of the Industrial Revolution, and the contributions and cultural heritage of its workers in the Lewiston-Auburn area of Maine.[6]
Address: 35 Canal St, 04240-7775 Lewiston
Lewiston City Hall
Building in Lewiston, Maine. Lewiston City Hall is located at 27 Pine Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1892, to a design by John Calvin Spofford, it is a distinctive regional example of Baroque Revival architecture. It is the city's second city hall, the first succumbing to fire in 1890. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[7]
Address: 27 Pine Street, Lewiston
Hathorn Hall
Building in Lewiston, Maine. Hathorn Hall is a historic academic building on the campus of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1857 to a design by Gridley J.F. Bryant, it was the college's first academic building following the move of the Maine State Seminary from Parsonsfield to Lewiston. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[8]
Address: 3 Andrews Road, Lewiston
Holy Cross Church
Church in Lewiston, Maine. Holy Cross Church is a church at 1080 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland.[9]
Address: 1080 Lisbon St, 04240 Lewiston
Agora Grand Event Center
Church in Lewiston, Maine. The Agora Grand Event Center is a large event venue in Lewiston, Maine and is also the second tallest building in the state.
The Agora Grand was created by renovating the former St. Patrick's Church, a Roman Catholic church whose cornerstone was laid on 24 July 1887 by the Right Reverend Bishop Healy and last Mass was held in October, 2009. At 220 feet to its taller spire, it is the second tallest building in Maine, based on the definition of "height to architectural top" by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. It was purchased in March, 2014, by developer Andrew Knight, who opened the Agora Grand in May, 2016. Knight's wedding was the first at the venue and he received an award from the Lewiston Historic Preservation Board for his work in reviving the building.
In 2014, Knight converted the former St. Patrick's Church Rectory, also known as the Albert Kelsey Mansion, into a boutique hotel. The former church contains a mortuary chapel and basement crypt in which the church's original builder and priest, Monsignor Thomas Wallace, was buried from 1906 to 2007, when his body was exhumed and moved to Mt. Hope Cemetery. In 2015, Knight converted the former crypt into a novelty annex of the Inn at the Agora, reportedly the world's first 'crypt hotel room.'[10]
Trinity Episcopal Church
Church building in Lewiston, Maine. Trinity Episcopal Church is an historic church building at 247 Bates Street in Lewiston, Maine. It is a modestly sized yet handsomely decorated Gothic Revival building, designed by C.C. Haight of New York City and completed in 1882. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[11]
Address: 247 Bates St, 04240-7331 Lewiston
St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Church building in Lewiston, Maine. St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a historic former church building at 257 Main Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built 1864–67, it was the first Roman Catholic church in the city, and is one of only two surviving buildings in the state designed by Patrick C. Keely. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The church closed in 2009, and was in 2013 threatened with demolition. Alternative uses for the structure are still being sought.[12]
Androscoggin County Courthouse and Jail
City courthouse in Auburn, Maine. The Androscoggin County Courthouse and Jail is located at 2 Turner Street in Auburn, Maine, the county seat of Androscoggin County. The original portion of the large brick Renaissance Revival complex was designed by Gridley James Fox Bryant and was built in 1857, with a sympathetic enlargement c. 1915-20. The jail was expanded in 1970 and 1990, and is now accessed via an entrance on Pleasant Street. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 for its architecture and its association with the history of Auburn and the county, particularly with respect to the contentious debate over the choice of county seat in the 1850s.[13]
Address: 40 Pleasant Street, Lewiston
Kora Temple
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Kora Temple is an historic Masonic building at 11 Sabattus Street in Lewiston, Maine. The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Shriners are a fraternal organization affiliated with Freemasonry and are known for their charitable works such as the Shriners Hospitals for Children which provide free medical care to children. The Kora Temple serves as a ceremonial space and clubhouse for the Shriners. The temple building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 for its distinctive Moorish-inspired architecture.[14]
Clough Meeting House
Historical landmark in Lewiston, Maine. The Clough Meeting House, also known as the Second Free Will Baptist Church, is a historic church at 32 South Lisbon Road in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1846 for a Free Will Baptist congregation, it is notable for its "reverse plan" layout, and its distinctive grain-painted interior. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[15]
Address: 32 S Lisbon Rd, 04240 Lewiston
Auburn Public Library
Public library in Auburn, Maine. Auburn Public Library is the public library of Auburn, Maine. It is located at 49 Spring Street.[16]
Address: 49 Spring St, 04210 Auburn
First National Bank
Commercial building in Lewiston, Maine. The First National Bank is a historic commercial building in Lewiston, Maine. Built about 1903 for the city's first chartered bank, it is a fine local example of French-inspired Classical Revival architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[17]
Address: 21 Lisbon St, 04240-7115 Lewiston
Savings Bank Block
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Savings Bank Block is an historic commercial building at 215 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1870, it is a fine local example of commercial Second Empire architecture, and is representative of the city's early development as an industrial center. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[18]
First Universalist Church
Church building in Auburn, Maine. The First Universalist Church is a historic church building on the corner of Pleasant, Elm, and Spring Streets in Auburn, Maine. It was built in 1876 to a design by John Stevens of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been a significant landmark in the city since its construction. It is a fine local example of Gothic Revival architecture executed in brick, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[19]
Free Baptist Church
Building in Auburn, Maine. The Free Baptist Church, also known as the Penley Corner Church is a historic church on Riverside Drive in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1833, the building's interior was extensively redecorated in the late 19th century with Queen Anne stained glass, stencilwork, and multicolored painting. Its primarily for the well-preserved interior artwork that this building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[20]
Stephens Observatory
Observatory in Lewiston, Maine. The Stephens Observatory is located atop the Carnegie Science Building at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. It houses a 12 in Newtonian reflecting telescope, built by Roscoe G. Stephens of Kennebunk, Maine, and donated to the College in 1929. It is used mainly as a teaching facility for upper-level astronomy classes. The observatory has a modern tracking system and electronic drive mechanism.[21]
Rollodrome
Game and entertainment center
Address: 12 Riverside Dr, 04210-6846 Auburn
Horatio G. Foss House
Heritage building in Auburn, Maine. The Horatio G. Foss House is an historic house at 19 Elm Street in Auburn, Maine within the Main Street Historic District. It was built in 1914 to a design by Gibbs & Pulsifer for Horatio G. Foss, owner of a major local shoe factory, and is also notable for its well-preserved Colonial Revival styling. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[22]
Address: 19 Elm Street, Lewiston
Roak Block
Building in Auburn, Maine. The Roak Block is an historic commercial-industrial building at 144-170 Main Street in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1871-72 as a combined commercial and industrial space, this Second Empire style block was at that time the largest commercial building in the entire state. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[23]
College Block-Lisbon Block
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The College Block/Lisbon Block is an historic commercial and civic building in Lewiston, Maine, United States. Built in 1855-56, it is the oldest surviving building in the city of the Franklin Company, the city's major early developer. The building has house many local civic groups, and served as Lewiston's town hall prior to its incorporation as a city in 1863. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[24]
Continental Mill Housing
Building. The Continental Mill Housing buildings are a pair of historic mill worker housing blocks at 66-82 Oxford Street in Lewiston, Maine. The Greek Revival/Italianate housing units were built in 1866, and are all that remain of a large number of similar buildings that once lined Oxford Street. These two buildings were listed the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[25]
Odd Fellows Block
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Odd Fellows Block is a historic commercial building at 182-190 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1876, it is an important early work of Lewiston architect George M. Coombs, then in partnership with William H. Stevens. It is a significant local example of commercial Victorian Gothic architecture, which typified Lewiston's downtown of the period. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[26]
Second Callahan Block
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Second Callahan Block is an historic commercial building at 282 Lisbon Street in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1909 to a design by Coombs & Gibbs, it was part of a major development by brothers Timothy and Eugene Callahan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Although initially developed as a commercial property, it is presently used as housing.[27]
Captain Holland House
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Captain Holland House is an historic house in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1872, this three-story brick building is a fine local example of the Second Empire style. It was built by Daniel Holland, one of the city's leading industrialists. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[28]
Lord Block
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The Lord Block is a historic commercial building in downtown Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1865, it is one of downtown Lewiston's oldest commercial buildings, and a reminder of the city's early commercial character. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[29]
Charles A. Jordan House
Historical place in Auburn, Maine. The Charles A. Jordan House is a historic house at 63 Academy Street in Auburn, Maine. Built c. 1880, it is one of the finest examples of Second Empire style in the state. Charles Jordan was a local master builder, who built this house as a residence and as a showcase of his work. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[30]
Holman Day House
Heritage building in Auburn, Maine. The Holman Day House is a historic house at 2 Goff Street in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1895, it is one of the state's finest examples of Queen Anne architecture, and is further notable as the home of Maine author Holman Day. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[31]
Charles L. Cushman House
Heritage building in Auburn, Maine. The Charles L. Cushman House is an historic house at 8 Cushman Place in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1889 for the son of a major local shoe manufacturer, it is unusual as an example of Queen Anne architecture executed in stone, and is one of the finest residential commissions of Lewiston architect George M. Coombs. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[32]
F.M. Jordan House
The F.M. Jordan House is a historic house at 18 Laurel Street in Auburn, Maine. Built in 1881, it is one of the finest examples of Second Empire style in the state. It was built by Charles Jordan, a local master builder and distant relative of Francis Jordan, for whom it was built. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It is now subdivided into apartments.[33]
First Callahan Building
Building in Lewiston, Maine. The First Callahan Building is an historic commercial and residential building at 276 Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine. Built in 1892 to a design by noted local architect George M. Coombs, the Renaissance Reviva brick building was part of a major development on the city's main commercial street by the Callahan brothers, owners of a local gentleman's furnishings store. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.[34]