Everyone knows that Maine is strange, so why not check out ten of the weirdest places to go in Maine? We think yes. We’re all the way up here in the (almost) Great White North and some people think we talk funny. But, it gets even weirder than that. From a giant roadside fisherman to an entire cryptid museum in Maine, Vacationland has enough oddities to keep you busy once you get tired of all that coastline.

1. The Desert of Maine, Freeport:
Desert of Maine, Freeport, ME 04032, USA
Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr
This curiosity has been welcoming guests since 1925. Now offering a campsite, tours and various museums, it's worth the trip if only to take photos next to the giant camel. Note: Camels are not at all indigenous to the area. How did this place come to be? The land was farmed by the Tuttle family beginning in 1797, but one thing led to another and someone forgot to rotate the potato crops, then must have forgotten about the sheep who overgrazed the place. All of this led to soil erosion which revealed the glacial silt beneath that eventually took over the entire farm. Tuttle family, this is why you can't have nice things. Just kidding. Thanks for the cool desert.
2. The Umbrella Cover Museum, Peaks Island:
Umbrella Cover Museum, 62 Island Ave, Portland, ME 04108, USA
Dyana / Flickr
A huge thank you to Nancy Hoffman for curating not just this museum, but joy on Peaks Island. Hoffman's museum began when she realized that so many umbrella covers get tossed aside, but kept for no real reason. The museum is "dedicated to the appreciation of the mundane in everyday life. It is about finding wonder and beauty in the simplest of things, and about knowing that there is always a story behind the cover." Take the ferry from Portland to Peaks Island to check this out!
3. "Doc" Grant's Restaurant Sign, Rangeley:
Rangeley, ME, USA
Michelle Starin/Instagram
Rangeley is known for its lakes, ponds and waterfront camps, but it's also a mystical place that sits halfway between the equator and the North Pole. A quick 3,107 mile trip north or south will prove it.
4. Author Stephen King's House, Bangor:
47 W Broadway, Bangor, ME 04401, USA
Lawrence Whittemore/Flickr
With black bats on its forbidding wrought-iron fence, Stephen King's home looks a lot like you might expect. Take a picture outside, but don't expect anything more. It's closed to the public, because he's busy living in it. And probably doing scary things like writing books and making sandwiches.
5. Perry's Nut House, Belfast:
Perry's Nut House, 45 Searsport Ave, Belfast, ME 04915, USA
Boston Public Library / Flickr
Get ready for a roller coaster of emotion. Perry's Nut House in Maine was once known for its variety of taxidermy animals and outdoor painted animal sculptures. In 1997, many of these things were sold at auction making the place much less exciting. But then! In 2009 new owners began searching for and buying back the previously sold relics. Last I heard, Ape-Raham the gorilla was back in the store, but the old elephant was still at large. Check this place out on Route 1 heading to Bar Harbor.

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6. Rooftop Elephant, Belfast:
Colonial Theatre, 163 High St, Belfast, ME 04915, USA
Jimmy Emerson, DVM / Flickr
Remember the "at-large elephant" in #5? Surprise! He's actually just on the roof of the Colonial Theater in town. He was sold in 1997 and subsequent attempts to buy him back to return him to his former home at Perry's Nut House have failed. So, you'll have to visit him here. On this roof. For now.
7. Wild Blueberry Land, Columbia Falls:
Wild Blueberry Land, 1067 US-1, Columbia Falls, ME 04623, USA
Wild Blueberry Land/ Facebook
Despite the fact that it evokes images of small blueberry people twirling around within blueberry bushes, Wild Blueberry Land will satisfy most of your (other) blueberry desires. Since 2001, owners Dell and Marie Emerson have been catering to visitors looking for blueberry scones, ice cream, muffins and just about anything else that can house a blueberry. Check it out in the summertime, but call ahead in the fall to make sure they're open.
8. Big Jim the Fisherman, Prospect Harbor:
Prospect Harbor, Gouldsboro, ME, USA
Tim Rodenberg/Flickr
Big Jim has been watching over the good people of Prospect Harbor for the past 40 years. Originally built to promote the (now shuttered) Stinson Canning Company, he has undergone a few changes in the last few years. Most notably, Jim traded his "Beach Cliff Sardines" tin for a lobster trap in support of the lobster processing facility now housed in the former Stinson factory. The only other major change came in the 80s when he was rebuilt out of metal after his wooden pants blew off in an unfortunate storm. Hey, we've all been there.
9. International Cryptozoology Museum, Portland:
International Cryptozoology Museum, 32 Resurgam Pl, Portland, ME 04102, USA
Matt Lancashire/Flickr
The world's only museum exploring the study of hidden or unknown animals such as Yetis, Bigfoot, Lake Monsters, and Sea Serpents, as well as hundreds of other yet-to-be-found animals (cryptids) is located right here in Maine. Makes sense considering all the Sasquatch sightings reported here.
10. The Casco Bay Mailboat Tour, Portland:
Casco Bay Bridge, Portland, ME, USA
Casco Bay Lines/ Facebook
Not quite ready to jump into the weird world of Bigfoot or a giant fisherman in new pants? Ease into Maine's weird by taking a tour of Casco Bay aboard the boat that delivers mail and freight to the main islands in the bay - Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Long, Cliff and Chebeague. This tour lasts three hours and, we're told, is not as strange as it sounds.

Okay, what did we miss? Some of the best things about Maine are the secret places known only by locals living nearby. What’s the strangest thing to do in your part of the state? Let us know in the comments!

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More to Explore

Weirdest Places to Go in Maine

Tori Jane | June 15, 2022

What are some unique things to do in Maine?  

Maine is a unique place. There are a few unique things to do in Maine that you can’t really do anywhere else, like catching the first sunrise in the United States every day. You can’t get genuine lobster rolls anywhere else but here, and Maine lobster is famous for a reason. Acadia National Park and all its incredible wonder is ours - all ours - and our incredible beaches are second to none. Our coastline is outrageously unique and incredibly beautiful, and our lighthouses are the most-photographed lighthouses in the country. There are 57 lights active at the time of this writing, so you’ve got plenty to explore!  

Where are the weirdest places to go in Maine?  

Maine is, of course, nice and weird as long as you know where to look. Some of the weirdest places to go in Maine for the lovers of the curious include the International Cryptozoology Museum (which is as awesome – and eerie – as it sounds), the alleged grave of a witch in York, the McDonald’s in Freeport (trust us, just go), and all the filming sites for the old Stephen King film Pet Sematary. Oh, and you can also the Desert of Maine, which is exactly what it sounds like: a tiny slice of the desert, but here. In Maine.  

What are some fun, offbeat attractions in Maine? 

While in Maine, sure, you can do things like Acadia National Park and other super-popular stuff, or you could get a little weird and go off the beaten path. Personally, that’s what we love to do, and we’ve found some really unique things to do in Maine that shouldn’t be overly crowded. Check out some of the interestingly weird historical sites in Maine like the couch Abraham Lincoln’s Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, died (seriously), the graves of witches (maybe), and literally hidden gems like the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum. Check out the Seal Cove Auto Museum and learn about cars at one of the world’s best automotive museums.  

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