How to Spend 24 Hours In Bangor
If you have an hour or two…
Anytime of year
■ Tour Downtown Bangor’s unique retail shops and businesses.
■ Meet Abraham Lincoln’s Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, on the Kenduskeag Promenade between Central and State Streets, or admire the 31-foot statue of legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan, directly in front of the Cross Insurance Center on Main Street.
■ Visit the rotating art exhibits at the University of Maine Museum of Art.
■ Browse through thousands upon thousands of books at the Bangor Public Library.
■ Discover Bangor’s history at the Bangor Historical Society.
■ Learn and laugh with your children at Maine’s largest children’s museum, the Maine Discovery Museum.
■ Try your luck at Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway; slot machines, table games, and off-track betting.
Photo By Meredith Perdue
Spring, Summer, & Fall
■ Stroll through Cole Land Transportation’s amazing collection of hundreds of antique cars, planes, and all things transportation.
■ Walk the boardwalk through a National Natural Landmark at the Orono Bog Walk, or hike the trails at Bangor City Forest.
■ Discover the site where part of the movie Pet Sematary was filmed in Mount Hope Cemetery, and try to find the legendary gangster Al Brady’s tombstone while you’re there.
■ Grab some real Maine lobster and enjoy a picnic on the scenic Bangor waterfront.
Photo By Meredith Perdue
If you have three or more hours…
Anytime of year
■ Take in a show at any of the local area performing arts venues: Penobscot Theatre, Gracie Theatre, Cross Insurance Center, Collins Center for the Arts, and other local venues.
■ Is there snow on the ground? Then head over to Hermon Mountain for some downhill skiing or tubing with the family.
■ Indulge in some shopping at the Bangor Mall or in Downtown Bangor.
■ Take a trek through Hirundo Wildlife Refuge. You can rent kayaks and canoes in the summer and take in the scenery on your cross-country skis and snowshoes in the winter.
Spring, Summer, & Fall
■ Play 27 holes of golf in the middle of the Queen city at the Bangor Municipal Golf Course.
■ Experience history through one of the best-preserved fortifications on the New England seacoast at Fort Knox. While you’re there, ascend to one of three observation decks at the tallest bridge observatory in the world, the Penobscot Narrows Observatory.
■ Grab tickets to an outdoor concert at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion.
Photo By Monty Rand
If you have a day or more…
Anytime of year
■ Ride through many of Maine’s trails and forest on an ATV or snowmobile; bring your own or rent.
■ Explore the history of the sea with a visit to many of Maine’s lighthouses. They are beautiful even in the snow!
■ Enjoy annual celebrations and events throughout the region, including Bangor’s Penobscot River Festival, Central Maine Egg Festival, Moose Mainea, Appalachian Trail’s End Festival, Bangor Car Show, Whoopie Pie Festival, and many more!
Spring, Summer, & Fall
■ Gear up for a Class IV ride down the Dead River while whitewater rafting.
■ Backpack up Maine’s highest peak (5,267 feet), Mount Katahdin.
■ Sail the Atlantic on a whale and wildlife watching tour.
■ Get a bird’s-eye view of Acadia National Park with Scenic Flights of Acadia.
Photo By Northeast Whitewater