What to do and see in Maine, United States: The Best Gardens

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a natural wonder on nearly 300 acres of shorefront in mid-coast Maine. Strolling through spectacular ornamental gardens and traversing miles of waterfront and woodland trails, visitors are delighted by the beautiful plantings, impressive stonework, waterfalls and fountains, and scenic views. It's no wonder the Gardens have been hailed as one of Maine's top three attractions. The Gardens are open 9-5 April 15 - October 12. There is a cafe and gift shop on site. A visit at any time is a memorable experience.

With over 20 miles of trails, 8000+ acres of conserved land and 4 boat launches, there is much to see and do. Come and enjoy our land any time of year.

Herring Gut Learning Center is a non-profit marine education center overlooking a working harbor in the small fishing village of Port Clyde, Maine. We use the abundant coastal resources surrounding our campus to present aquaculture and marine science programs. Stop in for a tour today!

Reservations are required to visit this garden. The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden in Seal Harbor, Maine was created between 1926 and 1930 by Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and noted garden designer Beatrix Farrand. Set within acres of moss-carpeted woods, the garden is designed to be at floral peak in August. Its unique atmosphere is derived from a combination of Eastern statuary with a border garden in which perennials build the foundation of the flower beds and annuals provide an explosion of color.

A botanical garden and 20 acres of land in front of the State House.

Writer Sarah Orne Jewett, author of THE COUNTRY OF THE POINTED FIRS, spent much of her life in this stately Georgian residence, owned by her family since 1819. Jewett drew on the house for inspiration for her novel DEEPHAVEN and often wrote at the desk in the upper hall overlooking the active town center.Jewett and her older sister Mary inherited the house in 1887. Decorating the house for their own use, the sisters expressed both a pride in their family's past and their own independent, sophisticated tastes. The result is an eclectic blend of eighteenth-century architecture, antiques, and old wallpapers with furnishings showing the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Shipping merchant Jonathan Hamilton built this striking Georgian mansion c. 1785. Its picturesque situation on a bluff overlooking the Salmon Falls River made it an ideal location for Hamilton’s shipping business and, more than a hundred years later, for the summer retreat of Emily Tyson and her stepdaughter Elise.Today, Hamilton House reflects the occupancy of the Tysons in the early twentieth century and is recognized as one of the region's quintessential Colonial Revival-style country estates. The house features two whimsical murals commissioned by the women as well as antique furnishings and handcrafted decorative arts they collected. The elaborate perennial garden, with its charming garden cottage, provides visitors with a place to stroll and picnic overlooking the river. Please visit nearby Jackson House, Governor John Langdon House, Rundlet-May House, Sarah Orne Jewett House, and the Sayward-Wheeler House.

The Asticou Azalea Garden shows some resemblance to a Japanese stroll garden but one that was designed for a coastal Maine setting. The garden is meant to inspire serenity and reflection and creates an illusion of space – of lakes and mountains and distant horizons. The garden is open seven days per week during daylight hours from May through October.