Boothbay Harbor: Harbor Cruises, Coastal Trails and History

A walking tour, harbor cruises, and trails through coastal and pastureland landscapes offer different perspectives on Boothbay Harbor. The time estimates range from about an hour to a three-hour lighthouse tour; there are also offerings about the history of the town and the wider region.

Harbor cruises and getting around downtown

Balmy Days Cruises offers the one-hour harbor cruise aboard the Novelty, the 1.5-hour sailing trip aboard the Friendship Sloop Bay Lady, and the three-hour lighthouse tour to Burnt Island. Ranked by duration, the harbor cruise takes the least time, the sailing trip falls in between, and the tour to Burnt Island is the longest. The three offerings also differ in the type of activity: a harbor cruise, sailing, and a lighthouse excursion each provide a different focus for your day. This lets you decide in advance how much time you want to set aside for a trip and which type suits you.

Four municipal parking lots are within walking distance of downtown shops, restaurants, and boat excursions. Parking rules and fees may change separately; check the latest information before you arrive.

Coastal and pastureland landscapes, trails in the region

Oak Point Farm offers trails through coastal and pastureland landscapes across 32 acres. The trail network connects two types of landscape within one area. In the wider Boothbay region, the Boothbay Region Land Trust offers free public nature preserves. Its hiking network includes more than 35 miles of coastal and woodland trails at 26 scenic locations. This means Oak Point Farm’s local coastal and pastureland setting is complemented by regional coastal and woodland trails. The different figures for acreage, trail mileage, and locations give you a concrete basis for comparing the scope and landscape types of these offerings.

History at the harbor and in the region

The historic Opera House at Boothbay Harbor dates from 1894. “Museum in the Streets” offers an approximately one-hour walking tour, with 24 information panels on both sides of the harbor. Its approximate duration can be compared with the one-hour harbor cruise, although the walking tour and boat trip are different activities. The historical perspective ranges from a local landmark to regional industries.

In the wider regional context, the Boothbay Region Historical Society Museum houses more than 15,000 images. Its exhibit rooms contain objects dating from precolonial times to the present; one focus is on local industries such as shipbuilding and fishing. Thus, two different ways of exploring history sit side by side: the approximately one-hour harbor walk with information panels and a regional collection spanning the period from precolonial times to today.

Discover more destinations: Boothbay, Wiscasset, South Bristol, Alna, Southport, Edgecomb, Waldoboro, Newagen

For the main travel overview: Lincoln.