Recommended Activities

Want to make the most of your visit to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park? We’re here to help! Below is a list of our favorite Bar Harbor activities and ocean adventures to help you plan your stay.

For those seeking everything Acadia, we have an Acadia National Park travel guide to help you hike, bike, and kayak your way along Maine’s famous coastline.

Boat Tours

Acadian Nature Cruise

Enjoy the breathtaking scenery of coastal Maine with a fully narrated cruise of Frenchman Bay and the Bar Harbor shoreline. Our Acadian Nature Cruises leave daily from the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel in search of eagles, porpoises, seals, and other interesting marine mammals and birds. You’ll also see historic mansions and the Egg Rock lighthouse. The Acadian has a snack bar, restrooms, and a heated cabin, but be sure to bring a warm jacket so you don’t miss any of the sights.

Photo of Diver Ed Monet holding a giant lobster infront of his face.

Diver Ed’s Dive-In Theatre

Join Diver Ed on the Starfish Enterprise for a real-time exploration of the ocean floor. At the Dive-In Theater, you sit comfortably on deck while Diver Ed and his sidekick, Mini-Ed, dive down under, equipped with video and sound equipment to show you what goes on under the sea in real time. At the end of the dive, the intrepid Ed’s will return to the boat with amazing creatures that you can observe and touch before being safely returned to sea. You will be amazed by the colors, textures and variety of animal life beneath the waves. One of the most unique Bar Harbor activities available by far!

Downeast Windjammer Cruises

Take a Downeast Windjammer Cruise for a sail among the islands of Frenchman’s Bay aboard one of their historic schooner vessels. The harbor cruise is approximately 2 hours long, and meanders around the Porcupine Islands, providing beautiful scenery and incomparable views of Mount Desert Island from the water.

Lulu Lobster Boat Ride

Experience the life and work of the Maine lobsterman on a Lulu Lobster Boat Ride. Learn the life cycle of the Maine lobster and how they find their way into a lobster trap to the bait inside. Enjoy Captain John’s entertaining and informative style as he explains the industry behind Maine’s favorite crustacean. Did you know that lobsters smell with their leg hairs? Have you heard of lobster boxing? Take a tour on Lulu to find out more.

Museums

Abbe Museum

Native Americans have lived in Maine for more than 12,000 years. See their traditions in songs, stories, fine basketry and wood carving at the Abbe Museum in downtown Bar Harbor. Learn about the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Micmac, and Maliseet tribes, all of which still live in Maine today. The Abbe houses more than 50,000 objects spanning 10,000 years, including tools and potter excavated during the Abbe’s archaeological field research.

Historic Photo of downtown Bar Harbor Maine

Bar Harbor Historical Society

Time travel to Old Bar Harbor at the Bar Harbor Historical Society, where the history of the town and surrounding area are captured in memorabilia, maps, antique clothing, pictures, and displays.

Photo of a fox exhibit att the Dorr Museum, Bar Harbor Maine

Dorr Museum of Natural History

The George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History investigates, interprets and displays the natural world of Maine, with exhibits designed and produced by students at College of the Atlantic. The Museum is housed in the original headquarters of Acadia National Park, renovated and expanded to provide a unique site for exhibits, programs, and activities including a touch tank. The gift shop offers a wonderful selection of books, gifts, toys and jewelry for children and adults related to the natural sciences.