Maine State Museum What's New

Maine State Museum's newest exhibit, At Home in Maine, now open

1940s summer kitchen featured in the At Home in Maine exhibit.

The museum's newest major exhibit, At Home in Maine, is open on the fourth floor. At Home in Maine features domestic artifacts from every corner of Maine, with over a thousand items from the museum's collection, many on exhibit for the first time. The stories of Mainers at home throughout history come alive amid dozens of historical photographs, colorful, imaginative displays and room settings depicting places where Maine families and friends gathered, worked, and lived.

"At the museum, we've presented Maine's work life, natural science, and pre-historic past," said Chief History Curator Laurie LaBar. "But this exhibit is the first time we've presented stories and objects telling how people have lived in the last couple hundred years in Maine.

Visitors explore a display of games in the At Home In Maine exhibit

It's important enough that we've dedicated much of the museum's fourth floor, over 5,600 square feet, to telling the story of home life in Maine."

At Home in Maine shows a cross-section of life from the 1800s to the 1960s. Through sights, sounds and interactive displays, visitors of all ages will discover the nearly-forgotten summer kitchen, hear traditional Maine music, watch home movies in the 60s era living room, glimpse treasured possessions, see housekeeping's evolving technology, appreciate indoor plumbing and learn about the many other, sometimes unique ways that home life in the past has shaped today's Maine.

"The evolving nature of this exhibit is certainly part of what makes it so special," Joseph R. Phillips, Director of the Maine State Museum. "Not only is it a celebration of our shared stories of home, but it is still developing and there will be much more to come."

Beginning July 1, 2009
The Maine State Museum is open Tuesday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM
Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM
Sunday and Monday - Closed

Closed all state holidays and state government closure days. In 2009, state government closure days are July 6, August 7, September 4, October 9, and December 24.

For more information, please call 207-287-2301 or TTY 888-557-6690 or check the museum website at: www.mainestatemuseum.org.