10 Tourist Traps In Maine That People Can’t Wait To Visit
A candy shop in Maine has a chocolate moose that weighs 1,700 pounds. It’s the phrase life-size that gets me.
Somebody looked at a real moose and decided the chocolate version should not cut any corners.
There’s quite a bit packed into that description. It means a confection big enough to need a name, and yes, it has one.
Elsewhere in the state, a retail store keeps its doors open 24 hours a day, and a rotating globe fills three stories inside an office building.
Call them tourist traps if you like. I like how happily people stroll straight into them, cameras out and snack budget forgotten.
Which one of these friendly little traps would catch you first?
1. Perry’s Nut House
Any store that puts the word nut right in its name is being refreshingly honest with you.
Perry’s Nut House leans into that honesty with shelves of roasted nuts, handmade fudge, and oddball souvenirs.
What makes it more than a candy stop is the collection of roadside curiosities. Look for the giant stuffed gorilla known as Ape-raham, trick mirrors, unusual displays, and playful gifts designed to make you grin.
Old-fashioned sweets sit beside practical treats, so a simple snack run can become a small exploration.
The shop occupies 45 Searsport Avenue in Belfast, directly along Route 1. Its mix of memorabilia and confectionery makes a natural addition to a coastal drive.
The family-friendly rooms feel closer to a classic American roadside attraction than an ordinary convenience stop.
Nuts and fudge are the edible specialties, while novelty items and locally inspired keepsakes fill the gift shelves. The variety is half the fun.
Give yourself a little time to explore corners beyond the main candy display instead of heading straight back to the car.
In the cooler months, doors open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; May through August generally brings longer hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There’s a parking area, making a quick detour uncomplicated.
Belfast’s waterfront is nearby if you’d like to stretch your legs afterward. Just remember: the gorilla isn’t coming home with you.
2. Len Libby Candies
Most candy shops display chocolate in a glass case, while this one displays a chocolate moose. His name is Lenny, he’s life-size, and he weighs 1,700 pounds.
He was sculpted right inside Len Libby Candies in approximately four weeks and unveiled on July 1, 1997.
Lenny stands in an elaborate display with a pond made from white chocolate tinted blue.
Nearby are chocolate black bears, including a mother and two cubs. It’s a surprisingly elaborate wildlife scene for a confectionery showroom.
The attraction is strictly for looking, but the shop offers plenty of handmade sweets that you can actually enjoy.
Chocolates, caramels, and other confections share the counters, and small chocolate moose treats let you carry home a more manageable version of the famous resident.
The family business began in 1926, well before Lenny arrived, and still makes small-batch candies. Find the showroom at 419 US Route 1, Scarborough. Its location makes an easy detour during a southern coastal drive.
The shop opens Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closes Sundays. Set aside a few minutes for photographs and a careful browse.
The unusual attraction has a simple appeal: you came to see an enormous moose, but the candy counter makes leaving surprisingly difficult. Remember to enjoy your own chocolate, not Lenny’s. His impressive sculpture is meant to last.
3. International Cryptozoology Museum
Bangor has a museum for creatures that may or may not exist, and honestly, that’s a bold business plan.
The International Cryptozoology Museum explores Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, mermaids, and plenty more.
The museum moved to a new Bangor home in June 2026, after years in Portland.
Its current building, at 490 Broadway, Bangor, is a distinctive Streamline Moderne property where models, unusual objects, folklore, and scientific questions share exhibition space.
Cryptozoology examines reports of animals whose existence hasn’t been established. That gives the exhibits a playful but curious edge.
You’ll encounter material connected with Sasquatch, other legendary creatures, and the cultural stories that keep people searching. It’s a place to ask questions rather than assume every mysterious sighting has a simple answer.
Founded in 2003, the museum maintains thousands of artifacts and collectibles. The CryptoStore adds books and quirky souvenirs for anyone who wants to take a little mystery home.
Visitors of different ages can enjoy a short outing, though enthusiastic readers may spend longer exploring the explanatory displays.
Seasonal hours change. During November and December, the museum generally opens daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; January through March follows a shorter Friday-through-Monday schedule.
Parking is available behind the building and along Earle Avenue. Give the displays time. Sometimes the strangest objects spark the most interesting conversations.
4. Portland Head Light
George Washington commissioned this lighthouse in 1790, and it still works today. Not many things from the 1700s can say they’re still on the job.
Portland Head Light first shone in January 1791. It’s the oldest lighthouse in Maine, standing above the rocky entrance to Casco Bay in Cape Elizabeth.
White masonry, a dark lantern, and waves rolling across the ledges give it an unmistakable coastal silhouette.
The surrounding Fort Williams Park is an attraction in its own right. Walk the paths for different views of the tower, spread out a picnic, or explore historic military structures and open lawns.
The grounds welcome visitors year-round from sunrise to sunset. Inside the former keepers’ house, a seasonal museum tells the lighthouse story through models, navigation equipment, lenses, photographs, and historical objects.
The museum typically opens daily from Memorial Day through Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The tower itself is not part of ordinary visits, with public access generally limited to a designated lighthouse event.
Your destination is 1000 Shore Road, Cape Elizabeth. Parking in several main lots requires payment, although the overflow area is free. Arrive with time to walk beyond the most familiar viewing spot.
Different angles reveal how the lighthouse sits against the ocean, and the crashing surf adds its own soundtrack. The best part doesn’t require climbing a single stair.
5. L.L.Bean Flagship
Need hiking socks at 3 a.m.? Freeport has you covered, because this store never closes.
L.L.Bean’s flagship is back to shopping around the clock after a major renovation completed in September 2026.
The new layout brings a two-tier trout pond, a larger stream tank, and an updated children’s area into an already enormous outdoor store.
There’s even a redesigned café for taking a break between footwear, camping equipment, outerwear, and travel accessories. The giant Bean Boot outside remains an irresistible photograph stop.
The company’s roots stretch back to 1912, when its founder began selling practical hunting footwear.
The Freeport store grew into a Maine landmark for people who love outdoor gear, even if their biggest adventure that day is choosing a flannel shirt. There is plenty to browse, even without a shopping list.
Head for 95 Main Street, Freeport. The flagship resumed 24-hour, seven-day service following its reopening. Other shops on the campus may follow different schedules, so don’t assume every counter is staffed in the middle of the night.
The renovations also brought a more open entrance and clearer connections between departments. Look down into the trout pond from an upper level, then explore the shelves at whatever pace suits you.
Midnight browsing is unusual, but it’s absolutely possible here. This is one shopping detour where checking the clock is almost unnecessary.
6. Nubble Lighthouse
The best seat for this lighthouse is across the water, because the light itself sits on its own little island.
Nubble Lighthouse, also called Cape Neddick Light, rewards you from the shore at Sohier Park.
The picturesque tower was first illuminated in 1879. Its white keeper’s house, red-roofed outbuildings, and rocky island form the kind of view that seems designed for postcards.
There’s no public bridge or tour of the island, so the experience happens from the nearby mainland.
Sohier Park makes that easy, with benches, grassy areas for picnics, and viewpoints across the narrow channel.
The entrance sits at 11 Sohier Park Road, York Beach. A parking area is available without charge, and a small welcome center includes seasonal restrooms and a gift shop.
The park is maintained by the town, and proceeds from the gift shop help care for the property and lighthouse.
Restrooms and the shop generally operate from early May into mid-October, while the outdoor views remain available beyond their seasonal hours.
Bring a camera, but save time to simply watch the waves wash around the island. Soft morning light and glowing evening skies give the same scene different moods.
Nearby York beaches add another reason to explore the coast. Keep to safe viewing areas rather than venturing onto wet rocks for the perfect angle.
7. Old Orchard Pier
Quiet tide pools are lovely, but sometimes a vacation just wants arcade games and fried snacks.
Old Orchard Pier proudly answers that call, with a classic seaside atmosphere beside a wide sandy beach.
The present pier extends roughly 600 feet into the Atlantic, creating an elevated place to look back toward the shoreline.
Food counters, seasonal businesses, and entertainment bring the area to life during warmer months. It’s part of a classic Maine summer scene rather than a year-round shopping center.
The address is 2 Old Orchard Street, Old Orchard Beach. From the pier, you can explore the nearby beachfront amusement park, Palace Playland, or head toward the arcades and snack shops along Old Orchard Street.
The rides generally operate from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, while the arcade follows a longer but still seasonal calendar.
The pier itself has a history of rebuilding and change following storms and other challenges. Its current version is shorter than the long wooden structure that once projected farther into the water, but the ocean views still make the walk worthwhile.
As of November 2026, the pier’s main dining and entertainment business is temporarily closed for the season.
Plan the full boardwalk experience for the warmer months rather than expecting open stalls on a winter visit. Summer evenings combine sand, lights, and plenty of familiar vacation treats.
8. Paul Bunyan Statue
Bangor clearly decided that a regular-sized lumberjack just wouldn’t do. On Main Street, a huge, lifelike Paul Bunyan towers over a small park, axe and all.
The fiberglass figure stands 31 feet tall, rising to approximately 37 feet with its base.
His red-and-black shirt, sturdy boots, and oversized tools give the legendary woodsman a cheerful, larger-than-life presence. The statue was unveiled in 1959 as part of Bangor’s 125th anniversary celebration.
Bangor once played a major role in the timber industry, so a lumberjack hero was an especially fitting choice.
The city’s lumber trade helped shape the local economy during the nineteenth century, long before this giant became a roadside photo favorite.
There’s a time capsule sealed into the statue’s base, intended to be opened in 2084 for the city’s 250th anniversary. That’s a remarkably long wait for a souvenir from the past.
Find the figure at 519 Main Street, Bangor. It’s outdoors, with no admission desk or fixed visiting hours. Street parking and nearby lots make a short stop straightforward.
Step back far enough to fit the whole figure into your photograph, then read the nearby historical information.
This isn’t a place requiring an afternoon, but it’s a fun way to meet a bit of local folklore. Bangor doesn’t need to act small when its mascot stands this tall.
9. Eartha Globe
Most office lobbies offer a potted plant and a couch. In Yarmouth, the lobby holds the world’s largest rotating globe.
Eartha measures about 41 feet across and fills a three-story glass atrium. Created by the mapping company DeLorme, it began rotating in 1998 and later received recognition from Guinness World Records.
The slow movement shows Earth turning at an angle, with countries and oceans sweeping through the open space above you.
You can view the enormous globe from different levels of the building, making it easy to appreciate the scale. Every continent looks familiar, but seeing the planet rendered this large gives geography an unexpected sense of drama.
It’s an excellent stop for children learning about the world, or adults who simply enjoy unusual engineering.
The building is now associated with Garmin. Find it at 2 DeLorme Drive, Yarmouth, close to Interstate 295. Public visiting hours are generally Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with weekends closed.
Admission is free. A café operates in the lobby, although its service hours may differ from the globe’s visiting schedule. The atrium is visible through large windows after dark, but indoor access remains a weekday activity.
Allow enough time to watch Eartha turn, perhaps waiting for your home region to come back into view. It makes a memorable geography lesson without a textbook.
10. Maine Diner And Gift Shop
Lobster pie for lunch sounds like something you’d only dream about on a long drive. At the Maine Diner and Gift Shop in Wells, it’s right there on the menu.
The signature dish brings pieces of lobster together beneath a buttery crumb topping, baked until the surface turns golden.
Seafood chowder is another longstanding specialty, with a rich combination of local seafood.
Breakfast offers blueberry pancakes, eggs, and familiar diner classics, while codfish cakes and traditional lunch plates broaden the choices.
The diner has operated under its present name since 1983, when a family took over the restaurant and built it into a Route 1 destination.
Its dining room still favors the straightforward atmosphere of an American roadside diner, with comfort food arriving at busy tables and a gift shop next door.
You’ll find it at 2265 Post Road, Wells. Current fall hours are Thursday through Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with Wednesday closed. Breakfast and lunch are the focus, so an evening arrival won’t work.
There’s no need to plan an elaborate multi-course meal. Order a bowl of chowder, choose a seafood specialty, and browse the souvenirs before continuing your drive.
The diner is conveniently placed between coastal towns, giving travelers another reason to pause on Route 1. Sometimes the attraction really is what’s on the plate.
