Maine's largest salt marsh huddles under the wind about 5 miles northeast of Old Orchard and Biddeford. The Audubon Society and the state Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife manage a 3100-acre nature preserve of interwoven mud flats, tidal creeks, inlets and estuary, all an important cradle for local wildlife. There's an on-site aquarium, miles of shorebird wading area and a place to rent kayaks for exploring all of the above.
Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center
Southern Maine Coast
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9 MILES
Four miles southeast of Portland on Cape Elizabeth, 90-acre Fort Williams Park is worth visiting simply for the panoramas and picnic possibilities. Stroll…
9 MILES
Fort Williams Park, on Cape Elizabeth, has rolling lawns dotted with bunkers and gun emplacements. Within the park stands the beloved, and much…
8.25 MILES
Founded in 1882, this well-respected museum houses an outstanding collection of American artists. Maine artists, including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper,…
24.95 MILES
Not quite a zoo but a great place to view native Maine wildlife, this park is a bucolic reserve with picnic tables, short walking trails and animal…
24.47 MILES
A sublime stretch of family-friendly coastline, Ogunquit Beach is only a five-minute walk along Beach St, east of US 1. Walking to the beach is a good…
25.28 MILES
This picturesque inlet is dotted with sailboats and fishing boats; a narrow pedestrian bridge spans the harbor. The cove is home to a handful of…
9.33 MILES
Portland is graced by a handful of handsome lights, including the 1875 Portland Breakwater Light with its Corinthian columns. Dubbed the 'Bug Light'…
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village
28.92 MILES
The Shakers, a Protestant religious sect named for their habit of ecstatic spiritual dancing, once inhabited communities up and down the East Coast. They…
Nearby Southern Maine Coast attractions
3.56 MILES
The Palace Playland, a vintage beachfront amusement park, is the fitting symbol of Old Orchard Beach – tacky and fun in equal measure. Its arcade games,…
6.01 MILES
A pretty stretch of beach, inland walking areas, a small nature center, picnic spots and a rare (for this far north) grove of tupelo trees can all be…
7.01 MILES
This home preserves the Colonial residence of George Tate, Maine's last British 'mast agent' (mast agents procured New England white pine trees as…
4. International Museum of Cryptozoology
7.23 MILES
Bigfoot, yetis, specter moose and other cryptids share the spotlight at this one-of-a-kind museum. Cryptids are animals thought by mainstream science to,…
8.2 MILES
This Italianate palace, whose exterior would work well in a Tim Burton movie, dates back to 1860. Inside it's sumptuously decorated with rich furniture,…
8.25 MILES
Founded in 1882, this well-respected museum houses an outstanding collection of American artists. Maine artists, including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper,…
7. Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine
8.3 MILES
Kids aged zero to 10 years shriek and squeal as they haul traps aboard a replica lobster boat, milk a fake cow on a model farm, operate a sound studio, or…
8. Institute of Contemporary Art
8.4 MILES
This small gallery, attached to the Maine College of Art, showcases an ever-shifting slate of modern artists, and hosts frequent readings, workshops, pop…