Wendell Gilley Museum

Mount Desert Island


For rainy-day amusement, pay a visit to this handsomely designed museum, which displays the exquisite wooden carvings of Wendell Gilley, one of the world's foremost bird carvers. The birds here are remarkably lifelike and are all the more impressive when you consider that Gilley taught himself this extraordinary craft.

If you're intrigued, you can try your own hand at carving – kits are available in the gift shop, and the museum hosts regular carving workshops.

It's located about 500m up the road from the center of Southwest Harbor.


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