Situated along the breakwater of the roaring Atlantic and the rolling Kennebunk River, Kennebunkport is a classic New England seaside destination drenched in the history and culture of the Maine coast. From picturesque Dock Square to its bustling downtown, the quiet enclave of Cape Porpoise to the lower village of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport is one of the Northeast’s most appealing towns.
These days just over 3,700 call Kennebunkport home including its most famous resident, former President George H.W. Bush, whose “compound” on the Walker’s Point peninsula is visible from Ocean Avenue, itself the site of many grand estates.
Within the town’s 22 square-miles are many sites worth seeing, stores and galleries worth perusing, and restaurants from clam shacks to five-star dining rooms. Dock Square is rightfully the focus of visitor attention, especially when decorated with thousands of lights during the annual Christmas Prelude celebration. Within walking distance of the square are a multitude of shops, restaurants, galleries and other attractions. Art lovers, in particular, can peruse original works from Maine artists at the Mast Cove Gallery and the Gallery on Chase Hill, as well as a diverse collection of American and international works at the Scott Bundy Gallery.
For a unique historical perspective the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk occupies five historical buildings on Main Street. Founded in 1936 by Edith Cleaves Barry, the complex holds close to 70,000 artifacts relating the history of the area, including artworks and collections from the Barry family. Elsewhere, the Maine Maritime Museum along the banks of the Kennebunk River tells the story of the “World’s Greatest Shipbuilders” through interactive exhibits, while the Seashore Trolley Museum, the oldest and largest electric railway museum anywhere, has a permanent collection of more than 250 transit vehicles from all over the world.
Coastal Maine would be nothing without boating, of course, and landlubbers and seafarers alike will find myriad options for exploring. Take in sport-fishing, schooner and sloop cruises, lobster harvesting tours, and whale watching trips for humpback, finback, minke and right whales.
