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Bangor wears its legends openly. A 31-foot Paul Bunyan stands on Main Street, a nod to the decades when this Penobscot River city was the lumber capital of the world and its docks were crowded with schooners loading pine. Stephen King still owns the red Victorian mansion on West Broadway with its bat-and-spider iron fence, and fans come to see the streets and cemeteries that inspired his town of Derry.
The lumber barons left handsome homes and a downtown of brick blocks along the Kenduskeag Stream, now filled with breweries, restaurants, the Zillman Art Museum and the Maine Discovery Museum. Summer brings big concerts to the riverfront, and each April paddlers race down the stream in the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race. Mount Hope Cemetery, from 1834, is among the oldest garden cemeteries in the country.
The Bangor City Forest and the Orono Bog Boardwalk put woods and wetlands minutes from downtown, and the city is the main gateway to northern and eastern Maine: Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor are about an hour away, Baxter State Park about two hours.
The deep red Italianate mansion on West Broadway owned by Stephen King and his wife Tabitha, famous for its wrought-iron fence decorated with bats, spiders and a three-headed beast. It now houses the author's archive and is not open for tours. View it respectfully from the sidewalk and do not block the driveway.
A 31-foot fiberglass statue of the legendary lumberjack, put up in 1959 for the city's 125th anniversary, standing on Main Street beside the Cross Insurance Center. Bangor claims him as its own in honor of its logging past. It is free and open any time, and makes the classic Bangor photo stop.
An 1897 shingle-clad water tower on Thomas Hill that still stores city water and has an observation deck at the top. It opens to the public only a few days each year, when visitors climb the spiral stairs for a 360-degree view of Bangor and the Penobscot valley. Watch for the open house dates.
Founded in 1834, one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States, with ponds, rolling lawns and monuments to lumber barons, Civil War soldiers and early settlers. Scenes from the 1989 film Pet Sematary were shot here. Walk or drive the winding lanes, especially in October when the maples turn.
A three-floor children's museum in downtown Bangor with interactive exhibits on science, nature, art, music and Maine's children's book authors, including a walk-through woods and a stream table. It is a strong rainy-day option. Best for kids under twelve; plan about two hours and check the weekly opening schedule.
The University of Maine's art museum in a downtown Bangor building, with a permanent collection of prints, paintings and photographs by artists such as Picasso, Homer and Wyeth, plus rotating contemporary shows. Admission is free. Stop in on a downtown walk; the galleries take about an hour to see.
A museum of more than 200 vehicles, from early snowplows and logging sleds to fire engines and trucks, telling the story of land transport in Maine. Outside are memorials to Maine veterans, including a Vietnam monument. Families with vehicle-mad children love it; allow two hours and check seasonal opening dates.
A 650-acre forest on the north edge of the city with miles of gravel roads and walking trails, popular for jogging, mountain biking, birding and cross-country skiing. Wildlife sightings, from deer to the occasional moose, are common. Use the Tripp Drive parking area and bring bug spray in early summer.
A one-mile loop boardwalk that leads from the Bangor City Forest out over a peat bog, with signs about carnivorous pitcher plants, sphagnum moss and stunted black spruce. It is flat and easy, suitable for most walkers. It is open from spring to late autumn; arrive early in summer to avoid crowds and heat.
A grassy park along the Penobscot River with a riverwalk, picnic spots, docks and the outdoor stage that hosts major summer concerts. The American Folk Festival tradition lives on here with the Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront each August. Walk the riverwalk at sunset and continue into downtown for dinner.
A compact historic center along the Kenduskeag Stream with nineteenth century brick blocks, independent bookstores, breweries, coffee shops and restaurants. Murals and footbridges make it pleasant to explore on foot. Visit on a summer Friday evening when patios fill, and look for the river driver statue by the stream.
A spring canoe and kayak race held each April on a 16-mile stretch of the Kenduskeag Stream that ends in downtown Bangor, drawing hundreds of paddlers. Crowds gather at Six Mile Falls to watch boats tackle the rapids and occasional spills. Bring warm layers and arrive early for a spot along the bank.
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Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Warren LeMay from Chicago, IL, United States, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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