Step back in time at Saco Museum. Located on Saco’s historic Main Street, the museum contains an impressive collection of art and historic artifacts.
Saco Museum was founded in 1866 as the York Institute and is one of the oldest museums in Maine. It is housed in a tidy brick building, which was designed by renowned Maine architect John Calvin Stevens in 1926. Walk through the museum’s cheerful red door and discover the exhibits inside.
Browse through the permanent collections, which begin in the first exhibit room to the right of the foyer. In the Making History exhibit, trace the history of the Saco region from its early settlement through to the 20th century. Learn about Maine’s plants and animals in Natural Wonders, where you’ll find specimens that date back to the Victorian era.
Continue to the temporary exhibit gallery to view pieces from the museum’s vast collections. The Saco Museum has more than 10,000 artifacts in its collections, ranging from locally made furniture to paintings from the Saco River region.
Upstairs, browse through another room of temporary exhibits. These are often dedicated to specific artists, historic period or theme. Continue your explorations on the second floor in a room that has been meticulously furnished as a boardinghouse bedroom of a mill worker from the mid 1800s.
Discover the highlights of the Saco Museum’s artifacts. Check out the Walcott/Johnson camera, one of the first daguerreotype portrait cameras in the United States. Examine the Scamman Jug, a Westerwald jug that was originally owned by Saco resident Humphrey Scamman in the early 1700s.
Find out what exhibits and programs are available at the museum during your visit.
Visit Saco Museum throughout the year. Check its schedule, because opening times vary depending on the day and season. It is closed on Mondays. Pay admission at the entry and take advantage of free entry on Friday evenings.