You can spend a couple of hours or days, weeks, even years getting to know Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. And just when you think you’ve got this remarkable place pegged, you discover something new and different, a plant you never noticed before, a trick of the light on a piece of sculpture or on the water, a new flurry of fairy houses.
Change – it’s the nature of a garden, and it’s true at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, too. However, we have a stone wall that’s been here for centuries, massive ledges that are going nowhere fast, and sculpture that appears rooted to the ground on which it stands. Our elegant Visitor Center, completed in 2006, will be here for a long, long time.
This section will help you get to know both the permanent and transient elements of the Gardens and where you can find them, even if it’s just until they’re transplanted or pop up somewhere else. Of course, if you have any questions, you have but to ask. Call us at 207-633-4333 or e-mail info@mainegardens.org.
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Open Daily: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. year-round (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas)
In January, February, and March, the Visitor Center is open only on weekdays when the administrative offices are open.
A daily golf-cart shuttle service, run by volunteers, is available at certain times of the year to provide access to some areas of the Gardens property (See below for details).
Café Hours for 2008
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Through October 15 (closed Tuesdays in May)
Catered lunches are available for groups year-round with advance reservations.
Gift Shop Hours for 2008
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. through December 21
Library Hours for 2008
9:00 a.m. – noon Wednesdays, and by appointment
2008 Admission Fees
Members: Free
Adults: $10
Seniors (65+): $8
Children (5-17): $5
Children under 5: Free
Family (2 adults & 2 children under 18): $25
Pre-booked groups of 10 or more: $7 per person
School or camp field trips: $3 per person
There is no admission fee from January through March.
Accessibility
The Visitor Center and Central Gardens, where our most-formal gardens are located, are ADA compliant, and there are benches placed throughout the grounds for visitors who may need to take a break. Click here for a map of our campus.The terrain in the remainder of the campus varies. The paths range from compacted-gravel walkways to trails through wooded areas. How easy or difficult it is to traverse these areas will depend on your particular situation. There may be some areas that are inaccessible to you and your party due to the natural topography of our site. You can discuss the particulars with the Visitor Center staff.
Shuttle Service
We offer a shuttle service that runs from 11-3 daily during the summer. The shuttles (expanded golf carts) cannot be reserved, and the service is not intended as a tour, but rather as assistance for those who find walking long distances difficult. The shuttle runs on a loop with predetermined stops along the Birch Allée, in the parking area, and at entrances to the Shoreland Trail and Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden. The route does not include the main campus, Haney Hillside Garden, or Vayo Meditation Garden. The shuttle is free, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This service is volunteer dependent, and while we have every intention of keeping to this schedule, it cannot be guaranteed. The staff at the front desk in the Visitor Center will know the schedule on the day of your visit.
Pet Policy
Dogs are permitted in all the parking areas at the Gardens and on the special dog-walking trail opening in 2008. There is also a water spigot and water dish for dogs in the picnic area beside the parking lot. We appreciate our visitors’ picking up after their dogs. Except for service animals, dogs are not permitted on the remainder of the Gardens grounds.