Meet Maine Here.

Maine’s Bicentennial Arrives!

The year 2020 marks 200 years since Maine became a state. To mark this historic occasion, the museum’s calendar, galleries, and programs will be full of events and exhibits that celebrate Maine, past and present. To start, the museum opened its year-long bicentennial exhibition, Regional Struggle, National Story: Maine’s Path to Statehood on Saturday March 14. And there’s more to come! Watch for more information and details. Happy Birthday, Maine!

Bicentennial Teaching Materials Now Available Online

Explore Maine history from home! The Maine State Museum’s Bicentennial teaching materials include Maine-based primary source sets and activities based on an interactive 1820 map and journal. These materials are great for teachers who need distance learning opportunities and parents hoping to supplement children’s education at home. Designed for Grades K-12. Click here for the materials. 

Great Black Hawk Finds Starring Role at Maine State Museum

The Great Black Hawk, arguably one of the most celebrated, watched, and mourned birds ever in Maine, has found its final home at the museum. Both avid and armchair birders from near and far have been following the story of this beautiful bird. A native of South America, the hawk improbably ended up in Maine in 2018 and stayed for weeks, feasting on squirrels at Deering Oaks Park in Portland. Maine’s cold winter proved too much for the hawk, however, and it had to be euthanized in late January 2019 after frostbite caused severe damage to its legs.

Following preservation by master avian taxidermist Tom Berube, the Great Black Hawk is now on display in the lobby of the Maine State Museum. The Great Black Hawk will be on view through the summer while plans take shape for a more permanent exhibit featuring this beautiful bird and its remarkable story.