L. C. Bates Museum

The L.C. Bates Museum occupies a three-story brick building built in Romanesque Revival style with terracotta trim and arched windows. The building houses extensive exhibition spaces containing over 8,000 cultural objects and 10,000 archaeological artifacts.

George Walter Hinckley established the museum in the early 1920s as part of Good Will Home, a residential and educational institution serving underprivileged children. The facility developed into a teaching and research center for the surrounding community.

The collections showcase Maine's natural habitats through handpainted dioramas and display birds, mammals, marine creatures, and minerals. Visitors can explore these detailed landscape scenes and gain a sense of the state's biological diversity.

The museum is located in central Hinckley with convenient parking near the entrance. Plan to spend several hours exploring the exhibition galleries and the surrounding grounds.

Sun Set Park, an arboretum designed by the Olmsted Brothers, surrounds the building with walking trails and cultivated gardens. The landscaped grounds allow visitors to experience natural spaces directly after viewing the indoor collections.