Abbe Museum

09/03/2026

“I think we have so many statues and monuments around the state and the country that highlight white leaders and non-Indigenous people of history, but there are sparingly few Indigenous expressions that are monumental in nature."

Gabriel Frey’s statue will be installed at Portland’s new waterfront park, First Light Commons, in the spring.

08/28/2026

Thanks to Mount Desert Islander (and reporter Zach Lanning) for coverage of this past weekend's events with Maine Historical Society.

BAR HARBOR — The Abbe Museum played host to an exceptional piece of history earlier this month, exhibiting one of the original copies of the Declaration of Independence for members

08/24/2026

The Abbe Museum welcomed a partnership with Maine Historical Society to display their historic Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence alongside Wabanaki perspectives this past weekend. We are grateful for the support of the Maine Community Foundation and our collaboration with Smithsonian Folklife which kept this event free and open to the public.

Special thanks to Donna Loring (Penobscot) and Dr. Darren Ranco (Penobscot) for their powerful contributions during our panel discussion: “A Nation Examined: Wabanaki Voices on the Declaration of Independence” before a full house on Saturday afternoon.

08/21/2026

Thank you Maine Public for this collaboration. Congratulations to Abbe Museum Wabanaki Fellow, artist and illustrator Shannon Sockalexis (Penobscot Nation), and to Donna Loring (Penobscot Nation) and filmmaker David Camlin.

Come see the original works which help tell this story in the Abbe Museum's "In the Shadow of the Eagle" Exhibition, co-curated by Donna Loring and Dr. Darren Ranco (Penobscot Nation) and Siera Hyte (Cherokee Nation)

08/19/2026

Thank you Bar Harbor Story. Happening this Friday at Saturday! Free entry.

The Dunlap Broadside will be displayed beside the Watertown Treaty of 1776 at the Abbe Museum, creating a rare opportunity to see two foundational documents through a Wabanaki lens.

08/17/2026

The Abbe Museum is hiring! The Abbe is seeking a Director of Public Programs & Visitor Experience to lead the strategy and operations of our public programs, visitor services, and earned revenue. This senior leadership role offers an exciting opportunity to shape how audiences experience the Abbe as we approach our 100th Anniversary and imagine the museum’s next century.
For more information and how to apply, please visit our website, abbemuseum.org/work-at-the-abbe, or use the link in our bio!

08/17/2026

This week! Friday and Saturday! Free. Please pre-register for timed-entry.

The Abbe Museum has been selected to host a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence from Friday, August 21, to Saturday, August 22, 2026, as part of a statewide tour organized by the Maine Historical Society. This event will provide important context from Indigenous perspectives in relation to the United States’ semiquincentennial, aligning with the museum's mission “to illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands.”

Betsy Richards, Executive Director of the Abbe Museum, states, “The Declaration of Independence is one of our nation’s most celebrated documents, but it has never meant the same thing to everyone. From an Indigenous perspective, it represents a profound contradiction: proclaiming the ideals of liberty and equality while inciting anti-Native racism, even at a time when the Wabanaki were allied with Revolutionary forces. We hope this visit allows for a fuller public conversation that moves us all towards more understanding and a more perfect union.”

Tickets are free, but reservations for timed entry are encouraged. Reservations can be made through this link: mainehistory.org/revolutionary-maine-doi-barharbor/

08/17/2026

This Wednesday at Acadia National Park at Sieur de Monts Nature Center

Cultural Connections in the Park: Paula Love Thorne, Penobscot

Wednesday, August 19, 11 am – 3 pm. Drop in anytime!

Meet outside the Sieur de Monts Nature Center in Acadia National Park

Paula has been making intricate and stunning baskets for decades and will demonstrate the art of ash and sweetgrass basketry.

The Cultural Connections in the Park series is sponsored by Dawnland, LLC, and offered in partnership with Acadia National Park and the Abbe Museum. The program occurs on select Wednesdays from June through September and is free to the public.

08/11/2026

FREE! Register Today!

Come to the Abbe Museum on August 21 & 22 to experience Maine Historical Society’s historic Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence alongside Wabanaki perspectives at the Abbe Museum, Hancock County’s only stop on this statewide tour. Register for free timed-entry tickets at: https://www.mainehistory.org/revolutionary-maine-doi-barharbor/

Works like Theresa Secord’s “Democracy is Fragile” (on display at the Abbe through October 2026 only) provide Wabanaki context for this founding document of the United States.

"The Declaration of Independence is one of our nation's most celebrated documents, but it has never meant the same thing to everyone. From an Indigenous perspective, it represents a profound contradiction: proclaiming the ideals of liberty and equality while inciting anti-Native racism, even at a time when the Wabanaki were allied with Revolutionary forces. We hope this visit allows for a fuller public conversation that moves us all towards more understanding and a more perfect union," said Betsy Richards (Cherokee Nation), Executive Director of the Abbe Museum