Looking for cheap things to do? Rockland Maine offers many cheap and free things to do for visitors and locals alike. When you are looking to explore midCoast Maine on a budget, you’ll find plenty of options for free things to do. Rockland Maine is full of family and kid-friendly activities that won’t break your vacation budget.
Affordable Family Things to Do | Rockland Maine
Outdoor Activities
A great kid-friendly activity to do outdoors is mini-golf. Golfer’s Crossing Mini Golf on the border of Rockport and Camden is the premier place to go. It’s a course with 18 holes, natural landscaping, and waterfalls. A round is $7 for ages 5 to 12 and $8 for ages 13 and older.
Indoor Ideas
There are a lot of indoor things to do Rockland Maine offers. One of the most popular is to visit Farnsworth Art Museum, which celebrates the state’s role in the development of American art. You can examine its collection of thousands of American and Maine-inspired works. Admission into the museum is $15 for ages 17 and older.
The Strand Theatre is an entertaining venue for all ages. Along with art-house and independent films, it hosts live music performances, plays, and other events. Tickets for films are $8 for children under 12 and $9 for ages 12 and older. Live and special event tickets vary in price, averaging around $10 to $15 per person.
MidCoast Recreation Center in Rockport is a community center with a host of indoor activities. Its ice rink is available for hockey and public skating, and it has courts for tennis and pickleball and a gymnasium for other activities, such as dancing. The cost can range from $5 to $20 per person depending on the activity that you choose.
Seasonal Activities
When it comes to seasonal activities, there are two that really stand out in the Rockland area. The Maine Lobster Festival features five days of lobster dinners, cooking contests, entertainment, and carnival rides. General admission is $2 for ages 6 to 11 and $8 for ages 12 and older. Parents who want to join the Steins and Vines event will pay $25 each, which includes general admission. Bracelets for carnival rides are $20 each.
The Union Fair and Wild Blueberry Festival in Union is another great family activity. It’s a celebration of Maine agriculture that features fireworks, livestock shows and exhibits, harness racing, live music, carnival rides, and more. All-inclusive admission is $12 per person.
Cheap Things to Do | Rockland Maine
Outdoor Ideas
The best outdoor idea is to explore Birch Point Beach State Park in Owls Head. It offers scenic views of Penobscot Bay. Your family can also enjoy swimming, picnicking, fishing, and wildlife watching. There’s a $1 fee for ages 5 to 11. Also, adult residents pay $3, and adult nonresidents pay $4.
Indoor Activities
Museums are other great cheap things to do in Rockland Maine. The Maine Lighthouse Museum, for instance, has the largest collection of U.S. Coast Guard memorabilia and lighthouse artifacts in the country. Admission is $8 for ages 13 and older.
The Coastal Children’s Museum offers kid-friendly entertainment and education. Admission is $6 per person or $22 for a family of four. Best of all, the museum is open all year except for major holidays.
The Owls Head Transportation Museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and operates antique aircraft, automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, engines, and more. Open all year except on major holidays, admission is $14 for ages 18 and older.
Seasonal Ideas
If you want to check out some of the seasonal cheap things to do in Rockland Maine, the Knox Museum in Thomaston is a great place to go. It’s open from Memorial Day until Indigenous Peoples Day. Although, its Montpelier attraction is only open from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Tours cost $4 for ages 5 to 13 and $10 for ages 14 and older.
Parents or couples who want some alone time can visit Breakwater Vineyards in Owls Head. During the summer, you can enjoy four wine samples for $3.
Free Things to Do | Rockland Maine
Outdoor Activities
Exploring and appreciating Rockland Harbor’s natural beauty and maritime history is what the Rockland Harbor Trail is all about. It’s a 5.5-mile trail along the working waterfront, and it almost links South End Beach to the Ferry Terminal in the north.
Speaking of South End Beach, this park has benches, nice sidewalks, and a public restroom. Your family can enjoy picnicking and swimming.
There are many other parks around the city too. Harbor Park is where many main events and festivals are held, including the Maine Lobster Festival. Also, it has picnic tables and walking trails. Buoy Park has a boardwalk and features various buoys and anchors.
Chickawaukie Pond makes for a wonderful family outing. The water is suitable for swimming, boating, and water sports. There are also biking and hiking trails around the perimeter.
At Beech Hill Preserve, you get scenic views from the bald hilltop. Spanning nearly 300 acres, it’s a great destination for birding, hiking, and picnicking. Along with being a bird habitat, the preserve produces organic blueberries.
You and your family can take advantage of the picnic grove and small rocky beach at Owls Head State Park as well. It’s open all year and doesn’t have a fee like many of the other state parks in the area.
Indoor Ideas
When you need free things to do, Rockland Maine offers several indoor ideas. Check out the Project Puffin Visitor Center in downtown. It celebrates the project’s success at bringing rare seabirds back to their Maine nesting grounds. Since 2006, this kid-friendly venue has educated and entertained visitors of all ages with interactive exhibits, activities, and programs.
Similarly, the Friends of Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge strives to conserve, protect, and enhance the region’s habitats for seabirds and other wildlife. Its visitor center has an art gallery that’s open Monday through Friday and some Saturdays except for holidays. You can support its mission by stopping at the Nature Store.
Seasonal Activities
If you’re looking for free lighthouses in Rockland, you can start by touring Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. It’s located at the end of a nearly 1-mile breakwater in the harbor. Although there’s no fee, you can leave the suggested donation for touring the 25-foot tower. Tours are only available from Memorial Day until Indigenous Peoples Day.
Owls Head Lighthouse also offers free tours up the 30-foot tower, but you can leave the suggested donation if you wish. Tours are available on four days of the week between Memorial Day and Indigenous Peoples Day. You can stop by the Interpretive Center & Gift Shop as well.
If you want to visit some free museums, the Sail, Power & Steam Museum is the best one. It has a unique collection of industrial and marine artifacts, demonstrations, exhibits, and photos. Captain Jim Sharp loves giving tours. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from May through October.
Best Hotel Near Rockland With Affordable Prices
To maintain your budget on a family vacation, choose Glen Cove Inn & Suites for your accommodations. Our rooms and suites are more than affordable – they’re also comfortable. On top of that, we’re close to numerous family and kid-friendly things to do in Rockland, including historic sites and museums and hiking trails.
