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• Owls Head Transportation Museum

Owls Head Transportation Museum - over 150 antique exhibits, including aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles

Owls Head is a small town located just a few miles south of Rockland, Maine. It features the Owls Head Transportation Museum. The museum features over 200 antique aircrafts, motorcycles, bicycles, and automobiles. Some of these transportation pieces date back to the very early 1800's. But don't worry, you don't need to be a big aircraft or antique car buff to appreciate everything that the museum has to offer. It was designed so that anyone can walk in and enjoy the exhibits, especially children. It is designed similar to an aircraft hanger, so you will never feel “trapped” like you can in the tight confines of some museums.

All year long, you will be treated to different events that are traditionally hosted at the museum. During the warmer months you will even be privy to unique aviation shows and all sorts of demonstrations. The museum consistently documents and researches its collections and even offers educational publications and programs for its visitors. The core of the collection focuses on the “pioneer” period from the first attempts at manned flight and the development of automobile transportation. This is a great way to get a historical perspective about what it took to get transportation to where it is today.

Owls Head Transportation Museum - an operating collection of vehicles from the Red Baron Fokker Tri-plane to a Phantom Rolls Royce and much more

The Owls Head Transportation Museum was founded in 1974 and is situated adjacent to the Knox County Regional Airport. In total it spans over 100,000 square feet for both exhibitions and for daily display. With so much space and so many unique exhibits, the Owls Head Transportation Museum has gained national recognition. What makes the museum different from other similar museums is that all the vehicles on display are in working condition.

Some of the consistent favorites of patrons include the 1917 Fokker Dr. I Tri-plane. This is the same type of plane that Manfred Von Richthofen flew in World War I. Don't recognize the name? He is the notorious Red Baron. There is also a full-scale replica of the Kitty Hawk, the flyer that the Wright Brothers used for the first powered successful manned flight in 1903 in North Carolina.

There is also a breathtaking 1929 Phantom Rolls-Royce and a 1919 Harley Davidson. The oldest car in the Owls Head Transportation Museum is a Benz from 1885. You also can't miss the 1914 Rolls-Royce Limousine.

Some of the oldest exhibits available to visitors include the famous Cayley Glider from 1804, 1868 Velocipede Boneshaker, and the 1880 Merlin Portable Steam Engine.

As one of Mid-coast Maine's top sightseeing attractions for families, the Owls Head Transportation Museum is definitely worth a visit if you are vacationing with children. It has been designed to be very child friendly with interactive activities and exhibits, and even a small gym to help relieve some of their pent up energy. Overall, it is one of the most unique collections of aircraft, automobiles and transportation exhibits in the entire country and set up to make everyone leave in awe, even if they have no interest in the transportation industry and its history.