4 Best Places to Shop in Hancock Area, Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island

Ann and Paul Breeden’s Spring Woods Gallery, nestled between their home and a large shade garden for visitors, is illuminated by a tall arched window. Local farm animals appear often in her colorful, playful oil paintings. His strikingly realistic acrylic paintings capture the intensity of the Maine Coast. Both originals and fine art prints and cards featuring their works are sold, as are their son's decorative and practical ironworks and their daughters' pottery, paintings, prints, and cards. Folks are welcome to come just for the acclaimed tranquil garden, with benches, sculpture, and a delightful children's playhouse. Off U.S. 1 in Sullivan, the gallery is open off-season by appointment.

You can buy items such as a vase or sailboat sculpture made of granite in the self-serve shop in one of the small buildings at this old granite quarry. If you blow the horn, as advised, owner Obadiah Bourne Buell may appear. Also here is his business, Stone Designs Inc., which makes practical and sculptural granite pieces for gardens and homes, "upcycling" the blocks of granite that are all about. Buell grew up and lives on this ethereal land, where rain long ago filled the old quarries. He has created a large year-round public garden (free, donations welcome) with granite sculptures large and small; granite benches, tables, firepit, and pizza oven; and trails, flower beds, and charming signage (even when asking folks to stay back from the work area). Ping-Pong, anyone? Yes, the table is granite, and paddles and balls are provided.

It’s worth the trip down the long dirt drive to Gull Rock Pottery. Sculpture dots serene grounds with a knockout view of Cadillac Mountain across Frenchman Bay. The shop sells the owner's dishware and lamps, with either hand-painted blue and white depictions of local wildlife, flowers, and water scenes, or a rust-color or celadon glaze. The etchings, prints, and jewelry are made by the potter's husband, who also created most of the sculpture outside. Open year-round, but it's by chance or appointment in the off-season.

Heron-patterned dinnerware is one of the specialties at Hog Bay Pottery, which also sells knitted items and handspun and naturally died yarns. A husband and wife run this year-round homestead shop: he's the potter, she's the knitter and spinner.