2 Best Sights in Somesville, Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island

Some 65 immaculately maintained vehicles from the “Brass Era”—the beginning of auto production until about 1915—are displayed in this large warehouse-type space. There are gasoline, steam, and electric vehicles, each with a sign detailing its history. The big red 1914 Stanley Mountain Wagon ferried passengers between hotel and train station, and hence the term "station wagon." Enticing not only car buffs, changing exhibits show the impact of early automobiles on society and culture (for example, "Engines of Change" explores how autos helped drive the suffragette movement). The museum also displays several vintage motorcycles. On Tuesdays, you can watch car mechanics at work. For Cars & Coffee (10 am–1 pm on select Saturdays), folks head over in historic and unique vehicles; admission is free during the event (and always for kids under age 18). Check the website for information on special events this family-welcoming museum holds throughout the season.

Two small white buildings with changing exhibits about island history are clustered with heirloom gardens along Main Street at this Mount Desert Historical Society museum. The larger one isn’t historic but has typical New England architectural touches. Hugging the road just beyond the footbridge over the mill stream—the arched white structure is an iconic spot for a snapshot—the tiny 1780s Selectmen’s Building was the Town of Mount Desert's office for many years. Herb and floral plants from the 19th and early 20th centuries bloom in the gardens. The society's Sound Schoolhouse museum, open by appointment only year-round, is a few miles away on Route 198 ( 373 Sound Dr., Mount Desert).