Find Out More about Us

     Mount Desert Island Historical Society, founded in 1931, promotes the study and understanding of the people and the history of this island and of history's relevance today.  We celebrate the lives of the people, their traditions, and the events that have shaped, and will continue to shape, island history.

     Through its year-round entertaining and informative programs, exhibits, activities for children and publications, the Historical Society . . .

• raises awareness of the importance of preserving this island's past for the education and enjoyment of future generations
  
  
• offers year-round entertaining and informative educational programs, workshops and field trips, always open to Historical Society members and often to the public
  
  
• presents changing exhibits on historical topics in the Historical Society's four museum buildings
  
  
• collects and preserves photographs, documents and artifacts related to the history of MDI and its neighboring islands
  
  
• presents programs for children in the museums, in island schools and at sites around the island
  
  
• encourages research by historians, teachers and students, genealogists, other historical societies, and year-round residents and seasonal visitors
   
• maintains the charming Heirloom Garden and the peaceful Louisa Conrad Garden of woodland plants in historic Somesville and provides educational materials about antique plants and herbs
  
  
• publishes newsletters, guides, monographs and Chebacco, an annual history magazine
  
  
• supports the preservation of the beauty and character of MDI's natural landscapes, views, and historical buildings and districts.
  

Please browse our site to learn more about the many activities
of the MDI Historical Society and how you, too, can discover
more about this island's fascinating history.