Exhibits

Know Before You Go: Essential History For Your Island Adventure

SOMESVILLE MUSEUM & GARDENS: Permanent exhibit

Our permanent exhibits explore the stories of MDI’s past—stories of resilience, labor, and life beyond the familiar lens of tourism. Explore the lived experiences of the Wabanaki people, early settlers, immigrants in the granite and construction industries, domestic workers, seasonal laborers, and year-round residents who worked in fisheries, boat building, and more. These narratives connect the island’s towns and villages, showing how MDI is both unique and part of a shared coastal Maine legacy. Know Before You Go is displayed in both the Selectman and the Museum buildings, accompanied by artifacts, historic documents, and images.

The Museums open for the 2025 season on Saturday, June 21, with regular hours from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is a suggested $5 donation—members and children enjoy free entry. For more details, visit www.mdihistory.org

Know Before You Go is an exhibit generously supported by the Davis Family Foundation. This installation was managed and designed by Saint Riewestahl, curated by Sean Cox with exhibition guidance from MDI Historical Society Director Raney Bench, and with curatorial support from Patrick Callaway. Illustrations of historic Somesville, flora, and fauna, created by Rosemary Santoro.

Digital Tour: What Happened Here?

Wherever you are on Mount Desert Island, something interesting happened! Download this free app, or view on the web, to start exploring over 20 sites located in every island community. Visit as many sites as you want, in any order. You will discover new places and learn about the unique aspects of MDI, as well as its interconnected communities.

The tour will connect you with places where you can learn more by visiting the many historical societies, museums, and libraries that share the island's history.

The free app version of the tour will be available on Apple and Android app stores in mid-July.

The “What Happened Here” app is made possible through donors Jake and Anne Citrin; Shelby and Gale Davis; and David and Nanette Schoeder, and Machias Savings Bank. 

The Village of Sound and Island Schools

SOUND SCHOOLHOUSE: Permanent exhibit 

The permanent exhibit at the Sound Schoolhouse, located at 373 Sound Drive in Mount Desert, tells of the schools and schoolhouse on Mount Desert Island around the turn of the 20th century. It focuses on the Sound Schoolhouse, the Village of Sound, and the eventual restoration of the schoolhouse for the Mount Desert Island Historical Society.

This exhibit is open by appointment only. Admission is by donation.