Exhibits
Know Before You Go: Essential History For Your Island Adventure
Somesville Museum & Gardens, 2 Oak Hill Rd, Somesville
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 are open for the 2026 season, June through September, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am–4 pm. Admission is a suggested $5 donation; members and children are always free.
Know Before You Go is 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.
The Village of Sound and Island Schools
Sound Schoolhouse, 373 Sound Drive, Mount Desert
Step inside the Sound Schoolhouse and discover the story of education on Mount Desert Island at the turn of the twentieth century. This permanent exhibit traces the history of the schoolhouse itself, the once-thriving Village of Sound that surrounded it, and the community effort that ultimately restored the building for the Mount Desert Island Historical Society. A visit invites people of all ages to step back in time and imagine what a school day looked like generations ago, and how different it was from the classrooms of today.
This exhibit is open by appointment only. Admission is by donation.
Wherever you are on Mount Desert Island, something interesting happened! Download our free MDI History Adventure App and start exploring more than 20 sites across every community on the island, and discover What Happened Here?
Visit as many sites as you like, in any order. Along the way, you'll uncover new places, learn surprising things about Mount Desert Island's past, and see how our communities are unique yet interconnected. The tour will also connect you with the historical societies, museums, libraries, and cultural organizations that keep the island's history alive, so you can go deeper wherever your curiosity takes you.
Download the MDI History Adventure App from the Apple or Google Play stores, or access it on the web.
The “What Happened Here” app is made possible through donors Jake and Anne Citrin, Shelby and Gale Davis, David and Nanette Schoeder, and Machias Savings Bank.