We've created this page as a resource to get you started in your explorations of Midcoast Maine -- our neck of the woods.  This list is by no means complete. If you'd like to suggest information to be included here, please e-mail your ideas to jobs@penbayhealthcare.org.  

Use these quick-navigation links to move to any part of the page:

Local government      Schools         Banks        Real Estate       

Statewide information 

Places to go & see

All non-Pen Bay Healthcare
websites will open in a new window.  

Local government websites

Register to vote, register a vehicle, pay excise or property taxes (and more) at your town office. We're listing the larger towns here; some smaller towns have websites but most do not.

• Camden
• Rockland
• Rockport
• Thomaston 
• County of Knox -- in Maine, county government runs a jail and a sheriff's department and a registry of deeds.  In Knox, county government runs an airport in Owls Head. State courts, including district, superior and probate, are in the county courthouse in Rockland.

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Public schools

Knox County is served by four large school administrative districts and several smaller ones. We've broken them down by the towns they serve.

Glossary: SAD = School Administrative District. CSD = Community School District.

•  Rockland, Owls Head, South Thomaston: SAD 5
• Camden & Rockport, K-8: SAD 28
• Hope, Appleton & Lincolnville, K-8: School Union 69
• Camden, Rockport, Hope, Appleton & LIncolnville, 9-12: Five-town CSD 
• Thomaston, Cushing, St. George, K-12: SAD 50
• Warren, Waldoboro, Washington, Union, Friendship, K-12: SAD 40

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Private schools

• Children's  House Montessori, Camden (elementary)
  
• Watershed Community School, Rockland (high school)
  
• Riley School, Rockport (elementary)
• PrivateSchoolReview.com -- listings for Maine
  
  
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Bank Links

• Camden National Bank
• Bangor Savings Bank
• Union Trust
• Five County Credit Union 
• Key Bank
  

Real Estate

• Realtor.com -- A multiple listing  link for Maine.
  

Local information (each of these includes a calendar of local events)

• knox.villagesoup.com -- Published a local newspaper and website with news and information about Knox County 
• therealmaine.com -- The Penobscot Bay Chamber of Commerce, serving the Rockland and Thomaston areas.  
• camdenme.org -- The Camden-Rockport-Lincolnville Chamber of Commerce.
  
  
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Statewide infomation

• mainetoday.com -- the website of the Portland Press Herald, the state's largest newspaper.
• The Maine State Chamber of Commerce 
  
• maine.gov -- the state of Maine website

Places to go, things to see  

Owls H ead Light.

• Camden Hills State Park -- Look down on Camden Harbor from atop Mt. Battie or hike along one of a number of scenic trails.
• Birch Point State Park (Lucia Beach) -- On the coast in Owls Head, a great place for a picnic or to hunt for sea glass.  
• Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse -- The breakwater in Rockland Harbor is nearly a mile long. Made of granite, it was constructed in the late 1800s.  It makes for a great walk in good weather.
• Owls Head Lighthouse -- Climb the stairs for a picture-perfect view.
  
• Maine Lighthouse Museum -- In Rockland, this is the proud home of the largest collection of lighthouse lenses, and one of the most important landmark collections of lighthouse artifacts and Coast Guard memorabilia in the United States.
• Montpelier, the Gen. Henry Knox Museum -- In Thomaston, a replica of the home of the nation's first secretary of war, a man who is generally the unsung hero of the Revolution. Displays and activities.
  
• Bay Chamber Concerts -- From October to May, Bay Chamber Concerts brings some the world's most exciting performers to the mid-coast area.
• The Strand Theater, Rockland -- Movies, music, comedy and more in the historic and restored auditorium on Rockland's Main Street.  
• Camden Snow Bowl -- Downhill skiing, tubing and and a wooden toboggan chute for seasonal recreation.
• Midcoast Recreation -- Ice rink (October through March) and year-round indoor tennis courts, open to the public.  
• Penobscot Bay YMCA --  A recreation and fitness facility serving Knox County.
• Maine Lobster Festival -- Annually in early August, on the Rockland waterfront. No other event like it. And don't miss the parade Saturday morning down the city's Main Street.
• Union Fair -- A real agricultural fair in mid-August, with harness racing, crafts, animal exhibits, a midway and all the Maine blueberries you can eat.
• Common Ground Fair -- Run by the Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, one of the most popular fairs in Maine. Worth the trip to Unity, if you've never been.
  

Most towns have a public library. The two largest in our area are  the Camden Public Library and the Rockland Public Library.

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Aboard a Camden windjammer on Penobscot Bay.

Did you know Midcoast Maine is home to the following nationally recognized businesses and cultural resources?

Atwood Lobster Co. -- In Tenants Harbor -- part of the town of St. George -- one of the best places anywhere to get fresh Maine lobster.  

Farnsworth Art Museum -- in Rockland, and known for its collection of Andrew Wyeth's work and much more.

Cedarworks -- Maker of wooden playsets.  See their set-up on Route 1 in Rockport.

DownEast Magazine -- The magazine that brings Maine to the rest of the U.S.

Fisher Engineering -- Based in Rockland, maker of snow plows used all around the nation.  

FMC Corporation -- An international company with a location on the Rockland waterfront specializing in seaweed processing (carageenan) for use in a variety of consumer products.  

Rockport Marine --  In Rockport, a small boatyard specializing in wooden vessels. Known the world over for its quality work.

Wayfarer Marine -- In Camden and also known worldwide, Wayfarer Marine serves some of the world's most exclusive and beautiful vessels.                                                                  

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Updated: 5/8/08