The Town of Southwest Harbor Was The First to Establish A Museum of Bird Carvings

The Museum’s Mission is to bring people closer to nature through art. As if you needed a better reason to visit a bird carving museum. Whether it's a weekend or a day, this is one trip the ornithologist in you needs to make.

On the west side of Somes Sound is Southwest Harbor. The Mt. Desert Island town is surrounded by Acadia National Park on most sides.

The Wendell Gilley Museum is on Main Street, next to Norwood Cove. The building was designed by architect Roc Caivano.

A Master Plumber by trade, Wendell Gilley was also a prominent wood-carving artist and is considered a pioneer in the field of carving birds.

He even wrote a book on the subject called "The Art of Bird Carving: A Guide to a Fascinating Hobby."

He is estimated to have carved over a thousand birds!

Perhaps even more beautiful than his art objects was his practice of inviting visitors to his workshop to carve with him.

The museum upholds this tradition by keeping a full-time artist in residence.

The artist maintains a weekly carving class that is a fond memory for locals and visitors alike.

The class is known to keep the attention of younger students incredibly well. We can definitely see why they're fascinated!

The museum hosts a collection of Gilley’s works, the artist-in-residence’s, and that of other artists in Maine seeking to capture the natural world in their art.

They especially like to feature art featuring Mt. Desert Island. And with such a beautiful island, who can blame them?

The Smuggler’s Den Campground is nearby if you’d like to make the Wendell Gilley Museum into a weekend trip. You can include a hiking trip up Flying Mountain Trailhead and never need to start your car! Learn 10 Things To Know When Visiting Acadia National Park.