You Could Easily Spend All Weekend At This Enormous Maine Outdoor Store
When out-of-staters think of Maine, one company comes to mind first: L.L. Bean. There’s no doubt that since its founding in 1912, L.L. Bean has done a lot to bolster Maine’s national reputation, but let’s not forget that Mainers have more opportunity than anyone to take advantage of its outdoor recreation products. The family-owned company operates 42 stores across the world, and most of them have become local attractions. But the biggest and best remains the one in Bean’s hometown of Freeport, Maine.
L.L. Bean's flagship store opened way back in 1917, and its entrance is marked with a giant replica of the company's signature Bean Boot.
OK, let's lay out a scenario here. It's 3 a.m. You're going duck hunting at sunrise. But you don't have a good pair of waders. What do you do? If you're near Freeport, the answer is easy: L.L. Bean is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Don't miss the pièce de résistance, "The Final Charge." depicting two Bull Moose in battle. It uses a real pair of interlocked moose antlers that were found in New Sweden in 2006.
Because four football fields apparently weren't enough to hold all of L.L. Bean's goodies, there are four separate stores clustered around the original: the Bike, Boat & Ski store; the Home store; the Hunting & Fishing store (which is attached to the original but has its own entrance); and the discount-packed Outlet. Like the flagship store, all but the Outlet never close.
The L.L. Bean flagship store has closed only three times since it went to a 24-hour schedule in 1951: after the deaths of L.L. Bean himself, John F. Kennedy and longtime CEO Leon Gorman. But if you want to make extra sure they’re open, or you want to see if they carry what you want (spoiler alert: they do), you can call (207) 552-7772. They’re located at 95 Main St., Freeport, ME 04033.
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Michelle has lived in many places, but counts Maine as one of the best. In addition to the smell of ocean water in the air on rainy days in Portland, she loves puppies, photography, funny people, the Maine Red Claws, traveling, fresh tomatoes, Cambodia and filling out forms. For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.