Skowhegan

Skowhegan is a village of 8,600 people (2020) on the banks of the Kennebec River in Maine.

Understand

Skowhegan Fire Department

History

Skowhegan is a name given to this place by the Abenaki, who used to live there before they were attacked and dispossessed by the white man. It means "watching place" in their language, and referred to the good fishing there was on the Kennebec River.

Skowhegan became a flourishing mill town with a big shoe factory. But unlike many deindustrialized cities in the Northeast, it still has a shoe factory — for New Balance — and a functioning paper mill.

Get in

The nearest large airport is in Portland, which is 90 mi (145 km) away.

Skowhegan is:

• about 55 mi (85 km) west of Bangor on State Highway 2
• about 49 mi (69 km) north of Augusta on Interstate 95 and Route 104

The nearest bus terminal is in Waterville, about 16 mi (27 km) away.

Get around

• Skow Town Taxi, ☏ +1 207 431-7379

See

Somerset County Courthouse

• 1 Skowhegan Indian Sculpture. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Skowhegan History House, 66 Elm St, ☏ +1 207 474-6632, info@skowheganhistoryhouse.org. An early area house that hosts a museum of local history. (updated Sep 2019)

Do

• 1 Eaton Mountain, 89 Lambert Rd, ☏ +1 207 474-2666. Ski and snowtubing facility. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, 39 Art School Road, Madison, ☏ +1 207 474-9345, Mail@Skowheganart.org. Has a 9-week program every summer. If you are a young artist, you can apply, and if you're an art-lover, you can check on whether there are any shows while you're in town. (updated Sep 2019)
• 3 Skowhegan Fair, 33 Constitution Ave, ☏ +1 207 474-2947, office@skowheganstatefair.com. (updated Sep 2019)
• 4 Strand Cinema. (updated Sep 2019)

Buy

• 1 Skowhegan Farmer's Market. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Skowhegan Village Shopping Center. (updated Sep 2019)

Eat

• Alice's Restaurant, 101 North Ave, ☏ +1 207-858-4448. Daily 5AM-2PM. (updated Sep 2019)
• 1 Gifford's Ice Cream and Mini Golf Course, ☏ +1 207 474-2257. An ice cream stand with a mini golf course in the back. Open seasonally. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 The Bankery, 87 Water St, ☏ +1 207 474-2253. M-Sa 7:30AM-6PM. A bakery in a former bank building. Aside from sweets, they sell breads, soups, and coffee. (updated Sep 2019)

Drink

• 1 Southside Tavern. (updated Sep 2019)
• Old Mill Pub, 39 Water St, ☏ +1 207 474-6627. Serves draft beer from area breweries, pretzels, and seafood with a patio overlooking the river. Occasionally hosts live music. (updated Sep 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Towne Motel, toll-free: +1-833-234-0850. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Belmont Motel, 273 Madison Ave, ☏ +1 207 474-8315. (updated Sep 2019)

Connect

• 1 Skowhegan Free Public Library, 9 Elm St, ☏ +1 207 474-9072, skowlib@skowhegan.lib.me.us. Free. (updated Sep 2019)
• 2 Skowhegan Post Office. (updated Sep 2019)

Go next

Routes through Skowhegan

St. Johnsbury ← Rumford ←	W  E	→ Newport → Bangor
Quebec City ← The Forks ← Jct W E ←	N  S	→ Fairfield → Augusta