What to see and do

What to see and do

Visit the web pages below to get directions and plan a trip.

Samuel de Champlain's astrolabe, dated 1603, which was lost in 1613 and recovered in 1876. (Canadian Museum of Civilization).

Saint Croix
- Saint Croix Island International Historic Site
  - Visit the waysides at Red Beach to learn about the settlement and its occupants. Stand at the shore and compare Champlain's drawings with the island directly in view across the river. Follow an interpretive walking trail along the banks of the Saint Croix River, with waysides and statues depicting the French settlers and members of the Passamaquoddy tribe. The island itself is only accessible by boat, and commercial tours are prohibited from landing.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Downeast Heritage Center
  - Located in Calais, Maine, this center serves as an educational museum and cultural center for the area surrounding the Saint Croix Island IHS.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Maine State Museum
  - Located in Augusta, Maine, the museum currently houses several artifacts excavated at Saint Croix Island. The collection is on loan from the NPS.
  - Plan Your Visit
Port Royal

(NPS Photo) A projectile point documents Native American life on St. Croix.
- Port-Royal National Historic Site of Canada
  - Visit a reconstruction of the French settlement first placed there by the Sieur de Monts in August of 1605. Costumed interpreters and exhibits bring to life the seventeenth century French settlement.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Roosevelt Campobello International Park
  - Champlain notes anchoring near Campobello while on his return journey to Port Royal in the fall of 1606.
  - Plan Your Visit
Mt. Desert Island and Isle au Haut, Acadia NP
- Acadia National Park
  - Much of the park was charted and explored by Champlain during several voyages down the coast. Today, visitors can compare the modern landscape with Champlain's descriptions.
  - Plan Your Visit
- The Abbe Museum
  - Located on Mt. Desert Island, visitors can see artifacts of the native tribes of Maine.
  - Plan Your Visit
Bangor, Maine
- Bangor Museum and Center for History
  - The Bangor Historical Society collects, preserves, and interprets the history of the Penobscot Valley. Visit the museum to learn more about Native American peoples in the area.
  - Plan Your Visit
Massachusetts coast

(NPS Photo) Projectile point corroborating Champlain's maps of Native American villages on Cape Cod.
- Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
  - Visit the harbor and islands to see how the coast has changed since Champlain mapped the French explorations.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Boston National Historical Park
  - Learn about the cultural life of Boston Harbor in exhibits and tours.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Peabody Essex Museum
  - Check out exhibits on nautical history, local natural history, and local archeology and history.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Plimoth Plantation
  - See reconstructions of Native American settlements.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Salem Maritime National Historical Site
  - Find out about the maritime history of the Massachusetts coastline.
  - Plan Your Visit
- Saugus Iron Works National Historical Site
  - Learn about the cultural history of the region.
  - Plan Your Visit
Malle Barre/Nauset Harbor
- Cape Cod National Seashore
  - Visitors can follow the Fort Hill and Nauset Marsh trails to get a sense of what the French saw in the landscape.
  - Plan Your Visit

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