Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum — Attraction in Brunswick

A really interesting museum about one of American history’s most fascinating characters. I have long been interested in Joshua Chamberlain, so could not pass up the opportunity to stop by this museum (Chamberlain’s home) on my way through Maine.

The museum offers tours—they are included with the $15 price of admission—and I was given a personal and informative tour by an incredibly knowledgeable tour guide named Dana Carey. The tour takes you through each room of the house, where, in each case, different stories are related and Chamberlain’s life unfolds. Our tour lasted almost an hour and a half!

The museum is filled with original furniture and memorabilia from Chamberlain‘s life, which were fascinating to see up close.

Highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area, or making the drive...

My wife’s grandfather donated most of the items in the museum. Before you entered there use to be my wife’s grandfather’s name Murray Litchfield on a plaque thanking him. They also told him if he or his family ever want to tour the museum we would get in for free. This is the least they can do. Since most of the items donated came from him. Her family was friends with Chamberlain. Since her grandfather’s death they took down the plaque with his name and have told the family they would have to pay to visit. What a lack of respect to her grandfather and his legacy. My wife’s grandfather could have sold everything for thousands of dollars. Instead he donated it and they can’t even leave a plaque there in his memory.

So you leave me a number that has been...

Before visiting I knew a fair amount about Chamberlain as a general and a bit as a politician. But visiting his home taught me a lot about Chamberlain as a human being. Being in the same space he lived in, seeing some of the design choices and changes he made to the house make Chamberlain a much more "real" person.

Our guide made the visit incredibly informative and enjoyable, and it's clear that all who participate in keeping it open to the public take tremendous pride in what they do.

I'd also recommend taking the walking tour of Bowdoin College (we arrived about an hour early so we did this before the tour of the house). The Museum has an easy-to-follow map which highlights some of the places in the College which relate to...