Town of Eliot, Maine

People venturing into Vacationland have probably already heard of Bar Harbor, Portland, and Bangor, but one destination you may not be aware of is Eliot, Maine. Eliot is a charming town in the southernmost area of Maine, and as you can imagine, it is small and inviting. Formerly a part of Kittery, it incorporated into its own town in 1810.
Eliot is home to many historical sites, including Maine’s first Quaker Meetinghouse, built-in 1776. The Frost garrisons and the house was initially built by Col. John Frost in the 1790s as a fortress during battles with Native Americans and was allegedly connected with underground tunnels as escape routes.

Green Acre Bahá’í School is a functioning educational facility prominent in the United States. The former owner of the property of Green Acre Farm in the 1890s donated the home and land to the Bahá’í religious leadership, and it remains an educational center and meeting place. As you plan your trip to Eliot, be sure to set aside time to visit these unique sites, along with the Raitt Homestead Farm Museum to learn more about 19th-century farm life.

Exploring Eliot Maine

The Bartlett Homestead Stables, a well-known and respected horse boarding resource in Eliot, is part of the 240-acre Bondgarden Farm Operation. You can learn more about this historic site and its notorious early connection with Eliot-born and Dartmouth-educated Ralph Bartlett by reading Views from Rosemary Hill, a “history, mystery, ghost and love story.”

While in Eliot, you can enjoy views of the Piscataqua River and look across the river to New Hampshire. Eliot is a beautiful destination for your sightseeing needs. Stretch your legs and check out Goodwin Forest, an easy hike of about 1.3 miles, where you can wander near Shorey Brook and while you are in the area, check out Shorey Brook Farm Stand, your connection for the best peach and apple pie, preserves, farm-fresh eggs and even Maine-made maple syrup. If you are up for another quick, 1-mile hike, check out Douglas Memorial Woods to see the natural beauty of the area and enjoy some photo opportunities.

Restaurants and Relaxation

Shilo Farm is where you can reacquaint with your best self through yoga, enjoy a sound bath experience for healing and connection or purchase some of their healing salves and tinctures. Shilo Farm can help you slow down and enjoy your surroundings and engage your senses. Eliot is also home to Modernist Pantry, a niche kitchen supply company supplying unique high-quality goods to chefs and cooking enthusiasts all over the world. Check out their website and learn the interesting story about how their company became established, from a tiny kitchen in New York City to a larger, multi-facility operation in Eliot.
For a cold drink and some pub food, check out 207 Tavern, who dubs themselves “a great local pub.” Regulars and visitors all agree that the margaritas and wings are worth the trip to Eliot alone, and the atmosphere is casual and welcoming.

What could be more local than a business aptly named The Eliot Meet Market Pizzeria and The “In” Convenient Store. A quick peek at their most recent Facebook post notes their specialties—tattoos, flats fixed, palm reader, live bait, voodoo dolls (made while you wait), mechanic on duty, and pickled eggs—ya gotta love a good sense of humor! Seriously though, they serve subs, pizzas, wine, wings, beer, ice cream, and sundries—here’s the menu.

Shipyard Brew Pub—home to Shipyard beer, the granddaddy of all Maine microbrews—was established in Eliot in 2005. Shipyard got its start in 1992 at the Kennebunkport Brewing Company in Kennebunk and is still going strong as one of the top producing craft beer companies in Maine. Folks love their Pumpkinhead Ale, only available seasonally, and Mainers know that fall has arrived when this beer reaches their local watering hole. Shipyard Brew Pubs are cozy and homey with a great selection of craft beers and a pub-style menu.

The White Heron is cooking, baking, and making home-style takeaway breakfasts, baked goods, and lunch items. And they whip up a huge selection of specialty beverages, hot and cold coffees, teas, and smoothies using their own line of White Heron products. They are open every day of the week, is a great place to meet neighbors and friends and learn about local news and events.

Eliot has all the essential shops and stores for the goods and services a community needs to thrive. For fresh home-grown goods, check out Bartlett Farms CSA and Farm Stand and Bondgarden Farm. Eliot Commons is the local mall, and if you can’t find what you need here, Kittery is a 10-minute drive to the east and home to many shopping outlets.

If you are craving a coffee and quality pastry, wrap or sandwich, you must stop by White Heron Maine, a local favorite that is sure to become yours, too.

And obviously, you can’t come to Maine without buying some fresh lobster. Island Seafood, headquartered in Eliot, Maine is a short jaunt and offers world-class, internationally sought lobster. While you’re in the area, don’t forget to stop by King Tut’s Cider Co on the Goodwin Road in Eliot. Their fresh apple cider is the best of the best. Buy a jug or five to enjoy during your trip and after you return home.

Sturgeon Creek Farm is another excellent place to visit during your trip to Eliot, Maine. If you and your fellow travelers love tradition, you will enjoy the annual Harvest Fall Festival at Sturgeon Creek Farm, where you can tour the property, enjoy delicious food and farm-made cider, and stick around for the bonfire. Eliot is home to diverse businesses, from Poolyle Productions, a humor and entertainment duo, to East Coast Cannabis, where customers can learn about and purchase a variety of cannabis types.
Maybe you had never thought of Eliot as a vacation destination, but this small Maine town is the definition of that saying, “good things come in small packages.” Whether you are passing through and heading to Kittery for a day of shopping and sightseeing, or simply want a low-stress, interesting place to visit where you can learn and explore nature, you can find your bliss in Eliot.

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