Town of Turner, Maine

Like many towns across America, Turner was named a prominent town official or leader. In this case, Reverend Turner is its namesake.Like many Maine towns that were settled early on, farming and mills were why folks initially came here. The villages of Turner Center and North Turner are considered part of Turner. The area still carries on its agricultural heritage, with a number of farms still operating in the area.

Turner had its share of troubles early on when the first mill built in 1775, along the banks of the Nezinscot River was destroyed by the great freshet, or spring thaw, of 1785. This event was particularly devastating because the mill was both the town’s sawmill and gristmill. They rebuilt it the next season, and over time a total of 5 sawmills and three gristmills comprised Turner Village; all went well until 1865 when a fire destroyed everything. Turner rebuilt again and continued to thrive.

Today, Turner is relatively quiet and rural, especially compared to the neighboring cities of Lewiston and Auburn, which is part of its charm and why people are drawn towards living and visiting here.

To help you visualize Turner on the Maine map, it is an hour north of Portland, off of I-95, and the state capitol, Augusta, is about 45 minutes to the east on Route 202.

Another thing that recently put Turner on the map was a video that surfaced in 2015 that featured either a large, lumbering Maine person or Sasquatch—more on this later.

Let’s have a look at what makes Turner a unique place to visit and live.

Exploring Turner Maine

The beautiful landscape and farmland in the foothills around Turner are a few of the first things you’ll notice about this town, and more than a few of the farms have opened their doors (or gates) and welcome you in to experience their produce and products.

Growing Maine apples for over nine generations, Ricker Hill Orchards invites you and your family in for apple picking, apple doughnuts, disc golf, and other planned events. They also have a Maple Sugar Shack, a part of Maine Maple Weekend held every March. And for adult-friendly activities, check out the Ricker Hill Tasting Room featuring Mainiac Hard Cider. They have so many unique offerings—grabbing a flight is your best option for sampling more than one of their award-winning hard ciders.

Before hitting the next farm, you might enjoy a hike at Jones-Bonney Turner Village Park, centrally located downtown, close to the local Hannaford Supermarket. The park has a short trail through pine forests to the banks of the scenic Nezinscot River and is dog friendly; take a hike, walk your dog and grab your groceries.

Your next stop should be a visit to the Nezinscot Farm, the first organic dairy in Maine and home to a cafe, a bakery, a fromagerie, a charcuterie, and a yarn & fiber studio. Besides a stop for produce, home-grown and homemade goods, Nezinscot Farm hosts special events and serves as a community hub where neighbors and visitors can meet.

The Androscoggin Riverlands State Park is a 2,675-acre expanse with 12 miles of riverfront footage that offers recreational activities for everyone—there’s the Turner Boat Launch for boating and paddling, ATV trails, hunting and fishing, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and snowmobiling—all on beautiful undeveloped land with abundant habitat for wildlife.

The Bigfoot Sighting Somewhere In or Around Turner

The famous (or infamous) video of Bigfoot was taken in an undisclosed area in Turner and went viral in 2015. A longtime Bigfoot hunter (and researcher) from Durham, Maine, Bill Brock, weighed in and felt there was enough compelling evidence not to dispel the video, just yet. Not only was there footage of a creature that looked like Bigfoot—there were footprints. The case remains unresolved, and things have been pretty quiet since then.

What Makes Turner a Community

The Turner Museum and Historical Society is located on the fourth floor of the Leavitt Institute Building and houses information and artifacts related to Turner’s history. The museum is located in the community’s village center and is open to the public with limited visiting hours.

The Leavitt Institute Building is a former school dedicated in 1897 to James Madison Leavitt, who funded the project. And there is the Turner Town House, a historic town hall built in 1831 and on the National Register of Historic Places. Turner also has a Gazebo located on the grounds of the Leavitt Institute and features a summer concert series—you are invited to bring your lawn chairs and have a seat to enjoy the tunes.

There is a local 9-hole golf course, the Turner Highland Golf Course, and a restaurant (limited winter hours) open year-round.

The Highland Grill serves food and drinks and hosts weekly cribbage games in the winter. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, check out Terry and Maxine’s; there’s something to be said for a restaurant that serves their Fish & Chips in either a tugboat or a vessel-sized portion—the entire menu just looks yummy.

Antigoni’s Pizza has 32 specialty pizzas, a plethora of pastas, appetizers, sandwiches, and subs, hard to pass up all these choices.

It’s safe to say that for a rural community, Turner has some exciting things to do and see (keep your eyes peeled for Bigfoot) and excellent dining options for residents and visitors alike. If you need more dining and shopping options or cultural events, you are close to Lewiston and Auburn and are not far from Portland or Augusta.

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