City of Waterville, Maine

Waterville and its historic Main Street are nestled along the west bank of the Kennebec River in central Maine. The Kennebec, which flows from Moosehead Lake to the Atlantic Ocean, was the route the first settlers used to get to Maine’s interior. The river served as a major landmark in an unexplored territory.

Many of the first industries in Waterville were reliant on the river, including fishing, lumbering, and shipbuilding. Waterville also developed as an educational center and today is home to Colby College, established in 1813, and Thomas College in 1894. The colleges are a source of vibrancy and vitality for Waterville.

Exploring Waterville Maine

There’s no doubt Waterville is a picturesque, charming New England riverside town, which is a large part of its appeal. However, there’s so much more here than meets the eye. There’s something for everyone to explore, from the arts to year-round outdoor activities to a thriving downtown shopping and dining district.

The Waterville Cultural Scene

With an emphasis on higher education, it’s no surprise that Waterville has a flourishing art and music scene. There’s so much to do and see in Waterville, and many of these activities are free.

The historic Waterville Opera House, in the heart of downtown, the historic Waterville Opera House attracts national musical events and theatre productions. The Opera House supports the community through its youth theatre programs, and it sponsors a summer concert series called Waterville Rocks at the newly renovated Head of the Falls Park and River Walk.

Colby College Museum of Art is renowned for its collection of American Art from the early 18th century to the present. It has an extensive Chinese antiquities collection and also features European works. The museum is free to visit.

The Railroad Square Cinema, home to the Maine International Film Festival, is one of the best, independent, art-house cinemas in New England. The cinema features foreign, classic, independent, and contemporary films on three screens, serving the “best popcorn in the universe.”

What better way to get to know Waterville’s historic downtown district than by taking the Downtown Self-Guided Walking Tour? The district has seven buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While you’re out and about on your tour, pop in and see what’s happening at Ticonic Gallery and Studios (formerly Common Street Arts), a non-profit, collaborative, community arts space offering exhibitions, education, and enrichment.

Waterville always has something going on, from the Atlantic Music Festival to the Downtown Farmer’s Market and Intown Arts Festival. There’s no shortage of exciting things to see and do. Here’s a link to general information from the city of Waterville, which also offers an updated calendar of things you can do today.

Enjoyable Activities Out and About in Waterville

Head of the Falls and River Walk received significant renovations in 2018 and now has a walkway along the Kennebec (with lighting), an amphitheater, a children’s play area, art installations, landscaping, and to top it all off a gazebo. The outdoor concert series Waterville Rocks takes place here in the summer and is a free, family-friendly event. Grab your lawn chairs or a blanket, and a picnic and enjoy!

While you are here, you can visit the Ticonic Footbridge, formerly known as Two Cent Bridge or Two Penny Bridge, the last remaining toll footbridge in the United States. The original footbridge was built in 1901, and it was constructed so that workers had easy access to Winslow just across the Kennebec from Waterville. The cost to cross was one penny. However, the bridge didn’t quite last a year when it was washed away by high waters. After it was rebuilt in 1903, the cost of getting from one side to the other was raised to two cents. After being gifted to the city of Waterville in 1960, the toll was removed.

About two miles from downtown Waterville are Quarry Road Trails, a year-round outdoor recreational destination where you can snowshoe, cross-country ski, bike, hike, and run and paddle. Owned and operated by the City of Waterville Department of Parks & Recreation, the Quarry aims to develop year-round outdoor activities and strengthen the community. It also has snow-making equipment, and once it is cold enough, snow is made for winter activities all season long.

If you want to get on the Kennebec River for paddling or fishing, Waterville is one of three places with access along a 17-mile stretch of the river. Being out on the historic Kennebec River offers beautiful scenery, wildlife watching, and fishing. You can target striped bass, brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, shad, and landlocked salmon.

Downtown Shopping and Dining

It would be hard to mention shopping in Waterville without mentioning Marden’s, a Maine-owned chain of “surplus and salvage discount stores offering deep discounts.” More than anything, a trip to Marden’s is more of an adventure than a shopping trip. You never know what you might find.

Head on over to Enchanted Herbs and Teas, and you’ll have a much narrower array of items (and services) to choose from. Part herbal apothecary and tea emporium with a healing arts center focusing on hydrotherapy, Enchanted Herbs and Teas is a welcoming and relaxing shop. They have an eclectic tea selection and recently added a psychic/medium reader. Oh, and there’s a Vintage Candy Shop, too!

If you are into antiquing, Hathaway Mill Antiques in the newly renovated Hathaway Creative Center is a multi-dealer antique mall featuring many antiques and collectibles. Wander through the 75 set up displays and take a stroll through history.

Waterville is home to a variety of dining options, from breweries to specialty shops to tasty fare “from away.”

First up is Lebanese Cuisine, a small, no-frills eatery featuring vegan and non-vegan Lebanese entrees at very reasonable prices. Falafel wraps, hummus, and tabouli are but a few of their many offerings. Open AM hours only.

The Proper Pig was established in 2016 as part of Waterville’s downtown revitalization project, and its owners wanted to create a casual place to sample Maine-made beers and great food. Their motto is “Brine your Mind, While You Dine on Swine.” As you might guess, The Proper Pig features a lot of entrees with pulled pork, and everything on the menu looks delicious—the Bacon Caramel Cheesecake might just “take the cake”!

We’ll wrap up with this popular Waterville bread bakery well worth trying. Customers of Universal Bread Bakers rave about the European-style bread that comes out of their ovens daily. The bakery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM till 5 PM but closes earlier if the bread sells out. However, you can pre-order, so you don’t miss out.

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