5 Best Sights in Freeport, The Mid-Coast Region

Founded in 1912 after its namesake invented the iconic hunting boot, L.L. Bean began as a mail-order merchandiser with a creaky old retail store. Today, the giant flagship store attracts more than 3 million visitors annually. Open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, it is the anchor in the heart of Freeport's outlet-shopping district. You can still find the original hunting boots, along with cotton and wool sweaters; outerwear of all kinds; casual clothing, boots, and shoes for men, women, and kids; and camping equipment. Nearby are the company's home furnishings store and its bike, boat, and ski store. Don't miss the chance to snap a photo with the 16½-foot-tall statue of its signature rubber boot outside the main entrance, or visit its discount outlet, across the street in the Freeport Village Station mall.

It's not really a desert, as the climate isn't truly arid, but this 40-acre expanse of sand, a glacial deposit created during the last Ice Age, is nevertheless intriguing. In the 1800s, erosion caused by farming removed the thin layer of top soil and revealed the dune field, which has been a popular roadside tourist attraction since the 1920s. More than 40 interpretive signs along a mile-long, self-guided walk explain the geology, history, and ecology. You can dig for fossils using the tools and techniques employed by paleontologists. Kids love the gemstone village, with fairy houses and a hobbit house, where they can hunt for (and keep) polished gems hidden throughout a maze. Rounding out the offerings are a miniature golf course and occasional open-air theatrical productions.

Pick up a village walking map and delve into Freeport's rich past through the exhibits at the Freeport Historical Society, located in Harrington House, a hybrid Federal- and Greek Revival-style home built in the 1830s. It's a good idea to call ahead to make sure it's open. The historical society also offers walking tours a few times a month in the summer.

The grounds of the Freeport Historical Society's saltwater Pettengill Farm—140 beautifully tended acres along an estuary of the Harraseeket River—are open to the public. It's about a 15-minute walk from the parking area down a farm road to the circa-1800 saltbox farmhouse, which is open by appointment. Little has changed since it was built, and it has rare etchings (called sgraffiti) of ships and sea monsters on three bedroom walls.