Nestled a few miles off the coast of Maine, Eagle Island State Historic Site, and National Historic Landmark, receives about 6,000 visitors each season who tour the summer home of North Pole Explorer Admiral Robert Peary. Purchased in 1881 for $200, the island provides a perfect perch for Peary's summer home that overlooks Casco Bay and surrounding islands. Eagle Island received National Historic Landmark designation from the Secretary of the Interior on August 25, 2014 in recognition of the property's national significance in the history of the United States.

Panoramic views of ocean scenery, squawking seagulls, and fragrant flowers offer guests a unique opportunity to live a day in the life of the famous 1900s explorer. The island is void of any mechanical devices and from the moment visitors arrive, one gets the sense that Admiral Peary and his wife, Josephine could be sitting atop the library's roof watching people explore corners of their island getaway. Josephine cultivated beautiful gardens that featured foxgloves among other colorful flowers. Bureau of Parks and Lands staff tend those same gardens today.

While in the area, make it a point to also visit the Peary-McMillan Arctic Museum at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. Admiral Peary was a graduate of Bowdoin.

State Parks Tagged With: Harpswell