PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 22, 2026
Six years after shutting its doors for renovations, the Maine State Museum is ready to welcome the public back to its upgraded facility and showcase the state’s history through brand-new exhibits. The two skeletons are surrounded by interactive and educational displays that provide information about the lives of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine. The exhibit also features the jaw and flipper bones of a right whale, an endangered species, that died from entanglement. “These are important ecological stories,” Museum Director Bernard Fishman said. Visitors can learn about Cornelia Thurza “Fly Rod” Crosby, the first registered Maine Guide, and stories from Maine’s history, like the first registered snowmobile in the state and a Lombard Log Hauler, a vehicle invented and manufactured in Maine for hauling logs.