Bangor (Maine)

Winter view of Bangor

Bangor is a small city of 32,000 people (2019) in the Highlands region of Maine. Bangor is the third-largest city in the state and the retail, cultural and service center for central, eastern and northern Maine. It is a good base for exploring Aroostook County, Down East & Acadia, the Maine Highlands and Maine’s Mid-Coast.

Understand

Incorporated as a town in 1791, it was sacked by the British during the War of 1812, was known for its strong anti-slavery stance in the Underground Railroad and US Civil War era and was heavily damaged by a 1911 fire. It is the closest city to Fort Knox State Historic Site, built from 1844-1869. As the first US landfall for arriving jetliners from Europe, its international airport is a welcome sight to pilots who want to throw drunkard passengers off inbound commercial flights. Its cultural facilities, including the University of Maine, rival much larger cities. As the home of author Stephen King, it appears often in fictional works, but travellers can be assured that as the city is relatively safe and peaceful they will not be eaten by mutant zombies.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Bangor International Airport (BGR  ^IATA), 287 Godfrey Boulevard (Exit 183 on Interstate 95), ☏ +1 207 947-0384. Bangor has year-round non-stop service on American from Philadelphia, Washington-National and Charlotte (seasonally); United from Newark, Washington-Dulles and Chicago O'Hare (seasonally); and Allegiant from Orlando-Sanford and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida. (updated Dec 2018)

By bus

• Concord Coach Lines, 1039 Union St (depot) (across from airport), ☏ +1 207 945-4000. Express or local routes from Boston through Portland. 
• Greyhound Lines, Dysart's Travel Stop @ 530 Coldbrook Road, Hermon, ☏ +1 207 945-3000. Connections from Boston and Portland. 
• Cyr Bus Lines, 153 Gilman Falls Ave (office/depot), Old Town; (bus stops) Dysart's Travel Stop @ 530 Coldbrook Rd and Concord depot @ 1039 Union St, ☏ +1 207 827-2010, toll-free: +1-800-244-2335. Service from Caribou Fosters in northern Maine. 

• West Bus. Bus service from Calais. (updated Jul 2024)

Get around

Downtown Bangor and the waterfront is easily explored by foot; the nearby Pickering Square parking garage offers the first two hours for free. Traveling to sites outside of downtown will require a car.

• Community Connector, ☏ +1 207 992-4670. Provides public bus service in Bangor and some surrounding towns. Single rides $1.50. 

See

Lower Main Street

• 1 Penobscot Theatre Company, 131 Main St, ☏ +1 207 942-3333.  
• Bangor Symphony Orchestra, ☏ +1 207 942-5555.  
• Ten Bucks Theatre company, ☏ +1 207 884-1030. Seasonal live theater at Eddington-Clifton Civic Center (Comins Hall)) at 1387 Main Road, Eddington, (10 miles from Brewer on Rt. 9). Summer performances of Shakespeare outdoors in Indian Trail Park and at Fort Knox in Prospect. $10. 

Do

Paul Bunyan statue

• 1 Thomas Hill Standpipe, ☏ +1 207 947-4516. 110-ft (34 m) tall water tower that gives the Queen City its "crown," open seasonally for tours. From the observation deck you can see to Mt. Katahdin on a clear day; enjoy the famous Maine foliage in the autumn. This requires climbing 100 steps, and is not handicapped accessible.  
• Queen City Cinema Club, Pickering Square. Free screenings of classic movies in summer, bring a lawn chair. 
• 2 Maine Discovery Museum, 74 Main St, ☏ +1 207 262-7200. Three-story Bangor Children's Museum, ideal for preschoolers but stimulating and entertaining for kids of all ages. $7.50. (updated Jan 2018)

• Queen City Cinema Club (QCCC), 128B Main Street, ☏ +1 207 942 2100, info@queencitycinemaclub.com. F-Su 4PM-midnight, Tu-Th 4-11PM, closed Monday. QCCC is an entertainment venue that offers board games, video game consoles, rentable theater space and film screenings, in addition to a snack bar and alcoholic beverages. (updated Jan 2021)
• Hollywood Casino (Hollywood Slots), 500 Main Street, ☏ +1 877 779 7771. 9AM-9PM (during COVID-curfew). One of only two licensed casinos in the state of Maine, the casino features 923 slot machines as well as table games. Also offers several restaurants and an attached hotel. (updated Jan 2021)
• Stephen King's House, 47 West Broadway. Open 24/7, creepiest at night. Victorian mansion, home to the famed horror novelist, with wrought-iron bats and spiders on the gate. A must-see for fans of Bangor's most famous resident!. (updated Jan 2021)

Festivals and events

• Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race. April 
• Cool Sounds Music Series, Pickering Square. mid-June to August. 
• Bangor Band. Free Tuesday night concerts around Bangor through the summer, as well as other performances throughout the year. 

Buy

• Mexicali Blues, 1 W Market Square, ☏ +1 207 990-4113. Hippie clothing, women's bohemian fashions, tie dye clothing, hand-crafted jewellery, cool toys and kitchen wares. 

Eat

• Bagel Central, 33 Central St, ☏ +1 207 947-1654. Bagels, sandwiches, soups and baked goods. Bright dining area with tall ceilings and full length windows. 
• Taste of India, 68 Main St, ☏ +1 207 945-6865. Indian food, lunch specials, buffet W-F. Good Indian beer and (domestic?) wine selection, Beside Maine Discovery Museum. $7 (lunch special), $10-12 (evening). 
• Dysart's Restaurant, 530 Coldbrook Road, Hermon, ☏ +1 207 942-4878. Open 24/7. Truck stop with repair garage, reasonably-priced family food, travel store, event facilities for 10-200, deli and bakery, Greyhound bus stop. 
• Mason's, 15 Hardy St., Brewer, ☏ +1 207 989 6300. Rustic, spacious beerhall featuring its own artisanal brews & pub grub such as pizzas & burgers. Has an excellent view of the Penobscot River and offers outdoor dining with heat lamps that actually work very well. (updated Jan 2021)
• Timber Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bass Park Boulevard (on the first floor of the Residence Inn Bangor), ☏ +1 207 433 0844. Upscale spot for wood-fired New American, Maine-inspired entrees, pizza & burgers, plus craft beers & cocktails. Often considered the nicest restaurant in town. (updated Jan 2021)

Drink

• Sea Dog Brewing Co., 26 Front St, ☏ +1 207 947-8004. 
• Paddy Murphy's, 26 Main St, ☏ +1 207 945 6800. Plenty of brews, Irish & American bar food & nightly events are on tap at this polished-looking pub right in the center of downtown Bangor. (updated Jan 2021)
• Geaghan's Pub & Craft Brewery, 570 Main St, ☏ +1 207 945 3730. Long-standing Irish pub with a cheerful, down-to-earth vibe & a vast menu from pancakes to ribs. (updated Jan 2021)

Sleep

Unless you want to stay downtown, the "better cheap hotels" are concentrated in the "Odlin Road" area, which is near I-95 and the airport.

• Best Western White House Inn, 155 Littlefield Ave, ☏ +1 207 862-3737, toll-free: +1-800-780-7234, fax: +1 207 862-3737. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Continental breakfast, restaurant adjacent. Outdoor pool, seasonal walking path, exercise room, business center, lounge, guest laundry. Some theme rooms available with fireplace and Jacuzzi tub. 
• Charles Inn, 20 Broad St, ☏ +1 207 992-2820, fax: +1 207-992-2826, thecharlesinn@aol.com. Art gallery hotel. Morning meal included, wi-fi in lobbies and café. 
• Courtyard by Marriott, 236 Sylvan Rd (I-95 exit 187 (Hogan Rd), then immediate right onto Sylvan Rd.), ☏ +1 207 262-0070, fax: +1 207 262-0090. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Bistro on-site for breakfast and dinner. Wired and wireless Internet. $120-150. 
• Fairfield Inn Bangor, 300 Odlin Rd, ☏ +1 207 990-0001, fax: +1 207 990-0917. Wi-fi, refrigerator, breakfast included, near airport. $100-130. 
• Fireside Inns & Suites, 570 Main St (I-395 and Main Street), ☏ +1 207 942-1234, fax: +1 207 942-1234. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Beside casino, pet-friendly and fireplace rooms available. Wi-fi, lobby computer, 24 hour coffee bar. Geaghan's Restaurant & Pub +1 207 945-3730. 
• Four Points by Sheraton Bangor Airport, 308 Godfrey Blvd, ☏ +1 207 947-6721. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Connected directly to the Bangor Int'l Airport via an enclosed skywalk. Wi-fi, Godfrey's Lounge on-site. 
• Hilton Garden Inn Bangor, 250 Haskell Rd., ☏ +1 207 262-0099. (updated Mar 2019)
• Holiday Inn, 404 Odlin Rd, ☏ +1 207 947-0101. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. 208 non-smoking rooms with microwave and refrigerator. Lounge and restaurant on site, Full-Fitness Gold's Gym on property. Hot tub. Internet terminal in foyer near entrance. Breakfast not included. $100. 
• 1 Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway, 500 Main St, toll-free: +1-877-779-7771. Wi-fi, airport shuttle, fitness centre, restaurants, bar and lounge.  
• Howard Johnson's, 336 Odlin Rd, ☏ +1 207 942-5251, fax: +1 207 942-4227. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Outdoor pool, wi-fi in public areas, microwaves, refrigerators, extra charge for pets. Hotel remains open but the restaurant (one of the last two in the once-huge Howard Johnson restaurant chain) is closed, effective September 2016. $70 and up. 
• Motel 6, 1100 Hammond St, ☏ +1 207 947-6921, fax: +1 207 941-8543. Wi-fi, coin laundry, two-story pet-friendly motel with exterior corridors. 
• Ramada Bangor, 357 Odlin Rd, toll-free: +1-866-523-3959. Barnaby's Grill, wifi, business and fitness centres, indoor pool. 118 rooms, five meeting/banquet rooms with A/V facilities. Breakfast and newspaper included with room. 
• Residence Inn Bangor, 22 Bass Park Blvd., ☏ +1 207 433-0800. Free Wifi; breakfast; close to Downtown, casino, concerts; excellent restaurant (Timber) attached. (updated Mar 2019)
• Rodeway Inn, 327 Odlin Rd, ☏ +1 207 945-0111. Free WiFi, breakfast. 
• TownePlace Suites Bangor, 240 Sylvan Rd., ☏ +1 207 262-4000. Free WiFi, breakfast, pet-friendly. (updated Mar 2019)

Cope

Radio

Radio stations serving the Bangor area include:

• News/Talk: WMEH 90.9 FM (NPR), WVOM 103.9 FM (conservative)

Television

Television stations serving Bangor include:

• WLBZ Channel 2: NBC.
• WABI Channel 5: CBS.
• WVII Channel 7: ABC.
• WMEB Channel 12: PBS.

Go next

Acadia National Park

Routes through Bangor

Houlton ← Orono ←	N  S	→ Fairfield → Augusta
St. Johnsbury ← Skowhegan ←	W  E	→ Orono → Houlton
Augusta ← China ←	W  E	→ END
Jackman ← Monson ← Jct S ←	N  S	→ Bucksport → Stonington