FIFTH MAINE REGIMENT MUSEUM

The Fifth Maine Regiment Memorial Hall was built in 1888 by the veterans of the Fifth Maine Volunteer Regiment as a memorial and reunion hall. The veterans created a quiet, almost sacred space where they gathered, reminisced, and drew comfort from each other. As time passed, the reunions grew smaller and smaller (the last one was in 1940), and the building fell into disrepair.

In 1956, The Fifth Maine Regiment building was given to the Peaks Island community by the descendants of the veterans who built it. Since then, restoration work has brought the building back to its former glory. It is an architectural gem that is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, the building houses the Fifth Maine Museum, a museum that tells two intriguing and related stories through objects, artifacts and exhibits: the story of the Fifth Maine Civil War Regiment and the history of Peaks Island--from its early settlement, to its days as the "Coney Island of the North,” to its role during WW II and beyond. The Fifth Maine Museum is also an active community center, hosting dozens of community events each year for local non-profits and organizations.