top of page
playground overview from welcome center - fixed_edited.jpg

Plan Your Visit

Buy Tickets, Get Directions, Come Prepared

Hours

We are open seasonally from May to October.

Desert of Maine:

Mon: 10am - 6pm

Tue: 10am - 6pm

Wed: 10am - 6pm

Thu: 10am - 6pm

Fri: 10am - 8pm

Sat: 10am - 8pm

Sun: 10am - 8pm

Mini Golf + Ice Cream:

Mon: 10am - 6pm

Tue: 10am - 6pm

Wed: 10am - 6pm

Thu: 10am - 6pm

Fri: 10am - 8pm

Sat: 10am - 8pm

Sun: 10am - 6pm

 

Directions

We are located at 95 Desert Rd in Freeport which is 2 miles north of exit 20 off of 295, at the dead end of Desert Rd.

Tickets

General Admission

Includes access to the dunes, self-guided tour, all exhibits such as Gemstone Village and Fossil Dig, nature trails, and the historic barn.

Adults:                    $18

Kids (4-12):             $14

Mini Golf 

18 holes of mini golf

Adults:                    $12

Kids (12 & under):  $11

Discounts

• $2 off mini golf with purchase of general admission
• 10% off for seniors (65+)

• 10% off for active duty military
• 20% off for groups of 20 or more

• 50% off for Snap/EBT/WIC/

Mainecare program participants

Buy Tickets Online

Reservations are not required but you can save yourself some time when you get here by buying your tickets online!  If your plans change, no worries, your tickets will be waiting for you for the rest of the season.

Grab a bite to eat!

Our classic snack bar serves grilled hot dogs, kielbasa, kettle corn, homemade lemonade, ice cream (scoop ice cream and soft serve), penny candy, locally roasted coffee, and more! 

The Oasis

Watch the Video!

It's really helpful to watch our short animated history video to help everyone in your group (kids included!) get the most out of your visit. What happened here and what things will you discover when you come? The video is fun and entertaining.

hermit profile picture.png
youtube.png
Rules & Safety
people on bench.jpg

Rules, Safety, & Etiquette

  • Unvaccinated guests are encouraged to wear masks inside the Welcome Center and when within 6' of guests from other groups

  • The Desert and all of its features are here for you to enjoy, but please do so respectfully. Do not remove or damage parts of exhibits or the natural landscape.

  • ​The Desert of Maine is tobacco- and drug-free — no smoking or vaping please

  • Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome!  Obviously, please clean up after them.

  • Young children must be supervised at all times

  • Please make sure you leave the premises by our posted closing time

  • Visitors are expected to follow directions from Desert of Maine staff

  • Additional, adorable information from our well-intentioned lawyers

Accessibility

Our goal is to make the Desert of Maine as accessible as possible for all people. The current owners bought the property in early 2019 season and spent much of the first 2 years addressing general safety issues with the buildings and grounds. Starting in 2021, we started making strides to improve accessibility, but all of the buildings are over 50 years old and the landscape presents unique challenges. Therefore, we are still at the beginning of a multi-year journey to realize our vision of accessibility.

Currently, the parking lot, Welcome Center, and Cafe are accessible. We have a boardwalk that leads to a vista of the dunes for those that can't walk on loose sand, and we have a beach wheelchair  and two off-road strollers we loan to guests, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis.

IMG_1976.jpeg

Accessibility at the Desert

bottom of page