A stay at Smuggler’s Cove Inn puts you within easy reach of more than one memorable coastal village. About a 30-minute drive from our East Boothbay property, Wiscasset bills itself as the prettiest village in Maine, and the Wiscasset shops along Main and Water streets go a long way toward earning that title. Antique dealers, independent booksellers and small-batch makers fill Federal-era buildings above the Sheepscot River.
Five Wiscasset Shops Worth a Slow Morning
Street parking is free along Main Street, and a public lot sits behind the storefronts, so you can park once and walk the village.
- For cards, notebooks, writing tools and small home goods, head to Rock Paper Scissors, a Main Street fixture for more than 20 years. Don’t skip the jewelry counter at the back.
- Fiction: A Novel Bookshop sits in a Water Street building overlooking the river. Despite the name, you’ll find nonfiction, poetry and cookbooks alongside the novels, plus candles, puzzles and greeting cards.
- Clothing, leather goods and antique furnishings share the floor at Plain Goods, a Connecticut shop with a second location here. It’s open May through December, and the buying leans toward timeless design and honest craftsmanship.
- Apparel, handcrafted jewelry, books and fine personal care products fill In the Clover, a women’s boutique in a whitewashed brick building from the 1800s.
- Serious antiquers should save time for Wiscasset Antiques Mall, three floors on Bath Road shared by nearly 100 dealers. Furniture, silver, glass, pottery and prints turn over constantly, so bring your measurements.
Other Things to Do on Your Maine Day Trip
The Wiscasset shops are clustered tightly enough that you can work in some history and a good lunch, too.
- Tour Castle Tucker, an 1807 mansion perched above the Sheepscot River with one of the most intact Victorian interiors in the country. Four generations of kitchen technology are still in place where the family used them.
- Walk up the hill to Nickels-Sortwell House, a Federal-style landmark built the same year by a shipping captain. Both houses run seasonal guided tours.
- Lobster rolls at Red’s Eats and pastries at Treats are both a short walk from the shops. The line at Red’s is part of the experience.
- Time your visit for the summer art walk, which opens galleries and storefronts into the evening.
Book Your Stay at Smuggler’s Cove Inn
Day trips like this one are easier when your home base sits close to everything, and that’s exactly what Smuggler’s Cove Inn offers. Our waterfront property spreads across five standalone buildings, with well-appointed guest rooms that include either a king bed or two queen beds, plus semi-private decks overlooking Linekin Bay.
Complimentary breakfast, an oceanfront pool, kayak and paddleboard rentals and dinner at 727 Ocean Sunset Bar round out a stay, and we keep pet-friendly rooms for guests traveling with a dog. If you’re comparing lodging in the Boothbay Harbor, Maine, region, few coastal Maine inns match this stretch of shoreline. Call 207-579-7004 to learn more about our East Boothbay hotel, current ways to save or which Wiscasset shops our staff send guests to first.