by Ann Parker
Whether you’re a visitor “from away” or a fourth-generation Mainer, admit it – you’ve often yearned for a look inside some of the stately historic homes that grace our legacy-rich state.
For the last 24 years, SPI (Sagadahoc Preservation Inc.) has made just that desire come true for thousands of attendees visiting its annual Historic Homes and Gardens Tour, This event, which has focused on communities ranging from Phippsburg to Days Ferry, centers primarily around the Bath area. About a dozen sites open their garden gates and doors each year, revealing homes that can date back as far as the 1700s.
The 2026 tour, to be held June 20 in Bath’s Historic District, has expanded its appeal by including the Patten Free Library (circa 1889), Bath’s Masonic Temple, and three historic houses of worship. In addition to visiting a number of historically significant homes and lush gardens, attendees also will be treated to behind-the-scenes glimpses of the Chocolate Church and Winter Street Church (now both community centers) and the Swedenborgian Church, which has been a functioning house of worship since 1839.
People from across Maine and beyond are drawn to the annual tour that is is held rain or shine. Some have attended many years in a row; for others, it’s a first-time glimpse into sites that include homes built before their great-great-grandparents were born. The architectural styles are rich and varied, from imposing Federal and Italianate structures to more ornate Greek Revival and Queen Anne designs.
Every person on the tour receives a program that includes a detailed description of the history and architecture of each venue, accompanied by a color photo. This booklet serves as a ticket for the tour, as well as including a self-guided map showing all the destinations. It’s also a souvenir many people keep and treasure.
One aspect is true in nearly every home: renovations have been added, from modernized kitchens to expanded bedrooms. But this combination of historic and contemporary is one of the attractions of the tour, particularly because most homeowners have been careful to retain their property’s classic appeal. Often their program descriptions will mention a specific contractor or woodworker, praising work that has added to, rather than detracting from, the house.
Often site descriptions contain interesting tidbits and anecdotes provided by the current owners. At one Greek Revival home on Washington Street in Bath, for instance, a life-size and extremely realistic replica of a horse gazes from the front porch. His name, the owner explains in the write-up, is Fred. The description continues, “He comes to life when children are looking, but grown-ups are not.”
Bath Historic Homes Tour – Tickets and details
Join us at this year’s tour with your advance purchase here.
Tickets are still available for the 2026 Historic Homes, Gardens, and Historic Houses of Worship Tour, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 20. Advance tickets can be purchased until June 18 on SPI’s website, sagadahocpreservation.org, for $40. Tickets at the door are $45; all tickets must be picked up on the day of the tour, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Winter Street Center, 880 Washington Street in Bath.
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