The gorgeous gardens and well-groomed trails at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens offer endless possibilities for discovery. If you’d like to explore the Gardens property on your own, in your own time, the map available at the admissions desk in the Visitor Center is your ticket to an enjoyable visit. Volunteers and staff members are happy to answer your questions – either before you get started, during your walk (ask anyone with a Gardens shirt or nametag), or after your return to the Center.
Gardens Hours – Year-Round
Daily 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Shuttle Hours - In Season
The golf cart shuttle is a volunteer effort through which visitors can access various parts of the Gardens. See below for additional details.
Café Hours
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. May 9 - October 19 (closed Tuesdays in May)
Catered lunches are available for groups year-round with advance reservations.
Gift Shop Hours
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. May 1 – December 21
Until 8:00 p.m. Wednesdays in July & August
Library Hours
9:00 a.m. – noon Wednesdays, and by appointment
Admission Fees
Members: Free
Adults: $10
Seniors (65+): $8
Children (5-17): $5
Children under 5: Free
Family (2 adults & 2 children under 18): $25
Pre-booked groups of 10 or more: $7 per person
School or camp field trips: $3 per person
There is no admission fee from January through March.
Accessibility
The Visitor Center and Central Gardens, where our most-formal gardens are located, are ADA compliant, and there are benches placed throughout the grounds for visitors who may need to take a break. Click here for a map of our campus. The terrain in the remainder of the campus varies. The paths range from compacted-gravel walkways to trails through wooded areas. How easy or difficult it is to traverse these areas will depend on your particular situation. There may be some areas that are inaccessible to you and your party due to the natural topography of our site. You can discuss the particulars with the Visitor Center staff.
Shuttle Service
We offer a shuttle service that runs from 11-3 daily during the summer. The shuttles (expanded golf carts) cannot be reserved, and the service is not intended as a tour, but rather as assistance for those who find walking long distances difficult. The shuttle runs on a loop with predetermined stops along the Birch Allee, in the parking area, and at entrances to the Shoreland Trail and Giles Rhododendron & Perennial Garden. The route does not include the main campus, Haney Hillside Garden, or Vayo Meditation Garden. The shuttle is free, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This service is volunteer dependent, and while we have every intention of keeping to this schedule, it cannot be guaranteed. The staff at the front desk in the Visitor Center will know the schedule on the day of your visit.
Pet Policy
Dogs are permitted in all the parking areas at the Gardens and on the special dog-walking trail opening in 2008. There is also a water spigot and water dish for dogs in the picnic area beside the parking lot. We appreciate our visitors' picking up after their dogs. Except for service animals, dogs are not permitted on the remainder of the Gardens grounds.