Designing Acadia

Images of Mount Desert Island and Acadia

Images of Mount Desert Island and Acadia

View Maine Memory Network Items about the people, history, culture, and natural beauty of Mount Desert Island

For one hundred years, Acadia National Park has captured the American imagination and stood as the most recognizable symbol of Maine’s important natural history and identity. Decades before the creation of the national park system, tourists traveled to Mount Desert Island to experience and enjoy nature.

When the area now known as Acadia National Park was created in 1916, it was on land that had been used for centuries by Native Americans, local farmers and fisherman, and, more recently, wealthy rusticators and tourists.

Explore the history of Mount Desert Island, Acadia National Park, surrounding towns, and the people of the region through the online records and exhibitions created by Maine Memory Network Contributing Partners across Maine.