The L. C. Bates Museum at Good Will-Hinckley is an early 20
th century natural history and cultural museum. It is housed in an historic 1903 Romanesque Revival brick school building. Museum exhibits include Maine natural history, Americana, art, archaeology, minerals, ethnology, and Maine history. Featured museum exhibit tells the history of Good Will-Hinckley and the children who called it home.
There are nature trails, picnic tables, and an arboretum behind the museum.
Summer Art Exhibits are held in the museum. Saturdays features Family and Children’s natural history and history workshops and hikes. The Museum offers Outreach and In-House Natural History and Maine History programs for schools and groups and programs for birthday parties and scouts.
Click on "Listing of museum programs" at the left hand side of the
page for a full description of programs we offer!
Admission
Adults $3.00, Children up to 17 years $1.00
Spring, Summer and Autumn Hours (April until mid-November):
Weds, Thurs, Fri and Sat 10 AM to 4:30PM and Sunday 1 to 4:30 PM and other times by appointment.
Winter Hours (mid-November to March):
Wednesday through Saturday 10AM to 4:30PM and other times by appointment or chance, please call 238-4250 to be sure we are here to greet you in winter. Closed if the roads are snowy.
Please note that we are not heated in winter! Dress warmly if you come for a visit.
Max tries out his shark smile!
Rosemary is scared of how large the stegosaurus rib is!
Self-Guided Outdoor Activities
Good Will-Hinckley Nature Trails Start Behind the Museum
Self-Guided Trail Maps, Children’s Outdoor Discovery Packs, and Museum Animal Discovery Boxes, are available at the museum
Picnic Tables in Arboretum- Carry/In Carry/out
Museum Gift Shop
Open museum hours. The gift shop features many educational items for curious adults and children, including puppets, books, jewelry, posters,and natural items such as minerals, shells and fossils. The gift shop has a wide range of prices including 1$ dollar items to allow kids and school groups to shop too!
Membership and Volunteering
We welcome new museum memberships and volunteers to have fun, share their knowledge and learn while making the L.C.Bates Museum available to central Maine Community. If you have a special interest or talent, please inquire about volunteering.
The L.C.Bates Museum is located 5 miles north of I 95 exit 133 on Rt. 201 halfway between Skowhegan and Fairfield.
L. C. Bates Museum
At Good Will-Hinckley
Rt 201, PO Box 159, Hinckley, ME 04944
CHECK OUT OUR PHOTOS BELOW!
Acer and West explore the Audubon Room
Fun at the Pond! Children learn that wetlands are filled with life- from amphibian to insect to crustacean!
Pondering the Audobon Room...
Trying out a hoop and stick toy!
This is an example of the museum's historic dioramas, painted in the 1920's by Impressionist painter Charles Hubbard.
The museum gift shop has something for everyone and great stocking stuffers!
Volunteers help to make the museum a success!
Touching real fossils!
Many wonderful cultural artifacts are also on display!