Atlantic Oceanside Hotel FAQs

Halloween in Bar Harbor: A Ghostly Guide to October Fun

Bar Harbor in October is hauntingly beautiful, with the trees painted in vibrant reds, oranges and yellows, and residents’ houses decked out with jack-o-lanterns and spooky décor. Here on Mount Desert Island, we take our holidays seriously, especially for their opportunities to gather and connect as a community—just take our 4th of July or Christmas celebrations for example. And Halloween in Bar Harbor is no exception. We lean on the rich history of our town to bring spooky stories to life and plan lots of activities that get us out into the beautiful, crisp October air.

If you’re a fan of eerie thrills or just happen to be visiting our island this time of year, read on to find 4 things to do in Bar Harbor in October that encompass the magic of Halloween.

Fall scenery with spooky, but charming pumpkin head scarecrow beneath a hand drawn "beware" sign.

Exploring the Haunted Side of Bar Harbor

The Wabanaki, Maine’s native people, have inhabited the area in and around Bar Harbor for 12,000 years and the land is steeped in indigenous spirit tales, burial grounds and more. In addition, our town is full of grand summer estates dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries that are ripe for paranormal activity. The Ledgelawn Inn, for example, was built in 1904 and is largely considered the most haunted building on the island, visited by the ghost of Mary Margaret. For those brave enough, there are two options for delving into the chilling mysteries of Bar Harbor.

Bar Harbor Ghost Tours is a 100% Native American Owned and family operated tour company that offers four different ways to explore the spooky stories of our town. Each tour is thoroughly researched and led by experienced, local storytellers. The historically dressed guides guide the way with their eery blue lanterns through Bar Harbor’s ghostly hot spots, telling tales of spirited encounters and even giving you the chance to listen to an Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) of a resident spirit. Cameras are encouraged to capture evidence of orbs, apparitions and other things that go bump in the night. Tours are typically 90 minutes, set just after sunset and cover varying distances.

The Bar Harbor Ghost Walk is run by American Ghost Walks and focuses on the history of Ledgelawn Inn and the jilted bride who wanders its halls. Tour guests will learn about 3 major types of ghosts: residual manifestations, intelligent hauntings, and poltergeists on their walk through Bar Harbor. Trailing along the shore path at night, with more stories of strange goings-on at the Balance Rock Inn and the legendary Bar Harbor Club, this is true spine-tingling activity.

Our Own Spooky Stories

Like much of Bar Harbor, some of Witham’s properties are also historical residences full of stories of residents and guests. The Willows, a historic estate on the grounds of the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel, is rumored to be haunted by a young girl. General Manager of the AO, Dede Daigle, shares that staff at the 1913 property have seen lights turn on suddenly in parlor, or doors close of their own accord. But to understand these wandering spirits you must go back to when the building was erected. Miss Charlotte Baker and Miss Clara B. Spence summered together each year in their Regency style seaside mansion. Together they adopted four children, perhaps the culprits of the strange sightings around the Willows today.

Originally built as a literary and social club, the Bar Harbor Inn, likewise has rich history. “Well, we have lots of stories…” said Jeremy Dougherty, Manager of the Bar Harbor Inn. The Reading Room, especially holds the stories—and spirits—of yachtsmen, US Naval officers, victims of the 1947 fire, and hotel guests past.

“There have been multiple times when I’ll be here by myself at the end of the season, everyone has gone home, the lights are off, there are no guests,” Jeremy begins. “I would come downstairs from my office above the dining room and as I walked through history hall, I would hear the sounds of people dining,” he said. Knives and forks scraping on plates, glasses clinking, and the muffled voices of diners. But then he would arrive at the restaurant, and no one would be there, the Reading Room blanketed in darkness. “And I’d think, that’s enough for today!” Let the ghosts have their dinner.

These haunting sounds were not the only inexplicable occurrence at the Inn. At the start of the season, staff have claimed to hear a woman’s voice calling sweetly, “Oh, you’re back.” In the winter, room 120 in the main hotel crackled with paranormal activity, the TV frequently turning on unbidden. Spend a few nights in the Inn and you may unknowingly bump shoulders with one of its spirits.

Trick or Treat in Bar Harbor

What would Halloween in Bar Harbor be without costumes and candy? To ensure the evening of traipsing is safe for all, the town of Bar Harbor closes Ledgelawn Ave. to vehicles between 3pm and 8:30pm. Groups of witches, monsters, fairy tale characters, and superheroes hustle from door to door, enticed by residents’ extravagant decorations and gossip of who has the king-sized candy bars. In fact, children from all around the island carpool to this stretch of downtown for some of the best trick or treat in Bar Harbor. Southwest Harbor also hosts their annual Trunk or Treat at the Southwest Harbor Congregational Church where residents post up with cars adorned in spooky décor to hand out candy, play games, and more!

Acadia Oktoberfest

If you’re looking for more fun things to do in Bar Harbor in October, the Acadia Oktoberfest is an event with something for everyone in the family. The festival is more than just beer—although there are 10 different craft brewing vendors in attendance. It also includes local food trucks, wine tastings, craft vendors, live music, and ale-themed games like stein hoisting and the keg toss. It’s a great way to sample local brews, chat with residents, and enjoy the “quietside” of Mount Desert Island. Tickets are $10-35 depending on the amount of tasting you plan to do!

While You’re Here, Enjoy Acadia in October

The national park gets in the holiday spirit too. Halloween in Bar Harbor happens to coincide with the end of peak leaf peeping season for our region of Maine’s coast. The forests of Acadia in October begin to shed their bright red and orange leaves and transform into spindly, spooky fingers reaching to the skies. October’s moon, the Hunter’s moon, will be waning by the end of the month, adding to the perfect Halloween backdrop. For an eerie adventure, visit the park at night to enjoy excellent stargazing. We especially love to bring a blanket and settle down at Seawall where you can get stellar views and the mesmerizing sound of ocean waves.

From spine-chilling ghost tours at the historic Ledgelawn Inn to vibrant community celebrations, Bar Harbor in October offers a unique blend of eerie tales and festive gatherings. Explore haunted histories and enjoy local traditions under a canopy of fiery fall foliage, making your visit a memorable blend of thrill and enchantment. Whether seeking ghostly adventures or festive fun, Bar Harbor invites you to experience its mystical charm firsthand. And if you have any spooky stories from your stay in Bar Harbor, feel free to email us and share them to add to our town’s Halloween lore.

Authentic Bar Harbor: Stories from Returning Visitors

So, you want to know: Where do the locals eat in Bar Harbor? What’s the best time of year to visit Acadia? Where should you stay? Which boat cruise should you take in Frenchman Bay? What is there to do in Bar Harbor that’s off the beaten path? Essentially, how do you plan the perfect trip to Mount Desert Island.

Those are all great questions! You’re among many of today’s travelers that are doing more research before booking a trip. And for good reason. According to a report by IPX1031, 50% of Americans plan to travel more in 2024 than they did in 2023. In fact, the amount of money that’s being spent on tourism in 2024 is expected to reach an all time high of $2.5 trillion. So, it makes sense that we want to be thoughtful about where, how, and on what we are spending our travel budgets.

Increasingly, we’re looking for our investments in travel to be rewarded with personalized experiences that prioritize the ability to unplug and spend quality time with loved ones. Above all, we want our experiences to feel authentic. A 2023 survey by Booking.com found 75% of travelers “seek authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture.” But what exactly does it mean to travel authentically?

As we take trips that are meant to leave us feeling more connected to ourselves and our family or friends, we also want to walk away feeling more connected to the place we visited. We want to develop a deeper understanding for and participation in the culture, community, and traditions of our destinations. But perhaps this is an unsatisfying answer.

How to Have an Authentic Bar Harbor Experience

After more than 30 years hosting visitors to our Downeast town, we have a lot of tips and tricks up our sleeve for how to have the best Bar Harbor vacation. But the truth is that everyone has their own unique way of enjoying Mount Desert Island.

Some spend all their time hiking and exploring Acadia National Park. “People do disappear,” said Jeremy Dougherty, Manager of the Bar Harbor Inn. “They stay with us for four nights but are in Acadia four days in a row, so after check-in, we might not see them much. I mean, this place is an Adventure Land,” he said. “In Acadia, there’s a spiderweb of trails and sights you can link up to customize your adventure.”

Others would prefer to take their Bar Harbor vacation slow, relaxing by the pool or strolling through downtown. “This is their time to sit and drink coffee together and watch the Shore Path,” said Jeremy. “They’re here to drink a glass of wine on the balcony, come down and have long dinner and just do nothing.”

But no matter the vacation style, the evidence shows that many of them fall in love with Bar Harbor. Every year, around 250,000 guests stay in one of our six Bar Harbor hotels or motels. And 10% return—that’s approximately 25,000 people who choose to visit Bar Harbor again. In many cases, we’re not just talking about a second or third visit, rather generations of families who spend a part of every year here.

“Our repeat guests often want the same room. They want to be in the same spot on the property. They even want the same housekeeping staff,” said Jordan Soucy, Manager of the Bar Harbor Motel. “They like that it’s predictable.”

This, we think, is the key to achieving that authentic Bar Harbor trip. There’s no single correct answer for how to make the most of your vacation to Bar Harbor, but those who return to our island again and again have become more than just visitors. We’re most definitely biased, but we witness the true magic of Bar Harbor come alive when our visitors become part of the community fabric, joining us to celebrate local traditions like the annual 4^th of July Seafood Festival, becoming friends with residents and staff, and sharing their love of this place with others.

The Atlantic Oceanside has welcomed New Hampshire guests, Jim and Michelle, to Bar Harbor for 20 years in a row. They stay for a few weeks at a time, inviting friends or family members to join them for a weekend of hiking and biking. In many ways, this has turned Bar Harbor into something of a second home for them, showing off their preferred spots and activities to their own visitors.

Bethany Reece, Manager of the Acadia Inn, is also familiar with this type of repeat visitor. “I have two particular families that have been staying here since I can remember,” she said. “I’ve watched their kids grow up. They come because they feel like they’re connected to us.” One family, she shares, had their first stay when their son was a toddler. Now, nearly 15 years later, their two children are young adults attending college and the family still books the same room for the same week in June. When they arrive each year, check in is more than a formality—it’s an opportunity to spend twenty minutes catching up with the staff they know, asking how the winter was, and getting the low-down on what’s new in town.

Dictionaries might not agree, but maybe the best definition of travelling authentically is when you connect personally with people, places and activities. Bar Harbor’s annual visitors “go to their favorite lobster pound, go to their favorite restaurant, see the staff they know at all these places.” They get a vacation that is truly special because they’ve spent years, sometimes generations, creating those connections.

And it all starts with your first visit. We can help you figure out what to pack for your trip, lend our best tips on exploring Acadia via bicycle, make sure you have plenty to do on a rainy day, or share our absolute favorite hike, but the rest is up to you!

Winter in Bar Harbor

The Best Time to Go to Acadia National Park

Picture this: Acadia’s iconic Park Loop Road padded with a few inches of bright snow and patterned with cross country ski tracks and snowshoe prints. Freshly formed icicles glisten on the pink granite cliffs. A white-tailed deer steps carefully through the quiet forest among pine boughs weighed down under their white blankets. And the best part? You have it almost entirely to yourself.

There’s something truly magical about winter in Acadia National Park and we invite you to join us and experience its quiet splendor. Read our suggestions for how to spend the off season on Mount Desert Island and you too might be convinced that winter is the best season to visit Acadia National Park. Just grab your puffy, mittens and Bean boots.

Winter in Acadia National Park & Bar Harbor

By the end of October, Bar Harbor’s riot of colorful fall foliage has faded, and Mount Desert Island returns to its true form: a small, waterfront town of only about 5,000 year-round residents who fiercely love their little slice of Maine’s coast. “It’s quieter, people are just more relaxed, and everything moves a little slower,” says Rebecca Brann, general manager of the Bar Harbor Villager Motel. “It really sets the tone for the season.”

Winter in Bar Harbor gives visitors of glimpse of our town’s quirky traditions, access to Acadia’s sweeping views and winding carriage roads, and a chance to rest, relax and absorb the quiet beauty and slow pace of the season. Whether you’re looking for a winter workout, some holiday shopping, or a relaxing dip in a hot tub, we’ve got plenty of great suggestions for how to spend winter in Bar Harbor.

Book Your Winter Lodging

One of the few year-round lodgings in Bar Harbor, you couldn’t pick a better place to spend your winter nights than the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel. Each room boasts uninterrupted views of Frenchman Bay so every morning can be spent sipping hot coffee in front of your French doors, with a slow sunrise over the snow dotted beach.

Our indoor pool and hot tub stay open throughout the year, where you might bump into locals using their pool passes to get in a few laps under the greenhouse style roof.

The Bistro is a popular winter meeting spot for residents and visitors alike, where seasonal cocktails, craft beers and a locally inspired menu can be enjoyed beside floor to ceiling windows overlooking the water. “We have a fireplace. Come in, enjoy dinner, see the snow falling,” invites Dede Daigle, general manager of the Atlantic Oceanside. Plus, on special winter nights, The Bistro also hosts local music, open mics, and the occasional comedy set. You can always give us a ring to see what’s on deck.

The Atlantic Oceanside is also home to an event center, Bar Harbor’s go-to spot for meetings, conferences, private celebrations and more. With options for full-service catering, presentation technology and anything else you might need to make your event perfect, we’re prepared to welcome your group to Bar Harbor any time of year. You can also follow the Atlantic Oceanside on Facebook or Instagram to see announcements about public events like lobster bakes and film screenings.

With a cozy bed squared away, you’re ready for some winter adventures.

First Sunrise in the US at Cadillac Mountain

A sunrise hike up Cadillac Mountain is always a good idea, but it takes on a special quality between October and March of each year. Starting on October 7^th, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the United States that the sun touches so a hike to the summit during these months means you’ll be welcoming the day before anyone else in the country. You can take one of three routes up Acadia’s tallest peak or walk the curving summit road. In winter, it’s not uncommon to arrive at the trailhead and find the path ahead untouched by people, ready for you to make the first tracks through the snow.

If you’re looking for a truly exceptional winter hiking experience, we suggest a full moon hike of Cadillac. The snowy path practically glows in the light of a winter moon, and patches of exposed granite sparkle along the way. You’ll be rewarded at the summit with a serene landscape of frozen lakes, islands like cupcakes frosted with snow, and the sense that you could reach up and touch the moon. There are a few opportunities throughout winter in Acadia National Park to experience this wonder but our favorite is the Wolf Moon on January 25^th of 2024 which reaches peak brightness just past midnight.

“I hike all winter,” says Dede. “There are so many trails that you can do, even if you don’t have ice grippers.” Thanks to the gravel carriage roads and wealth of granite on Mount Desert Island, many of the park’s trails remain manageable even in the winter months. And if you find yourself in need of winter hiking gear, Dede assures that Bar Harbor’s local outdoor gear stores stay open during the off season, ready to equip you with spikes, trekking poles, and more.

Cross Country Skiing, Snowshoeing & More

Winter in Acadia national park makes road access by car limited, but that doesn’t mean trails are closed! Just as the carriage roads are perfect for biking in the summer months, they make ideal cross country ski and snowshoe trails when snow coats the ground. Volunteers set tracks and groom sections of the carriage roads to make these 45 miles of scenic trails even more perfect for winter recreation. Spend early mornings gliding around Eagle Lake alongside residents or bring the whole family for afternoons passing under stone bridges or pausing for a snowball fight in the amphitheater. You can bring your own equipment or rent from a local shop like Cadillac Mountain Sports or Alpenglow Adventure Sports.

Some of Acadia’s lakes and ponds also freeze during the winter and, for savvy skaters, can make beautiful spots to ice skate. Just make sure to check the depth of the ice and be prepared for the uneven surfaces that come with ungroomed, natural skating.

Ice climbers also flock to Acadia in winter, eager to try their skills on frozen waterfalls and columns of clear blue ice that form on our granite cliffs. There are a number of guide services that welcome beginners to this winter sport, like Equinox and Acadia Mountain Guides.

Pajama Sale? Bed Races? Say What?

For more than 25 years, the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce has organized an event wholly unique to our Mount Desert Island community: the Early Bird Pajama Sale. In mid-November, the town rolls out of bed and hits the streets of Bar Harbor in their pajamas to score deals on holiday gifts and more from 30+ participating local businesses. When else will you find people shopping in slippers and long johns than winter in Bar Harbor?

By mid-morning, the second Mount Desert Island winter tradition kicks off. Local businesses and organizations form teams to build and decorate souped up bed frames, some elaborate enough to rival Macy’s parade floats. They race through downtown, pajama-clad crowds cheering them on to win first place and bragging rights for the year. The fun isn’t over yet!

In early December, Santa Claus makes his appearance in Bar Harbor for the Village Holidays celebration. Neighbors pass around free hot cocoa, the YMCA hosts kid friendly activities like ornament making and cookie decorating, and the town tree is lit for the first time as the sun sets. The holiday season truly shifts into high gear with the start of the Midnight Madness sale where local shops keep their doors open late into the night for shoppers to find their perfect presents and grab a few discounts along the way.

When the streets are cleared of tourists, Bar Harbor’s shenanigans come out, celebrating the success of another busy summer concluded and adding a sparkle to everyone’s eye before we settle in to rest and recuperate for the coming spring. Exhilarating and silly, these unique winter traditions keep the community connected and help support local businesses in the dark months.

A Magical Winter Sabbatical

The truth is you don’t need an activity to bring you to Bar Harbor in winter. We might be biased but we think Mount Desert Island is the perfect place for a sabbatical. From your room, you can enjoy the quiet winter landscape while you work on a novel, research paper, or just get away for a bit. Visit the public library to pick up new reading material or attend an author talk. “In the winter, most guests are happy to just sink into a chair and read for a few hours,” says Bethany Reece, general manager of the Acadia Inn.

Bundle up and stroll the shore path, watching the lobstermen still hard at work pulling traps from the deep waters where crustaceans hang out in this season. Or enjoy views of Somes Sound and the Bass Harbor lighthouse along Sargent Drive, from the safety of a heated car. Hungry? In the winter, local restaurants often rotate which days they open so there’s always somewhere to grab a hot bowl of chowder and a beer.

Winter Wonder Awaits

As snow dusts the rugged landscape of Mount Desert Island, there lies a secret waiting to be discovered by those who dare to venture to Downeast Maine in winter: Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park at their most serene. Days spent tracing the cross-country ski trails, winter hiking to watch the first rays of the sun grace America atop Cadillac or sharing in the cheer of Bar Harbor’s quirky winter traditions; this off-season haven is full of memories waiting to be made.

Full time residents cherish this quiet time of year on Mount Desert Island. By letting you in on the best time to visit Bar Harbor, Maine, we’re trusting you to maintain the beautiful, peaceful nature of our little island. We welcome you to join us for winter in Acadia—just don’t tell too many friends!

What range of activities are there in Bar Harbor / Acadia National Park?

Shopping
Drinking & Dining
Movies
Live Music
Hiking
Walking
Running
Rock Climbing
Biking
Fishing
Bird watching
Sailing & Boat tours
Photography / Night Photography

Do you offer bikes and/or kayaks for rent on your property?

The property doesn’t offer bikes or kayaks for rent, however there are several outfitters available right in town, here in Bar Harbor. We would be happy to recommend some options for your stay!

Can I book a reservation using a gift card?

Have a gift card? While gift cards are welcome and can be applied during your stay (up to and including the full cost of your stay) they are not taken as deposit for a reservation and must instead be reserved with a credit card at the time of booking.

Upon check-in, alternate forms of payment are accepted, including gift cards.