Ogunquit offers a range of ways to spend your time, from modern art and theater to beach activities, a paved cliff walk, and a harbor. When choosing a hotel, it helps to first decide which of these areas you want to shape your stay. The differences below offer concrete points of reference without assuming a fixed itinerary.

Art and Theater

The Ogunquit Museum of American Art presents modern and contemporary art in changing exhibitions, alongside a permanent collection of more than 3,000 works. The museum therefore brings together changing presentations and a permanent collection. The museum grounds near the coast also include a three-acre sculpture park with 18 small gardens.

For your visit, the museum offers self-guided and guided tours of the exhibitions and sculpture grounds. You can choose between exploring on your own and joining a guided tour. Art in the galleries and sculptures outdoors are distinct parts of the museum experience.

The Ogunquit Playhouse offers another perspective on the area’s cultural history. It welcomes more than 100,000 guests each season; the exact number may change over time. On December 14, 1995, the theater was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its local historic significance is associated with the performing arts, as well as community planning and development. In Ogunquit, contemporary art presentations and a theater with a specifically documented local history thus come together.

Beach, Cliff Walk, and Harbor

Ogunquit Beach stretches for three miles, with white sand and Atlantic waters, from Main Beach through Footbridge to North Beach. You can walk, sunbathe, swim, surf, fly a kite, or do yoga there. The beach is also a protected habitat for the endangered Piping Plover.

For a single coastal route rather than an expansive stretch of beach, take the Marginal Way: this paved cliff walk is 1.25 miles long, starts near Shore Road, and leads to Perkins Cove. There are 39 benches along the route. The two options therefore differ in form: Ogunquit Beach comprises several named beach sections, while the Marginal Way is a clearly defined route. If you plan your days around the activities you want to prioritize, you can consider beach activities and a walk along the cliffs separately rather than treating them as the same coastal experience.

Perkins Cove has a harbor with working and recreational boats on Ogunquit’s rocky Atlantic coast. The Marginal Way ends there, making the coastal route and the harbor two distinct, specifically described aspects of the area.

Plein Air Painting in September

The annual Plein Air Painting Festival is a seasonal cultural event. It takes place in September in Perkins Cove, along the Marginal Way, and in Ogunquit, and features 100 regional artists creating oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings. The combination of multiple venues and different painting media makes the festival a distinct highlight alongside the museum and theater. If you want to plan your trip around it, check the specific festival dates in advance, as they vary by season.

Discover more destinations: Kennebunkport, Biddeford, Limerick, Wells, Sanford, Buxton, Old Orchard Beach, Kennebunk

For the broader travel overview: York.