2026 Programs & Classes
“The views alone are reason enough to visit, but touring here provides answers to almost any question you have about the town and the island”
– U.S. News & World Report
Bar Harbor – More than Acadia. Come be a part of the stories that shaped us.
Join us for our 2026 events!
UPCOMING Classes and Programs
For tickets, please click on event or see individual event descriptions.
The Seraph- A Book Talk
Tuesday, August 4
4:30pm to 5:30pm
A free lecture with author Jane Goodrich
Spirits, Seances, Suffragettes! The reform movements of the 19th century made strange bedfellows as many different voices struggled to speak and be heard.
Join author Jane Goodrich for an evening of historical photographs and readings from her new novel The Seraph. You will learn about the once-famous Cora Hatch, a psychic medium and social reformer, and discover how her conversations with the dead helped shape the nation.
Evening at the Museum
Monday, August 10
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Join the BHHS for a free night at the museum!
The BHHS welcomes the public to enjoy the La Rochelle museum after hours, from 4 pm to 6 pm on the 10th of each month during the summer. This is a wonderful opportunity to tour the museum, enjoy the oceanfront porch, and meet the artist exhibiting in the Tiny Gallery that month, then make your way downtown to dinner and shopping.
We also offer free guided tours of the museum to anyone who is a member of the Bar Harbor Historical Society! Register at the button below.
August’s Tiny Gallery Artist is Sara J Carey!
A Figure in Time Demo
Tuesday, August 11,
4:30-6:00 PM
Figure Painting Demo with artist Judy Taylor
Please join us for a delightful figure painting demo and conversation with artist Judy Taylor.
Judy will walk us through the stages of a portrait sitting, composition and development of the relationship between setting and sitter.
Composing a portrait with inspiration from Sargent and the setting at La Rochelle while we watch.
A Figure in Time Class
Wednesday, August 12, 3 to 7 pm
Figure Painting Class with artist Judy Taylor
Please join us for a delightful figure painting class with artist Judy Taylor.
Take in the Gilded Age architecture, gardens and live models while addressing the challenges and opportunities of natural light and live subjects.
Judy will walk us through the stages of a portrait sitting, composition and development of the relationship between setting and sitter.
Reef Point
Tuesday, August 18
4:30pm to 5:30pm
A free Carolyn Gage Play
Set on Mount Desert Island in 1955, Reef Point offers an intimate, moving look at two women navigating profound personal and societal change in the aftermath of World War II and the devastating fire of 1947. As the island shifts from a Gilded Age playground for the elite to a middle-class tourist destination, two aging lady’s maids—Maisie and Clem—confront the realities of a world insists it no longer needs them.
Described by readers as “one of [Gage’s] most brilliant and wisest works,” Reef Point is a meditation on legacy, loss, and adaptation. It is a play about surrendering long-held dreams, recalibrating priorities, and ultimately, finding grace in transformation.
Among the Gardens: A Watercolor Retreat on Mount Desert Island, Maine
Sunday, August 23 to Thursday, August 27
Join Erica Qualey and the Bar Harbor Historical Society for a truly special three-day four-night watercolor retreat offers the rare opportunity to paint on location at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden, Thuya Garden and the Asticou Azalea Garden.
Perfect for beginner to intermediate painters who want to deepen their skills while painting in an inspiring natural setting.
Accommodations at a scenic cottage by the ocean in Bar Harbor. Sunday dinner, and breakfast Monday-Wednesday are provided.
Evening at the Museum
Thursday, September 10
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Join the BHHS for a free night at the museum!
The BHHS welcomes the public to enjoy the La Rochelle museum after hours, from 4 pm to 6 pm on the 10th of each month during the summer. This is a wonderful opportunity to tour the museum, enjoy the oceanfront porch, and meet the artist exhibiting in the Tiny Gallery that month, then make your way downtown to dinner and shopping.
We also offer free guided tours of the museum to anyone who is a member of the Bar Harbor Historical Society! Register at the button below.
September’s Tiny Gallery Artist is Deborah Page!