Planning Your Visit to the Acadian Village 

Facilities:

There are 17 buildings at the Village open to visitors. There is also a store, where visitors check in and pay admission fees. Tours start and end  at the store. There is no snack bar, but the store sells packaged snack food, cold soft drinks and cold bottled water. The store has a variety of souvenir items for sale, including shirts, postcards, books covering Acadian history and local items. The store is climate controlled. Restrooms with running water and flush toilets are in the Reception Hall, which is very close to the store. The dining room in the Reception Hall is available for visitors to eat a bag lunch.  

Special Events:

The Reception Hall (climate controlled) is available for rental for events such as family gatherings, meetings, class reunions and meals  shared in memory of a loved one. Each summer the Village is used as the staging area for a gravel ride (bicycle rally held on mostly unpaved roads). Village volunteers can prepare and serve simple meals, such as chicken stew and ployes. More elaborate meals can be provided by an outside caterer. The Village does not have a license to sell alcoholic beverages. Private  parties may BYOB, but do need to observe applicable Maine law regarding providing and consuming alcohol. Email us at info@acadianvillagemaine.org with any inquiries.

Location:

The Acadian Village is located at 857 Main Street/U.S. Route 1.  Driving north from the town of Van Buren, the Village is 4 miles north of St. Bruno/St. Remi Church and the Van Buren schools (MSAD #24). Driving south from Grand Isle, there are two railroad crossings. The Village is 1.2 miles south of the second railroad crossing. A large colorful sign is directly across U.S. Route 1 from the Village. 

Village Tours:

From noon to 5:00 pm, the Village has a tour guide available on a first-come, first-served basis. Small groups may be asked to share the  services of a guide. The services of a guide are included in the admission fee. The average time for a tour is 1 ½ hours, so we discourage people from starting a tour after 4:00 pm. If you want to see everything on display, a tour can last as long as three or more hours. Visitors are free to visit as many or as few buildings as they might like, or to revisit any building after the formal tour is concluded.  

Group Tours:

Parties larger than 8 people should make a reservation. With a reservation, large parties, such as school groups, may arrive as early as 9 am. Because many of our old homes have small rooms, we break large parties into groups of not more than 10 people, each accompanied by a tour guide. A tour starting before noon requires that our staff arrive early and parties of  more than a dozen people usually require more than one guide. We ask that reservations be made at least two weeks in advance. We are happy to suggest simplified tours to accommodate young visitors. 

Safety:

The Village does not have paved walkways. Stable, comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Keep on eye on the weather forecast. Rain jackets, umbrellas and a sweater are good to have on hand. Weather conditions in Maine can change quickly. Some of the buildings are around 200 years old, and may have cramped rooms, steep staircases and low ceilings. None of the buildings besides the Store and the Reception Hall have electric lights. In very hot weather, the second floors of buildings can get unpleasantly warm and humid. You may want to use the services of a tour guide if you have concerns about your mobility.