With its classic Americana charm with a Maine twist, Old Orchard Beach has captivated visitors for generations, maybe even defining what the term “Vacationland” means.

With 6 miles of beachfront, an old-timey pier and seaside amusement park, Old Orchard Beach is a postcard of a place frozen in time. 

Join us as we discover everything Old Orchard Beach has to offer from Amusement parks to getting out into nature to nearby towns. Outlining when to visit, getting around, where to stay and what to do once you get here.

Transcript

Old Orchard Beach is a town in York County in Southern Maine with a year round population of 8,960.

When to Visit

While some restaurants and shops stay open year round, Old Orchard Beach is definitely very seasonal. It is also good to note that Maine isn’t exactly the warmest state, so our beach season is relatively short compared to much of the country.

In terms of guaranteeing everything you want to do will be open, plan to stay between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The most crowded months are July and August which generally coincides with the best weather. Expect temperatures in the 70s, 80s or even 90s. Being next to the water, temps can be cooler than a few miles inland, so definitely bring a sweatshirt for after the sun goes down.

 You can avoid the crowds by staying in May or September and most things will still be open (though the pier and amusement park may or may not be shut down).

Weather can be a little more erratic in May and June. It can be sunny and warm or rainy and in the 50s or 60s.

Depending on what you want to get out of your vacation, visiting in the off-season can be nice too. It will be much cheaper and there’s a fair number of restaurants and bars still open plus Portland or Biddeford are a short drive away for anything else. There’s definitely a charm to walking the beach without the crowds, even in winter. Just don’t expect it to be very lively or everything to be open.

How to Get There

If you’re flying in, the most convenient option is the Portland Jetport, but many opt to fly into Boston Logan since it is a much much larger airport with more options for direct flights.

If you’re planning to explore the Maine coast, it makes the most sense to rent a car. However, if you’re primarily just visiting Old Orchard Beach, Amtrak is a great option. The Downeaster leaves North Station in Boston 6 times a day and drops you off just a short walk from the Beach. This service is seasonal starting up around May 15th and ending October 15th. The next closest station is Saco which is around a 10 minute Uber or 20 minute bus ride to Old Orchard Beach from the transit center.

There is a seasonal trolley run by BSOOB – the local transit authority. Fares are $1 (except for kids under 5) which goes all around town with stops at the large campsites, resorts, inns and hotels.

There are also normal public buses that run year round with bus route 60 and bus route 53.

While there is plenty of parking in Old Orchard Beach, expect to pay a premium for it. If you’re along a shuttle route it can be significantly easier and cheaper to just leave your car at your hotel or campsite and use public transportation instead.

Where to Stay

You have 6 miles of beachfront to choose from. This is actually the longest stretch of continuous beach in all of Maine.

Many hotels and inns will have direct beach access.

If you want to be in the thick of things – close to the bars, restaurants, pier and amusement park definitely stay right downtown.

If you want to escape some of the crowds, consider staying closer to Pine Point in Scarborough or Camp Ellis in Saco and use the shuttles to get by.

With 6 miles of beach it is pretty easy to avoid the worst of the crowds. Right next to the pier is by far the most crowded where every square inch can be taken up.

If you want something more secluded, consider Biddeford Pool or Fortune Rocks Beach in Biddeford or Higgins Beach in Scarborough.

Also, note high and low tides. The amount of space increases dramatically at low tide allowing for more room for beach sports and activity, whereas at high tide everything will feel much more crowded.

Maybe the best part of Old OrchardBeach is that it’s friendly to all budgets and price points.

If you book far enough ahead, you should easily find rooms right on the beach for under $200 a night and if you’re looking to splurge there’s a lot of nice higher end resorts and inns too.

There’s also a lot of campsites and RV Parks, but none will be right on the water.

As for AirBNBs and other short term rentals, prices range from less than $200 a night for a small condo to large beachside luxury properties capable of sleeping an entire wedding party.

Good to note, there’s not many chain hotels and the ones that are in the area tend to be closer to the highway than the beach. The local nature of the hotels and inns is part of the charm of Old Orchard Beach after all.

What to Do

Old Orchard Beach is a kids paradise, and one of the most kid friendly destinations in Maine.

Definitely, check out the Pier. The original pier dates back to 1898, but the current iteration opened in 1980 after being destroyed by the Blizzard of 1978. There’s several restaurants, bars, arcade nooks, shops and some of the best views of the ocean, beach and amusement park.

Palace Playland is a blast from the past and one of New England’s last seaside amusement parks. Opened in 1902 the amusement park offers a large modern arcade, rides for all ages and plenty of deep fried tasty treats.

Mini-Golf

This must be the mini-golf capital of Maine right here with 4 great Mini-golf courses within a short drive. Pirate Cove Adventure is right downtown offering two expansive courses. Jungle Adventure is completely indoors, great if the weather turns South. Meanwhile Schooner has a beer garden and allows you to drink while you golf. You also have Martel’s on Route One and a little further afield is Raptor Falls.

Events

The summer events calendar in Old Orchard Beach is jam packed with daily concerts, fireworks, workshops and lots of fun festivals. Be sure to check out the events calendar at oldorchardbeachmaine.com for stuff happening during your visit.

Old Orchard Street

Old Orchard Street acts as the local main street with several restaurants and shops ranging from basic beach gear to gift stores to the famed Dickinson’s Candy Store.

Explore Nature

There’s actually a lot of nearby hiking that never gets mentioned. Saco Bay Trails offers over 11 miles of hiking trails through forests, marshes and along the coast. The Eastern Trail is 7 miles of continuous trail from Saco to South Portland, great for biking or a family walk with the most scenic section being the Scarborough Marsh, the largest saltwater marsh in Maine. Soon it will extend all the way to Bug Light Park in South Portland with great views of downtown Portland.

You can also stop by the Audubon Center to rent kayaks or sign up for tours.

Other great trails include Saco Heath in Saco as well as Clifford Park, Eastern Point Preserve and Timber Point Preserve all in Biddeford.

Amusement/Water Parks

Palace Playland isn’t the only amusement park in town. There’s also Funtown Splashtown, a combination amusement park/water park and Aquaboggan, a pure waterpark both along route 1 in Saco.

Explore Downtown Biddeford/Saco

Just a short 10 minute drive away is downtown Biddeford/Saco offering a much expanded number of restaurants, bars and shops without the tourist markup. There’s a riverwalk, downtown waterfall, and one of the highest number of breweries, cocktail bars and coffee shops per capita in Maine. If you come visit be sure to stop by Brew England and say hi! Also, be sure to check out the events Calendar for both Heart of Biddeford and Saco Main Street for fun events throughout the year like Haborfest, RiverJam Music Festival and La Kermesse French-American Festival.

The Beach

Don’t forget, the beach itself is the destination. From sunbathing and building sandcastle, to playing volleyball and collecting seashells, the beach is your own choose your own adventure, be it jumping right in and trying your hand at wakeboarding to relaxing beachside with your favorite book to being more active playing classic beach games from cornhole, fishing or just throwing around the old frisbee.

Sun and Moonrises

Which reminds me, being on the East Coast you’re going to see some awe-inspiring sunrises. Of course being almost as far East you can go in the Eastern Time Zone, the sun rises as early as 5 am.

If you want to see something truly spectacular, try to time your trip with a Moon-Rise just as it is getting dark out for a surreal experience.