Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel

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Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel A restored former Roman Catholic church. There is a large collection of Acadian artifacts. Summer hours are noon to 4 pm Sunday through Friday.

The Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel www.museeculturel.org
A historic museum and cultural centre preserving and promoting Acadian, French-Canadian, and Franco-American art, culture, and history. Open by appointment before June 15 and after August 15. Call 207-895-3339 and leave a message.

On the last day of our 42nd Opening Season, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who passed through Notre-Dame’...
11/01/2026

On the last day of our 42nd Opening Season, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who passed through Notre-Dame’s portal doors, and to all who make our Northern Maine communities so special.

We also look back upon a year that has welcomed a new and exciting chapter for the Musée, one that will bring to the fore — in new and intriguing ways — the memories, legacies, and richness of Lille Village and the broader Saint John Valley.

We look forward to coming together again soon in 2027, and sharing with you all the wonderful updates and developments coming to the Musée in the future! 😌

Photography courtesy of Dick Franck.

FR: En ce dernier jour de notre 42e saison d’ouverture, nous tenons à exprimer notre profonde gratitude à toutes les personnes qui ont franchi les portes de Notre-Dame, ainsi qu’à tous ceux qui font de nos communautés du nord du Maine des lieux si exceptionnels.

Nous revenons également sur une année qui a marqué le début d’un nouveau chapitre passionnant pour le Musée, un chapitre qui mettra en avant — de manière inédite et captivante — les souvenirs, l’héritage et la richesse de Lille Village et, plus largement, de la vallée de Saint-Jean.

Nous avons hâte de nous retrouver bientôt, en 2027, et de partager avec vous toutes les merveilleuses nouveautés et évolutions qui attendent le Musée à l’avenir ! 😌

Will we see you this Friday?The Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel is looking forward to the premiere launch of its newest pr...
10/26/2026

Will we see you this Friday?

The Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel is looking forward to the premiere launch of its newest program series: Art After Dark: Musée by Moonlight!🌖✨

The Musée comes alive in this exciting, after-hours series that extends the hours of the museum to 8:00 pm on the last Friday of each month during our Opening Season. Gather your friends and family for a special evening out and see your local museum in an entirely new light!

Art After Dark: Musée by Moonlight will commence for its first and only session for our 2026 Opening Season on the night before Halloween, October 30th, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Each program session is themed around current exhibitions and calendar holidays. Our premiere session is, appropriately, coined: Midnight Mystique!🎃

Make the museum your own this Halloweekend and come enjoy a spooktacular evening! Read the program agenda below on what to expect during your visit:

• 5:00 pm: Entry to the museum begins.
• 5:30 – 6:15 pm: Special lecture spotlighting a strange episode in Acadian diasporic history within 18th-century France. Lecture to be held in the former Chapel. Important museum announcements and updates will also be shared.
• 6:30 pm: Halloween film screening begins, featuring the 2009 animated movie, Coraline! Screening to be held in the former Chapel. Film rated PG.
• 8:00 pm: Musée by Moonlight ends and the museum begins closing.

Along with free offerings of candied treats, visitors are welcome to wander candlelit Notre-Dame as ominous piano and orchestral symphonies reverberate from the Choir loft!🕯️🎶

Goblins and ghouls of all ages are invited to bring their best Halloween dress and break up the sugar rush with some art and history! Tap the link in our bio for all event details and important info.

The Musée is delighted to welcome author, playwright, and literary scholar Kate Angevin to its campus! Join us Saturday,...
10/16/2026

The Musée is delighted to welcome author, playwright, and literary scholar Kate Angevin to its campus! Join us Saturday, October 24th, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm as Angevin offers a special reading of her latest novel, Beyond the Dry Stone Wall.📚

A work of literary fiction, Angevin’s novel explores the world of Kenan Trewellyn, a professor at Cambridge University, who travels to his family’s estate for a few days to escape the guilt in having acted unfairly toward a student. But while at home, Trewellyn encounters old family wounds that lead him down a road of existential questioning. Though Angevin expresses how the complex themes and deep characters explored in the novel somewhat mirrored her own experiences at Cambridge, the matters of educational injustice, hidden memory, and legacies of intergenerational troubles and disconnect profoundly resonate with the experiences historically of the Saint John Valley’s French families.

Angevin informs that “in all of my writing, [my intention] is to find a pathway inside a character that leads to their inner truth and then to express that which has been kept hidden.” Much like Angevin, it is also the work of the Musée to understand and reveal that which has been kept hidden or otherwise deeply embedded within the human fabric, particularly of the Saint John Valley – to appreciate and bring to the fore the stories and intimacies marked in the memory of Maine’s northern borderland.

A Q&A will follow Angevin’s reading, allowing the audience the opportunity to gain insight into her creative process, her inspirations, and to even chat with her on navigating the business of publishing. Come learn about a local author, purchase a signed copy of her book, and become inspired for your own writing journey! 👩‍🏫

Complimentary refreshments will be provided.🧃

To learn more about Angevin, tap the link in our bio and visit the Events Calendar page of our website!

Please join us in celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day! Today, we honor and recognize the sovereignty of Indigenous peopl...
10/12/2026

Please join us in celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Today, we honor and recognize the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples everywhere, especially in the place we now call Maine. We acknowledge the land and water upon which the Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel and the former parish of Lille village are located exist on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq.

We recognize that we are on indigenous land. In addition to the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq, the broader place we now call Maine is home to the people of the Wabanaki Confederacy, which includes the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Abenaki peoples.

The Musée endeavors to listen, learn, and deepen its understanding and appreciation of the history, culture, language, and living traditions of the people who have called this place home for thousands of years. Please scroll to see a select few artefacts from the permanent collection offering a close look at the basketry arts of the Wolastoqiyik and Mi’kmaq.

Photography courtesy of Dick Franck.

The Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel is delighted to reveal a new and exciting program series: Art After Dark: Musée by Moo...
10/05/2026

The Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel is delighted to reveal a new and exciting program series: Art After Dark: Musée by Moonlight!🌖✨

The Musée comes alive in this fun-filled, after-hours series that extends the hours of the museum to 8 pm on the last Friday of each month during our Opening Season. Gather your friends and family for a special evening out complete with an array of functions like live music, curator-led tours, games and stories, artist-led workshops, lectures with light bites, and more!

Art After Dark: Musée by Moonlight will commence for its first and only session for our 2026 Opening Season on the night before Halloween, October 30th, from 5 to 8 pm. Each program session is themed around current exhibitions and holidays. Our premiere session is, appropriately, coined: Midnight Mystique!🎃

Make the museum your own this Halloweekend and enjoy a spooktacular evening of fang-tastic treats and activities, including:

🕯️Candlelit tours of Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel
🎻Bone-chilling orchestral symphonies haunting the vaults
🍬No tricks, just treats!
🧑‍🏫A special lecture spotlighting an uncanny moment in Acadian history
🎬A spooky film screening

Goblins and ghouls of all ages are invited to bring their best Halloween dress and break up the sugar rush with some art and history!🧙‍♀️

Visit our website for all event details and important info.

Photography courtesy of Brent Johnston.

And so the countdown begins!⏳We are drawing nearer to the end of our 42nd Annual Opening Season. Be sure to visit the Mu...
10/01/2026

And so the countdown begins!⏳

We are drawing nearer to the end of our 42nd Annual Opening Season. Be sure to visit the Musée before our Autumnal period ends on November 1!🍁🍂

See our website for details on how you can visit us. Alas, something spooktacular is coming to the Musée this October!🎃

It will surely be a bittersweet ending to our opening season. An official announcement will be released Monday, October 5. Be on the lookout for our next post!🙇🏻‍♀️

Aerial photography courtesy of Deschaine Digital.

FR: Et c'est parti pour le compte à rebours ! ⏳

Nous approchons de la fin de notre 42e saison d'ouverture annuelle. Ne manquez pas de visiter le Musée avant la fin de notre période automnale, le 1er novembre ! 🍁🍂

Consultez notre site Internet pour savoir comment nous rendre visite. Hélas, un événement « effrayant » s'apprête à débarquer au Musée en octobre ! 🎃

Ce sera sans doute une fin douce-amère pour notre saison d'ouverture. Une annonce officielle sera publiée le lundi 5 octobre. Ne manquez pas notre prochain post ! 🙇🏻‍♀️

Photographie aérienne gracieusement fournie par Deschaine Digital.

The Musée Concert Series is revving up for October as we welcome our next installments! 🎶🍂 Join us these next few weeks ...
09/28/2026

The Musée Concert Series is revving up for October as we welcome our next installments! 🎶🍂

Join us these next few weeks as we welcome a selection of amazing musicians and singer-songwriters, both new and returning, who are sure to captivate audiences with an eclectic array of musical genres and original tunes! We are delighted to welcome classical guitarist Jeffery Bianchi, and the returning folk duo Travis Cyr and Laura Bagley.

Music continues to be integral to the creative fabric of the Musée, and we seek to broaden the repertoire of music showcased on our campus to encompass previously overlooked composers and performers.

Further details about the next performances in our Concert Series lineup can be found on the Events Calendar page of our website. Click the link in our bio to learn more! 🙇🏻‍♀️

FR: La série de concerts du Musée passe à la vitesse supérieure en ce mois d'octobre avec l'arrivée de nos prochains rendez-vous ! 🎶🍂

Rejoignez-nous au cours des prochaines semaines pour découvrir une sélection de musiciens et d'auteurs-compositeurs-interpretes exceptionnels, nouveaux venus ou habitués, qui ne manqueront pas de captiver le public grâce a un éventail éclectique de genres musicaux et de morceaux originaux ! Nous sommes ravis d'accueillir le guitariste classique Jeffery Blanche, ainsi que le duo folk Travis Cyr et Laura Bagley, qui revient sur scène.

La musique continue de faire partie intégrante de l'univers créatif du Musée, et nous cherchons à élargir le répertoire musical présenté sur notre campus afin d'inclure des compositeurs et des interprètes jusqu'alors méconnus.

Vous trouverez plus de détails sur les prochains concerts de notre série sur la page « Calendrier des événements » de notre site web. Cliquez sur le lien dans notre bio pour en savoir plus ! 🙇🏻‍♀️

Announcing our new Digital Bulletin! 📣🥳Don't miss a thing! Subscribe today to receive our regular e-newsletters with upd...
09/14/2026

Announcing our new Digital Bulletin! 📣🥳

Don't miss a thing! Subscribe today to receive our regular e-newsletters with updates on exhibitions, events, talks and courses, Collection highlights and acquisitions, family activities and programs, teacher workshops, fundraising campaigns, and more!

You will also receive regular updates regarding the restoration of Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel and other conservation-centered efforts.

We will send you emails around 1-2 times per month, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

To join, visit our website and click the 'Sign me up!' link! 🌸

FR: Découvrez notre nouveau bulletin numérique !! 📣🥳

Ne manquez rien ! Abonnez-vous dès aujourd'hui pour recevoir régulièrement nos newsletters électroniques contenant des informations sur les expositions, les événements, les conférences et les cours, les pièces phares et les acquisitions de la collection, les activités et programmes familiaux, les ateliers pour enseignants, les campagnes de collecte de fonds, et bien plus encore !

Vous recevrez également des informations régulières sur la restauration de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et d'autres initiatives axées sur la conservation.

Nous vous enverrons des e-mails environ 1à 2 fois par mois, et vous pourrez vous désabonner à tout moment.

Pour vous inscrire, rendez-vous sur notre site web et cliquez sur le lien « Je m'inscris! » ! 🌸

Please join us Sunday, September 20th, for an afternoon of soulful symphonies and melancholic melodies, featuring guitar...
09/03/2026

Please join us Sunday, September 20th, for an afternoon of soulful symphonies and melancholic melodies, featuring guitarist and singer-songwriter Bertrand Laurence, and poet, singer-songwriter, and actor David Leo Sirois! 🎶😌

Inspired by the Musée's mission to celebrate the arts and Francophone heritage of Maine, Laurence and Sirois unite to present a special collaborative performance of music and French poetry! Listen as Sirois eloquently recites his original Francophile poetry to the syncopated rhythms of Laurence's strings, creating not only a heightened, dramatic atmosphere and improvisational feel, but rather also an homage to classical French song (chanson) and mélodie.

Such a structurally rhythmic reading of text accompanied with playful instrumentation seeks to mirror the natural inflections of the French language, imbuing greater meaning into both Sirois's lyricism and Laurence’s musical notes.

Echoing the Musée's aim to promote close-looking and cherish the subtlety inherent to visual works, Laurence and Sirois encourage audiences to listen closely and appreciate deeply the nuance of intonation. The artists inspire a heightened sensitivity that extends beyond music and its periphery of spoken word, and into the everyday speech we share with others.

To learn more about the artists, and for further details about the event, visit our Events Calendar page via the link in our bio! 💃🎭

FR: Rejoignez-nous le dimanche 20 septembre pour un après-midi placé sous le signe des symphonies émouvantes et des mélodies mélancoliques, avec le guitariste et auteur-compositeur-interprète Bertrand Laurence, ainsi que le poète, auteur-compositeur-interprète et comédien David Leo Sirois ! 🎶😌

Inspirés par la mission du Musée, qui consiste à célébrer les arts et le patrimoine francophone du Maine, Laurence et Sirois s’unissent pour présenter un spectacle collaboratif exceptionnel mêlant musique et poésie française ! Écoutez Sirois réciter avec éloquence ses poèmes originaux francophiles sur les rythmes syncopés des cordes de Laurence, créant non seulement une atmosphère intense et dramatique ainsi qu’une impression d’improvisation, mais aussi un véritable hommage à la chanson classique française et à la mélodie.

Cette lecture du texte, structurée par le rythme et accompagnée d’une instrumentation enjouée, cherche à refléter les inflexions naturelles de la langue française, conférant ainsi une signification plus profonde tant au lyrisme de Sirois qu’aux notes musicales de Laurence.

Faisant écho à l’objectif du Musée de promouvoir l’observation attentive et de valoriser la subtilité inhérente aux œuvres visuelles, Laurence et Sirois encouragent le public à écouter attentivement et à apprécier pleinement les nuances d’intonation. Les artistes suscitent une sensibilité accrue qui dépasse la musique et la sphère de la parole, pour s’étendre au langage quotidien que nous partageons avec les autres.

Pour en savoir plus sur les artistes et obtenir plus de détails sur l’événement, rendez-vous sur notre page « Calendrier des événements » via le lien figurant dans notre bio ! 💃🎭

Just a few reasons why we think we're  💅✨Visit the Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel today, a hidden gem in Northern Maine! ...
08/28/2026

Just a few reasons why we think we're
💅✨

Visit the Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel today, a hidden gem in Northern Maine! Whether you're in the Saint John Valley on holiday, or a local school looking to organize an outing for students, we're delighted to welcome you to our nationally-recognized historic site!

See our museum website for opening hours and details on all upcoming events and announcements.💃

FR: Voici quelques-unes des raisons pour lesquelles nous pensons être 💅✨

Venez dès aujourd'hui découvrir le Musée culturel du Mont-Carmel, un véritable joyau caché du nord du Maine ! Que vous soyez en vacances dans la vallée de Saint-Jean ou que vous représentiez une école locale souhaitant organiser une sortie pour vos élèves, nous serons ravis de vous accueillir sur notre site historique reconnu au niveau national !

Consultez le site web de notre musée pour connaître les horaires d'ouverture et obtenir plus de détails sur tous les événements à venir et les annonces.💃

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993 Main Street
Lille, ME
04746

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