Frances Perkins Center

06/18/2026

New year, new gear! 🧢👜

We’re rolling out brand-new items in the Welcome Center at the Frances Perkins National Monument. Drop by to check out our 2026 tote bags made in NH by Enviro-Tote, Inc., caps embroidered in Damariscotta by Supplies Unlimited, and more!

(Available for in-person purchase only; shipping not available)

Open June 17-October 11, Wednesdays-Sundays, 9AM-3PM

06/17/2026

And we're open!

Thank You to FPC's Season Sponsors and their generous support: Colby & Gale, Supplies Unlimited, , Sherri Dunbar at , and

06/17/2026

🎉

Task #22 on this year's takes you to the Frances Perkins Center to learn what her (new) deal was. Born in Boston in 1880, Perkins spent childhood summers at her grandmother’s family homestead in Newcastle. She would return to that Maine refuge throughout her life as a social-justice and labor-rights pioneer. The first woman appointed to a presidential cabinet, Perkins served as secretary of labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt and was the leading architect behind many key reforms: Social Security, minimum wage, overtime pay, prohibitions on child labor, unemployment insurance, and more. In 1944, Collier’s magazine summed up her influence on policy: “What the country has been operating under . . . is not so much the Roosevelt New Deal as it is the Perkins New Deal.” When you visit, remember to get your selfie with the homestead's Brick House in view.

Check out what else is on the hunt at downeast.com/travel-outdoors/greatmainescavengerhunt/.

Special thanks to Poland Spring Resort, the Frances Perkins Center, and
Wells Reserve at Laudholm for sponsoring this year's hunt.

📷 Photo courtesy of the Frances Perkins Center

06/16/2026

🪚 Huge Thank You to Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, Steven Hufnagel, Jim Grenier, and the incredible group of dedicated volunteers for supporting the Frances Perkins Center by providing the materials and labor to build and install this beautiful information kiosk (including weeding and pruning) in the parking lot at the Frances Perkins National Monument! 🌿

We are deeply grateful to community partners like Coastal Rivers who are leaders in preserving, protecting, and improving our region's natural spaces for everyone to enjoy 💚

06/12/2026

There is still time to visit the lupine field at the Frances Perkins National Monument and perhaps spot some special visitors like this stunning 💙

06/12/2026

🔔 Teachers needed for Focus Group sessions! 🔔

We will be hosting two virtual focus groups in late July/early August 2026. The sessions will be an opportunity to provide feedback on a digital portal designed to share primary source materials from Frances Perkins’ life and work.

We are looking for teachers and educators at different grade levels (kindergarten through higher education) to apply.

Fifteen participants will be selected and receive a $100 stipend. For more information and to apply, see link in comments or "Learn More"

📌Deadline: June 26th.

🫶 Please share!

Maine Education Association Maine Department of Education Teach For America NEA Today AFT

06/11/2026

Huge thank you to our friends at First National Bank, who stopped by the Welcome Center at the Frances Perkins National Monument with their Big Check. ✨🖊✨

In addition to being the Frances Perkins Center’s trusted local bank, they have generously pledged to support our efforts for the next three years. We are so grateful for their ongoing partnership!

Maisie Howard, Keith Mestrich, Amanda Hatch with First National Bank Representatives Marcia Benner and Alyssa Allen

06/08/2026

Meet the 2026 Summer Interns: Josey, Lindsay and Mara!

The Frances Perkins Center Summer Internship Program supports our mission to inspire future generations through her life and legacy. This program offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to contribute to our work while developing valuable professional skills. In addition to completing an academic project tailored to their field of interest, interns serve as key members of our summer team—greeting visitors and answering questions at the Frances Perkins National Monument

Frances Perkins National Monument is opening soon!

June 17 - October 11, Wednesdays - Sundays, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

06/02/2026

☀️Last week, we took a staff field trip to the Darling Marine Center for a tour with Annie Fagan from Maine Sea Grant, to learn about aquaculture on the Damariscotta River 🏞️

The river has a rich history of oyster harvesting that has evolved into today's thriving, sustainable aquaculture industry. Oyster farms can be viewed directly from the shoreline at the Perkins Homestead, and learning more about this local industry helps us answer visitor questions and highlight how vital the river is to the region. 🦪 🦪

The Welcome Center at the Frances Perkins National Monument will be opening on June 17th! Trails are open daily sunrise to sunset.

Plan your visit: https://francesperkinscenter.org/visit/