“Maybe a new display on women in lobstering or more on the present and future lobster industry.” One item Mills said they would really like to have on display is a hoop net, the first type of trap used to catch lobsters.Ī crucial part to the lobster museum was the working model of a lobster boat. “We want to know how we can make the Oceanarium new and better,” Mills said. In the meantime, the remains of the lobster exhibit have been moved to the lobster hatchery building, the touch tank is outside under a large canopy and party tents have been erected for more exhibits. Mills estimated that a new building would be up in a few months. “We’re not huge or fancy, but we have many venues for teaching,” Mills said. ![]() The Oceanarium offered the lobster hatchery, a salt marsh tour and the now-destroyed lobster museum, which included a touch tank, a model boat with traps, a mural painted by Ricky Alley and many games and displays. There is a staff of ten people, including college interns, who answer questions, give presentations, and walk people through the museum. Now, however, the Oceanarium sees many hundreds of people come through its doors in the summer. We had fewer visitors than people thought we would,” said Mills. The facility is surrounded by a salt marsh, which is also one of the Oceanarium’s exhibits. In 1990, the Oceanarium moved to Bar Harbor where a new lobster hatchery was built and the lobster exhibit was moved into its own building. Mills and his family started the Oceanarium in 1972 in Southwest Harbor at an old hardware store. “It was in 1970 when I was praying for direction for the church programs and God said ‘get off your ass and start that museum you’ve been dreaming of.’” Mills, a minister in an inner city church at the time, didn’t find an answer right away. “On the ride home the kids were crying, ‘why can’t we stay in Maine?’” So Mills and his wife Audrey started to think, “Why can’t we?” They didn’t know what they would do, but knew they loved Maine and the sea life they saw, and believed that other people would be interested in learning about marine life as well. He and his son had taken scuba diving lessons at the YMCA in Cincinnati so on the island that summer they had the chance to see Maine sea life up close and personal. The fishermen were very generous, taking us out on their boats, bringing in stuff from the ocean for us to look at,” Mills said. During one of our visits to Maine, we stayed on Little Cranberry Island. “We lived in Cincinnati, but often visited my wife’s family in Bangor. The idea for an ocean museum came about after a memorable vacation the Mills family took in Maine. The Oceanarium, which is dedicated to educating people about marine life and industry, remains open for business as it has for more than thirty years. The company has donated their time and services to the project. One donation came from Clean Moves, a fire restoration company, which is helping the Oceanarium restore all that was salvaged from the fire. While some items cannot be replaced, such as a replica made by Dick Black of a trap his father used when lobsters were selling at two cents a pound or an English trap created in memory of fishermen lost at sea, Mills said he has already received many generous donations. In June, a fire broke out at the Oceanarium’s Lobster exhibit building in Bar Harbor and destroyed many of the displays. “It’s a special community and people have been hugely generous,” he said. Nevertheless, David Mills, founder and director of the Mount Desert Oceanarium in Bar Harbor, is hopeful. Rebuilding a collection full of history is not an easy task. They can check out the handful of hands-on exhibits, and even check out the touch tanks and FEEL first hand what some of the creatures are like!The exhibits are fun for kids, and don't miss the one where they can use the phone to listen to the sounds of the whale songs!The Lobster Hatchery is where eggs are actually removed from the females and raised through a number of various stages, so the circle of life really is on show, and kids can see how conservation works when it comes to breeding.First published in the MLA Newsletter, August, 2011. ![]() We love the oceans, and all the weird and wonderful things that live in there, but in Bar Harbor, Maine you can visit something a little different than your regular aquariums!Mount Desert Oceanarium is a unique aquarium that really gives kids a learning experience when it comes to our waters.Why not start at the Maine Lobster Museum! Here, kids can really begin their underwater journey.
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