The Brick Store Museum

You won’t find the usual local historic paraphernalia at The Brick Store Museum (117 Main St., Kennebunk, 207/985-4802, www.brickstoremuseum.org, 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Tues.–Fri. and 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sat. year-round, $5 suggested donation). Instead, the staff gets curatorially creative with exhibits such as “The Kennebunks During the Civil War,” and “Kennebunks A–Z.” The museum also runs an architectural walking tour ($5 per person) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10 a.m. throughout summer. If you’d rather guide yourself, you can also tour one of the sea captains’ homes run by the museum.

Seashore Trolley Museum

Vehicular history comes alive at the Seashore Trolley Museum (195 Log Cabin Rd., Kennebunkport, 207/967-2800, www.trolleymuseum.org, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in summer; weekends only May and Oct.; closed Nov.–Apr. except during Christmas Prelude, $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5.50 children 6–16, free children under 6). With a collection of more than 200 trolleys (some of which you can ride through nearby woods from the museum), plus a gift shop dedicated entirely to streetcars, the operation has no shortage of specialization.