Explore how a Maine watershed connects a mountain ecosystem all the way to the sea!
Get up close and personal as you meet Maine freshwater species including sunfish, crayfish, frogs, and turtles.
Climb a mountain to see who lives at the bottom of a mountain lake, watch the waterfall flow into the river tank, and investigate the world of amphibians with frogs (they may be hidden in plain sight!).
Wonder at the turtles as you identify each species.
Meet shy hermit crabs, camouflaged catsharks, and curious rock gunnel in the Tide Pool and Sand Flat. You may even get to feel a seastar's prickly skin, a moon snail's slimy mantle, or the sticky tentacles of an anemone.
Peer under the wharf at the fish below and learn how creatures utilize human-made objects as they make their own communities.
You can take a break from your nature investigation to create your own campsite or paddle a canoe.
Wall-to-wall murals featuring scenic locations create an immersive experience in this aquarium exhibit.
Where?
Third Floor. Poland Spring Natural Science Gallery.
Access Info
• The Mountain tank is designed with a transfer platform – all other tanks are at ground level;
• The handwashing sinks are fully ADA compliant;
• Lap tables and out-of-tank observation bins are available.
Made possible by a generous gift from Poland Spring
From the Mountains to the Sea
Explore water habitats that make this land we call Maine so special.
Every living thing on Earth needs water to survive. Part of every plant and animal - including you - is water. But for some animals and plants, water is also home. It is a habitat to live in or near. It is a source of food and shelter.
These water habitats are all connected in what is called a “watershed” system. Rain fills mountain lakes and streams. Stream waters run into rivers, pond, and lakes, and eventually flow out to the ocean.
Water moves in a cycle. It evaporates into the air from the water’s surface and is breathed out by all plants and animals. Water in the air collects into clouds, then falls back to Earth’s surface as rain or snow.
Each tank's name represents a different habitat within Maine's watersheds.
Bog
Made possible by a generous gift from Bill and Peggy Ryan
Creek
Made possible by a generous gift from Dr. Jarrod and Mrs. Frederique Daniel
And Hugo, Delphine, Capucine and Emmeline Daniel
Wharf
Made possible by a generous gift from Julie and Michael Ouellette
Lake
Made possible by a generous gift from Melissa Smith and Brian Corcoran
River
Made possible by a generous gift from The Sam L. Cohen Foundation
Pond
Made possible by a generous gift from The Watson Family
Tide Pool / Sand Flat
Made possible by a generous gift from The Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust
In memory of Joan Kelly
Murals by Kevin Hawkes
Kevin Hawkes paints one of the murals featured in the Mountains to the Sea exhibit at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine
Kevin Hawkes is an author/illustrator of over 50 acclaimed picture and chapter books including the New York Times best seller Library Lion, Have a Look Says Book, Chicken Cheeks, The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, and Weslandia. He credits his creative family, including three brothers and one sister, with shaping his life through music, books, and lots of homemade projects. When he was very young, his family lived in France, and the winding staircases in castle towers and ancient forest fed his love for history and adventure. Wherever they lived, he and his siblings also spent a lot of time playing outdoors.
“I ended up living in Maine after getting started in Boston. There is something about New England that really inspires me. Maybe it’s all the trees and water or just the changing seasons but the land reminds me a little of Europe and I love it. I work at home in a room upstairs. Working at home is nice. I get to see my family a lot and my schedule is pretty flexible. Winter is my best time to work because I can settle down and not be too distracted. Summer is my worst time to work! I love to garden and to explore the woods, mountains and beaches so I have to make myself stay on task.
"Trees and water have always held a fascination for me and have been a source of artistic inspiration as long as I can remember. In my children's book illustrations and personal landscape paintings, water has been an especially important feature. So when I received the opportunity to create the art for the Maine watershed gallery of the new museum I was thrilled!
“Tracing the path of water through the Maine landscape was like creating a visual checklist of the reasons why my family and I love living in this beautiful state. Mountain streams, rivers, breathtaking waterfalls, serene lakes and ponds and the ever changing, awe inspiring coastline have all become an integral part of my life and the lives of my children.
“While working on these mural paintings I not only wanted to capture the beauty of the landscape, I was hoping that the art on the walls would inspire adults and children alike, to get out and experience for themselves the stunning beauty that surrounds us here in Maine during all it's seasons."