Ski Museum of Maine facts for kids

The Ski Museum of Maine is a special place in Kingfield, Maine, United States. It works to save and share the exciting history of skiing, especially how it grew in Maine. In 2009, the museum moved from Farmington to its current spot. You can find it on Route 27 in downtown Kingfield. It's close to the old Herbert Hotel and about 15 miles (24 km) from Sugarloaf Mountain.

Discover the Ski Museum of Maine

What You Can See There

The museum has many cool items from the past. You can see about three dozen pairs of skis made in Maine. These skis are from the early 1900s! There are also many old leather ski boots and other skiing gear.

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  Skis made in Paris, Maine, by Paris Manufacturing Company. Maine was a big maker of wooden skis long ago. Scott Andrews photo

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  Ski boot made in Wilton, Maine, by G.H. Bass Company, around the 1940s. G.H. Bass was famous for its leather lace-up ski boots. Scott Andrews photo

How the Museum Started

The idea for the museum began in 1995. Members of the Sugarloaf Ski Club were cleaning out old files. They had many documents from the 1950s to the 1970s. They didn't want to throw them away but had no space. So, they decided to create a museum to keep these important items safe.

Early Collections

Thousands of documents from the Sugarloaf Ski Club became the museum's first collection. Many of these papers tell the story of how Sugarloaf started. Sugarloaf is one of Maine's busiest ski resorts. Walter Melvin also gave a valuable collection of records. These show the history of ski clubs and areas near Bangor from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The museum also has items from ski areas that are no longer open. These include Big A in York and Enchanted Mountain near Jackman.

Opening to the Public

The organization officially became a museum in 1999. In December 2006, it opened its first public show. This exhibit was in Farmington and featured Maine-made ski equipment. It included skis, boots, and other accessories.

Many of these items came from Glenn Parkinson's personal collection. He is on the museum's board. Glenn also wrote a book called First Tracks. This book shares stories from the first 75 years of skiing in Maine. Since the museum opened, new items and documents arrive every week.

Special Items and Activities

In early 2009, the museum got a set of tiny skis. These skis were made around 1905 in Portland, Maine, by Theo A. Johnsen. He used them to help sell his Tajco brand ski equipment.

The museum also has an online archive of old photos. They work with the Maine Memory Network to share these pictures. The Maine Memory Network is a website run by the Maine Historical Society.

During the 2008–2009 ski season, the museum started "Fireside Chats." These are digital slideshows with stories. They show the history of skiing in Maine from 1870 until today.

Maine Ski Hall of Fame

The museum is also home to the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. This hall honors people from Maine who have greatly helped the sport of skiing. So far, 39 Mainers have been recognized for their important contributions.