Ocean Park is located on the beautiful coast of Maine, in the town of Old Orchard Beach. It was established in 1881 as an interdenominational summer assembly. Today it offers visitors a peak at its historical buildings, unique workshops, family recreation and activities, and its seven mile beach.
This quaint town is located about two hours from Boston and easily accessed by air and ground transportation.
Tourists are welcomed by the Visitor's Center, which is staffed by volunteers who love to share information about the area. Just about everything is within walking distance.
Where to Stay
There are small inns, motels and rentals available for your stay.
Billowhouse. If you want to be steps away from the beach any time of the year, you should consider staying at Billowhouse. It is a Victorian house that offers 13 different rental units, including apartments with full kitchens. The staff is extremely friendly and a great resource on the area. They go out of their way to accomodate your family's needs and size to make your stay comfortable. Freshly baked cookies are left for you each morning as part of their housekeeping. Beach chairs, towels, and kids' sand toys are all available for your use. A quiet time policy is set up from 10 pm - 8 am, which is perfect for families with small children.
What to Do
Recreational Activities. It is refreshing to see families enjoy a tennis lesson or game, playing shuffleboard, or riding bikes to the old fashioned Soda Fountain in town to enjoy an ice cream or its well known Lime Rickey. The Recreation Hall offers a variety of youth activities, such as dances and classes as well. By far, the beautiful stretch of beach is where hours of fun await. Creating sand castles, flying kites, swimming and body surfing on the waves are all favorites of tourists and locals alike. In addition, some of the area hotels open their pools to the community for a small fee and there are many areas for hiking and fishing nearby.
Historical Buildings. Many buildings in Ocean Park have been named to the National Register of Historic Places. One of the first to be named to the Registry was The Temple, which was built in 1881. It is a wooden, octagonal building, 80 feet in diameter which seats 850 people.
Cultural Activities. A summer musical festival including weekly concerts and evenings of music are scheduled.
Educational Opportunities. Book and film discussions, kids' library programs, and a series on crafts and hobbies are also on the calendar. In addition, the 68th Writer's Conference at Ocean Park is being held from August 11-15, 2008.
Annual Events
Fourth of July. An annual Sand Sculpture Competition, parade, Square and Line Dancing at the Town Square, and viewing fireworks from the beach are all a part of the holiday's celebration in Ocean Park.
Festival of Lights and Illuminations Night. The first Saturday of August features a walk from street to street to view cottages, buildings and the beach, which are lit with candles and luminaries. Activities include a Strawberry Shortcake Festival and concerts as well.
There are many short and kid friendly excursions in Southern Maine to surrounding areas such as Kennebunkport, Freeport, Kittery, and Portland. Once you experience what Ocean Park has to offer, however, you may not feel the need to take your feet out of the sand until it is time for you to head home. It will surely give you the opportunity to take a refreshing break from your day to day routine and give you time for quality rest and relaxation with your family.
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