In 1912, in the town of Freeport, Maine, a man named Leon Leonwood Bean opened a store in the basement of his brother’s clothing store, specializing in the “Bean boot.” He called the store “L.L. Bean,” and not long after it opened it became so popular that he kept it open 24 hours a day. He soon started a mail order catalog, and it blossomed into the L.L. Bean we know today.
Freeport continues to build on its retail tradition, as it’s home to several popular upscale outlet stores. Only 16 miles from Portland, it makes for an quick day trip.
Just five minutes from Freeport’s idyllic downtown is Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. The seaside park is made up of beaches, marshes, woods, and rocky shoreline, and in the summer is home to elegant and majestic ospreys.
Travel Information
Directions: From Portland, take I-295 north to Exit 20 – the Desert Road exit (formerly exit 19). At the end of the exit ramp take a right onto Route One/Main Street. There will be a traffic light right after the exit ramp. At this light stay on Route One North. Continue through two other traffic signals (approximately one mile.) After this second traffic signal (West Street/Route One intersection) the Town Hall is 1/10 of a mile on the right.