Old Orchard Beach: Beach, Pier, and Local History

Old Orchard Beach combines a long Atlantic beach with a distinctive pier, an amusement park, and several historical and cultural themes. This makes it easy to match the destination’s different sides to your travel plans.

Beach, Pier, and Amusement Park

Old Orchard Beach stretches for seven miles between Pine Point in Scarborough and Camp Elliot. The pier extends nearly 500 feet out over the Atlantic Ocean. These two figures describe different scales: one covers the stretch of coastline, while the other measures how far the pier reaches over the water. The beach and pier therefore represent two different reasons to spend time on the coast.

Palace Playland is also located on the beach. This family-oriented amusement park covers five acres and offers more than 30 rides and attractions. If the park is important to your trip, you can consider it a separate recreational option alongside the long coastline: one is about rides and attractions, the other about the beach’s length.

Getting Here and Finding Your Way Around

Old Orchard Beach station is a seasonal stop on the Amtrak Downeaster line. In 2026, seasonal service runs from May 18 to mid-October. If you’re traveling by train, check your travel dates against the schedule; the period may differ in later years. The beach, pier, shops, restaurants, hotels, and attractions are all within a quarter-mile walk of the station. This distance gives you a practical guide to destinations around town. At the same time, seasonal service is an important factor when planning your travel dates.

A Trail Outdoors

The Eastern Trail offers a different perspective on the area than the beach and pier. A car-free section includes more than eight miles of flat, easy trails and connects Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and Scarborough. From Old Orchard Beach, you can access the trail via Cascade Road, Portland Avenue, and the Old Orchard Beach Connector. Access details may change because of trail work, so check them before your outing. This lets you consider the stated length and terrain separately from the practical details of getting there.

Local History on Markers and in Museums

The Museum in the Streets guides visitors through the town’s streets with 28 markers in English and French. The Harmon Museum presents the history of Old Orchard Beach through historical treasures dating back more than 200 years. Topics covered there include the Dummy Railroad and horse racing at Kite Track. The two offerings present local history in different ways: along markers in the streets and through museum materials.

Another historical point of reference is Ocean Park in Old Orchard Beach, founded in 1881 as a religious community. The founding year gives this place its own historical anchor alongside the topics covered at the Harmon Museum and the Museum in the Streets. If you want to include the town’s history in your trip planning as well as its beach and recreational offerings, these references provide several specific points of interest.

Discover more destinations: Sanford, South Berwick, Saco, Biddeford, Buxton, Kennebunkport, Kennebunk, North Berwick

For the main travel overview: York.