Dog-Friendly Stephen King Attractions in Maine
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Visit these dog-friendly Stephen King tourist attractions in Maine
Anyone who is a true fan of Stephen King has heard of Bangor, Maine. This city was home to the famous author for 37 years and has been the inspiration for some of his most famous works. In fact, the town of Derry in several of his books and the movie “IT”, was based on this city. You can easily spend an afternoon touring places like Stephen King’s house, the house from Pet Semetary, and the place that inspired the Standpipe in the movie IT. If you are traveling with your pup, make sure you visit these dog-friendly Stephen King Attractions in Maine or even book a guided tour to hear more about the author and his stories.
Self-Guided Stephen King Tour in Bangor
Even though there is no official self-guided Stephen King Tour in Bangor, you can easily make up your own based on how much time you have, how far you want to drive, and what you want to see. Here is a list of the main attractions separated into dog-friendly and non-dog-friendly places. These locations include where the author used to live, filming locations, and the places that inspired his stories.
Dog-Friendly Stephen King Attractions:
I love finding activities that people can do with their pets when they are traveling so, I was super excited when I realized that the following Stephen King attractions were dog-friendly! All these places are outdoors with no pet restrictions, so you can explore them with ALL the members of your family.
Stephen King’s House
47 West Broadway
You can’t go inside the house but seeing the outside is enough of a treat! This is where Stephen King and his wife used to live but it’s now the home of the Stephen King and Tabitha Foundation and Museum.
Thomas Hill Standpipe and Water Tower
41 Thomas Hill Rd
This location is what inspired the Standpipe in the movie “IT” (where Stan first encounters Pennywise). You can’t go inside, but you are free to look around outside the structure.
Paul Bunyan Statue
519 Main St
This 31-foot-tall statue inspired the scene in the movie “IT” where the Paul Bunyan statue comes to life and chases Richie. Be prepared to look around for parking and walk to get a closer look.
Sewer Gate from IT
Jackson and Union St. Corner
Visit the sewer grate that was the inspiration for where Pennywise lured Georgie at the start of the movie “IT”. There are a couple of storm drains in the area so take your pic on which one you think is correct. Depending on your source, it could be one of two that are around or near this particular corner. I would have loved being able to take a guided tour to find out for sure where “IT” all started. (pun intended)
Pet Sematary House
303 Point Road located nearby in Hancock
This is the house that was featured in the movie “Pet Sematary”. Visitors can’t go inside as it is a private residence, but you can admire the building from the street.
The Barrens
The Barrens is the meet-up place for the Losers Club in IT. Take a stroll along the Kenduskeag Stream and see what looks familiar from the movie.
Other Stephen King Attractions in Maine:
If you aren’t traveling with your pet, there are a few other sites that you can visit while in town. See the place where several scenes from the movie “Pet Sematary” were filmed or visit a bookstore full of Stephen King memorabilia to make your trip complete.
Pet Sematary
Mount Hope Cemetery– 1048 State St
The cemetery scenes from the movie “Pet Sematary” were filmed in Mount Hope. Dogs are NOT allowed in the cemetery so this stop will have to be done without your canine companion. When you visit, you will have to park outside of the cemetery and walk in.
Stephen King Bookstore
Gerald Winters and Son Bookstore 48 Main Street
This is another stop that your dog must miss out on. But if you have time, this bookstore is full of Stephen King memorabilia.
Guided Stephen King Tours
If you don’t want to deal with finding parking and finding all the spots on your own, consider booking a guided tour. SK Tours of Maine LLC provides 3 different narrated tours of the many Stephen King Attractions throughout Bangor Maine. They offer both a public and private “Derry Maine” tour as well as a Halloween Costume Tour in October. The tours will take you around Bangor, which is the city that Stephen King based the town of Derry on in several of his books.
No matter what tour you choose, you will meet at the company’s headquarters at 872 Hammond Street. Tour times do vary throughout the year so you will want to make sure you check their calendar before making any plans. If you are traveling during the peak tourist season, you will want to book your tour at least a few months in advance because they fill up quickly.
All of these options are bus tours, which means you can sit back and relax as you are driven to each location. There are a couple of stops where you will have to walk a short distance to reach the ultimate destination, but you will always have the option to stay behind if you are not up to it.
Public Derry Maine Tour
This $60 public Stephen King Tour is open to everyone (though it might not be appropriate for kids under 10). The SK Tour will last at least 2.5 hours as they take you around Derry (otherwise known as Bangor). The bus visits all of the main stops in Bangor, like where Stephen King worked and lived, and the places that have inspired his famous stories. You will also get to see some of the different film locations while your guide talks about each of the places you visit.
*Dogs are NOT allowed on this tour
Private Derry Maine Tour (Dog-friendly)
If you are looking for a private tour of the different Stephen King attractions in Maine then this is the option for you. The private tours are perfect if you want more control over the stops and what you hear on the private tour. This option is perfect if you are traveling with small children or if you want the tour personalized in any way. Private tours are also dog-friendly, though your pup will have to stay inside the vehicle during the Mount Hope Cemetery Stop.
Just like the public tour, plan on this one lasting at least 2.5 hours. They allow up to 12 people on their private tours and the price will change based on how many are in your group. The first four people cost $250, and each additional person will cost an extra $55.
Halloween Costume Tour
Towards the end of October, SK Tours leads the Derry Maine tour with one big difference- costumes! Everyone is encouraged to come dressed as their favorite Stephen King character and is rewarded with a prize! Like the normal tour, this Halloween Costume tour lasts around 2.5 hours and will cost $60 per person.
The 2023 tour date is Oct 31, from 2 pm- 5 pm
Nearby Attractions:
For ideas of places to visit in and around Bangor, check out these stops.
Attractions Near Bangor:
Dog-friendly Attractions near Bangor:
Why You Should Visit These Stephen King Attractions in Maine
Even though I haven’t read all of Stephen King’s books, or watched all of his movies, I still enjoyed visiting the different Stephen King Attractions in Maine. My friends who had watched and read most of his movies and books were even more excited. I got even happier when I realized that many of these locations were dog-friendly! These stops were a last-minute addition to our trip to Acadia National Park. We stopped on our way out of town and I wish we had scheduled a full afternoon or even day so we could have taken our time and seen everything. If you are flying into Bangor, or driving by, it is definitely worth a few hours of your time even if you only know of a few of Stephen King’s works!
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