Frances Perkins National Monument
National Monument · Maine

Frances Perkins National Monument

Photo: Robert Reed, NPS employee (per the same source) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Frances Perkins served as Secretary of Labor under Franklin Roosevelt and helped create Social Security, minimum wage and safety laws. The monument, created in December 2024, protects her family's 1837 brick house, barn and wooded paths above the Damariscotta River. The house is closed for renovation, so plan on the barn exhibit, the grounds and the trails.

Good to know

Tickets
Free. There is no entrance fee; check nps.gov before you go for 2026 hours.
Time needed
About 1 hour for the barn exhibit and the homestead trail.
Best time
Summer to early fall, when the barn and welcome area have staffed hours. The grounds and trails are open in daylight year-round.
Getting there
The homestead is on River Road in Newcastle, next to Damariscotta. Portland International Jetport is about 1 hour away by car.

Where to stay nearby

Gateway towns with hotels and food, close to the park entrances:
Newcastle, Maine
Advertisement
Ad space · 728 × 90

Frances Perkins National Monument questions

Can you go inside the Frances Perkins house?

Not yet. The brick house is being renovated, but the barn has exhibits and the grounds are open.

When is the Frances Perkins National Monument open?

The grounds and trails are open in daylight all year. Staffed hours run seasonally, roughly mid-June to mid-October, so check nps.gov before you go.

Why is Frances Perkins important?

She was the first woman in a U.S. cabinet and the main force behind the New Deal's labor laws, including Social Security.

Nearby national monuments