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A number of historic structures are located on the island, including two World War II-era fire control towers located on the island’s southern tip. The island’s Nubble bait shack, a local lobsterman buoy area, is an often-documented site in New England photography. The island is also connected to the noted Maine Lobsterman sculpture, created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair by Portland sculptor Victor Kahill. Bailey Island resident H. Elroy “Snoody” Johnson served as the model for the statue, which was displayed at the Sea and Shore Fisheries Museum in Boothbay, Maine until 1983, when it was moved to Washington, D.C.
Tourist attractions on Bailey Island include the Sea Life Learning Center, which features aquarium exhibits and a tidal pool touch tank. The world-famous Cook's Lobster and Ale House, notably featured in a 1997 Visa commercial, offers classic lobster dishes such as boiled lobster and lobster rolls. Other restaurants include the Dolphin Marina and Restaurant. Overnight accommodations are provided at the Log Cabin Island Inn, which offers nine rooms, and the Driftwood Inn, a three-acre resort offering a saltwater swimming pool and housekeeping cottages.
In addition to bridge access, Bailey Island is accessible via ferry through the Casco Bay Lines passenger transit service, which transports more than one million annual travelers to eight islands within Casco Bay and provides mail service and education transportation for island residents. The service, which began year-round transit in 1878 as the Casco Bay Steamboat Company, was rebranded as Casco Bay Lines in 1919 and taken over by the nonprofit Casco Bay Island Transit District corporation in 1981. Daily ferry service is provided from Portland and nearby Peaks, Great and Little Diamond, Long, Chebeague, and Cliff Islands and Diamond Cove. A variety of scenic tours and special excursion cruises are also offered, including music cruises featuring local musicians and special event cruises in correlation with major holidays.
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