Located in Lewiston, Maine’s second-largest city, Bates College is a private liberal arts college set along the Androscoggin River. Bates is a small school with a total undergraduate enrollment just under 1,800 set on a 133-acre campus. It is equidistant from the state capital, Augusta, to the north, and the seaside, cultural city of Portland some 45-minutes south. The local area is often referred to as L-A, in reference to the two "Twin Cities" of Lewiston & Auburn, split by the Androscoggin River.

Visitor Information: The visit will begin at Lindholm House, 23 Campus Avenue. Parking will be available next to Lindholm House, along Wood Street.

FYI: Bates has a unique academic calendar that includes a five-week spring term from late April through May during which students can focus on a single subject or participate in an off-campus program.  

Transportation: The closest airport to Bates is the Portland International Jetport, about one hour campus. From Portland, bus service to Lewiston is provided by Greyhound Bus Lines. Ground transportation from the Portland Jetport is available via taxi, rental car, or private van/car. Boston is about two hours away from campus and Amtrak’s Downeaster links Boston and Portland.

Stay: Popular close by options include the Inn at the Agora, Hampton Inn Lewiston-Auburn, and the Hilton Garden Inn Auburn Riverwatch. In Freeport, we recommend The Harraseeket Inn.

Coffee: On campus, head to Bobcat Den, part of Bates Dining Services where students grab a quick bagel, yogurt, or coffee before class. Staying in Auburn, Aroma Joe’s has a coffeehouse with a drive-thru that opens at 5 am for all of you early risers. There is also a Starbucks in Auburn. In Lewiston, Forage Market is your best choice for a morning brew accompanied by hot bagels out of the brick oven.

Breakfast: Dating back to 1960 and still run by the same family, the Italian Bakery is a beloved Lewiston institution. Come for hot out of the oven pastries, pies, doughnuts or delicious breakfast sandwiches. Lunchtime is equally popular featuring a menu of sandwiches, pizzas, calzones, and salads. Other good choices include Dubois Café or The Cupcakery. In Auburn, Center Street Café and Rolly’s Diner are both favorite breakfast spots. One student mentioned Rolly’s crepes help him get through finals week and he always looks forward to their festive seasonal decorations.

Lunch: On campus dine with the students at Commons, Bates dining hall. It’s open starting at 11 and closes to the public at 1:30. Students steered us to popular Forage Market, a combination grocery shop, takeaway and in-store dining spot that serves homemade soups and sandwiches served on fresh hearth-baked bread with many ingredients from local farmers. (Forage Market is also a good breakfast choice for bagel sandwiches.) Also in Lewiston, Mother India has an all you can eat lunch buffet on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday that’s a great deal, priced at under $12.00 a person. And then there’s Luiggi’s Pizzeria, where one alum told us that "any Batesie will tell you that you need to go to Luiggi’s to get a Fergy!”

Dinner

Casual: In the mood for Italian, head to DaVinci’s for brick oven pizzas and pasta served in a charming and eclectic former mill in Lewiston. The city is not lacking in Asian fusion—in Lewiston head to Orchid or Boba and in Auburn to Jasmine Cafe. If your family likes a hibachi show book a table at Sea40, also with an extensive Japanese menu.

A Step Up: Book at table at Fish Bones, housed in an old brick mill in Lewiston, scenically perched on the canal. The seafood-centric menu has everything from Margarita mussels and crispy calamari appetizers to larger entrees such as fish tacos or a seafood mixed grill. Don’t let the name fool you there are plenty of meat and vegetarian options to keep everyone in your group satisfied and happy.

Sweets: Since 1940, Lewiston’s favorite ice cream pit stop is the Dairy Joy stand. Though they have hard serve ice cream, it’s the soft serve twists that they are most well-known for.

Local Attractions:  On campus stop by the Bates College Museum of Art to view their latest exhibit or the permanent collection. Lewiston and Auburn are home to many parks and walking trails, along with natural gems such as Lake Auburn. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy all the area has to offer from skiing in the winter to canoeing in the summer all within an easy drive. The 357-acre Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary has various hiking trails and many bird species in a nature preserve with woods & meadows. Lewiston’s Public Theatre is considered one of the best in the state, check the schedule to see if anything interesting is happening while you're in town. Shoppers don’t miss a visit to the outlet shops in Freeport, the home of outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean.