Anonymous
Assisted LivingFamily/friend
August 7, 2026
Our experience
[name removed] participates only in the Adult day Program, 5 days week. All is positive and we would recommend Birch Bay community to other families.
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25 Village Inn Road, Bar Harbor, ME 04609

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Anonymous
Spouse or partner of resident/client
Our experience
[name removed] participates only in the Adult day Program, 5 days week. All is positive and we would recommend Birch Bay community to other families.
Read all reviewsBirch Bay Retirement Village
Birch Bay Retirement Living is a charming homelike community with beautiful views of the Frenchman Bay. Have peace of mind knowing your loved one is within 5 miles of the closest hospital. Soak up the sun while listening to the peaceful sounds of flowing water at the nearest beach.
A variety of activities help enrich senior’s lives from book club to men’s group to water exercises at the local YMCA. Chef-prepared meals are made from scratch and served in a variety of dining areas. From a natural light filled restaurant-style dining room to a classy, but comfortable dining room, seniors can choose their favorite ambience. Those in memory care have a homey family-style dining area. They can improve their well-being through musical therapy by a board certified music therapist.
The community offers independent living, supportive living, and memory care. Those in independent living have beautiful one-story cottages. Cozy one- and two-bedroom apartments are offered for seniors in supportive living. Private suites reside in the small memory care neighborhood. Feel at ease knowing your loved one has access to emergency response systems to insure their safety. Seniors in memory care receive round-the-clock care by specifically trained caregivers. Quarterly health assessments are taken of...
Learn more about the Best of Senior Living awards and this year’s winners.
See all 2026 award winnersIs this your business?
A Place for Mom has scored Birch Bay Retirement Village with 9.8 out of 10 using our proprietary review score based on 19 reviews in the last 2 years. Over all time, Birch Bay Retirement Village has 52 reviews with an average "overall experience" of 4.6 out of 5.
Anonymous
Assisted LivingFamily/friend
August 7, 2026
[name removed] participates only in the Adult day Program, 5 days week. All is positive and we would recommend Birch Bay community to other families.
James L
Memory CareResident/client
December 23, 2025
My wife and I have resided at Birch Bay for five years. For two years we lived in an apartment and have since owned a cottage here. As these places go, Birch Bay is small, with approximately 100 residents divided, half in 20 cottages and the rest in independent apartments with a few in assisted living and memory care. Bar Harbor, Maine is a resort community on Mount Desert Island, home of Acadia National Park one of the country's most visited national parks. Birch Bay's location is five hours from Boston, with high housing costs and few amenities during the harsh winters. The campus is very scenic at 200 feet above sea level with ocean and mountain views. Birch Bay's staff mostly live on the mainland because of housing costs and commute on two-lane roads crowded with visitors during the summer. Despite this, Birch Bay has attracted a staff who know the residents by name and are always friendly.
Susan R
Memory CareFamily/friend
December 19, 2025
I frequently visit my mother at Birch Bay, she lives in an independent apartment. I have always found the staff to be very friendly, kind, caring, and responsive. During my last visit I was especially impressed by the kitchen/dining staff. They knew all of the residents' special dietary needs and desires.
Stefan G
Memory CareResident/client
December 19, 2025
I have been a resident at BBV for a few years, we have gone through numerous changes (all positive) and really enjoy my stay there all the times. There’s so many different interesting offerings, choose and pick so many choices it’s really up to every individual. Let’s go ! Thank you,
John Ashby
Memory CareFamily/friend
December 18, 2025
Birch Bay (BB) is the 3rd community my mother has lived in. She has advanced dementia and has lived in their Safe Harbor unit for three years. BB is the first place that has provided my sister and I with peace of mind and our mother with the stimulating and nurturing environment she deserves. Our experience with other facilities was absolutely terrible, so we went into BB optimistically, but without high expectations. But, it didn't take long to realize that BB was a special place. The location and views are beautiful, but the true beauty of BB is the staff. I was used to jaded staff with poor morale just going through the motions. This is not the case at BB. Staff of all levels know and care about their residents, many of whom chose their career because they wanted to care for people. It doesn't matter how nice a place looks if the staff aren't passionate about caring for others. There is so much more that makes BB a wonderful place, but the staff is the foundation.
Larry M
Memory CareResident/client
December 18, 2025
The staff are attentive and caring. While the facility doesn't offer as many amenities as larger places, the ones that are offered seem cover a brand spectrum of interests and needs on the part of fellow residents. Opportunities for socialization are excellent. The facility is beautifully situated with wonderful views around, and grounds are attractively maintained.
Jean J
Memory CareFamily/friend
December 18, 2025
The staff are competent and friendly. They really know my father in law. The food is good and the facility is clean and attractive. It always smells good when I walk in. The coordination between staff and hi PCP is seamless.
Anonymous
Memory CareResident/client
August 26, 2025
I feel so fortunate that my children decided that this was the place for me to live all the rest of my days. There is not doubt in my mind that after COVID first landed. New admistrator trying to please everybody. I am quite happy here The staff is wonderful and friendly and very helpful I found that some people are always complaining. I stay apart from that and I am very happy with this home. They had to often.
Rachel P
Memory CareResident/client
August 26, 2025
It is a happy place and freedom to enjoy my last years of life. Great amenities worry free of maintaining a house and all that needs to do to up keep it. The staff is wonderful very empathic and friendly and always ready to listen. Man activity choices and outings in town errands shopping.
Ann B
Memory CareResident/client
July 23, 2025
I moved here into a cottage with my husband overlooking Frenchman Bay and the mountains almost eleven years ago. We were warmly welcomed by our cottage neighbors and our Inn friends, and immediately felt we had found a home. In addition to the active community lives of the cottagers, the Inn offers a wide variety of activities for us to share, both socially and intellectually. Other organizations on the Island use the Inn for programs open to the public, as well. Acadia National Park is adjacent to Birch Bay and is easily accessible. In summary, at almost 90 and now as a widow, I have found a perfect place to spend the rest of my years where I am encouraged to be a part of a larger, active community.
Bob H
Memory CareResident/client
July 22, 2025
I have lived at Birch Bay Village for five years and consider these years some of my best. Being adjacent to Acadia National Park I often spend the day hiking or volunteering to maintain the trails. Birch Bay offers many activities, some of which I partake in and others I don't. Even though I own a cottage I enjoy the mens meeting at the Inn every Tuesday. Being a single male I find it easy and rewarding to socialize with the other residents.
Linda K D
Memory CareResident/client
July 21, 2025
There are 20 cottages at Birch Bay Village. They are situated on a hill overlooking Frenchman Bay. There is a lovely neighborhood vibe with friends connecting for snacks or dinner or while taking a walk or picking up the mail. Cottagers also participate in events held at the main building such as holiday celebrations, concerts, lectures, and art shows. There is a gym in the main building that I enjoy and I hike the two nature trails almost every day. My husband and I love the down sized lifestyle here. Until we lost him, our dog also loved the walks and the neighbors.
Phyllis
Memory CareResident/client
July 17, 2025
The resident community is eclectic - caring, interesting backgrounds, open to new ideas, sharing, supportive, We have a delightful collection of new friends. Staff members reporting to the head administrator are across the board very helpful and friendly. Staffing in the dining room and kitchen has been bumpy the past few months. Menu choices are healthier (no fried foods; reduced starch offerings)- responding to requests from residents
Sarah P
Memory CareFamily/friend
July 16, 2025
I am so grateful that my 92 year old Mom lives at BBV. She has a few issues, including dementia. Every staff person that cares for her or visits her is professional, kind, and understanding of mom’s condition. She always receives all the attentive care she needs. She has delicious meals, her room is cleaned regularly. I can’t say enough about the other employees that I have had contact with. Each one has been polite, friendly and professional. Birch Bay Village is a perfect home for my Mom and it’s a blessing to all her family to visit her.
Ellen
Memory CareFamily/friend
July 16, 2025
Birch Bay has many wonderful things about it. My father was in the memory care unit and my mother is now in assistant living. They are well-staffed, and the care both of my parents receive(d) there is excellent. People are nice and responsive to emails from me with requests or concerns about my mother and she really feels cared for and about by the nursing staff. Every month is packed with a range of activities, and the location and views are also great. As a Bar Harbor native, I love that my mother has been able to stay local. That said, it’s super expensive and way out of reach financially for most locals. Also, over the years my mother has been there, food/dining is a consistent issue in terms of menu and quality, and it shouldn’t be given the cost of the facility overall and the dining room setup. Food and meals are NOT the place to cut costs (in terms of staff or food quality) with the elderly given how important meals are in their day. Overall I am very grateful for their care.
Anna Durand
Memory CareFamily/friend
July 16, 2025
Birch Bay Retirement Village has a beautiful campus, gorgeous views, and friendly staff. The community of elderly folks here have welcomed my mother most kindly, and she is thriving in the Apartments - independent living. Her apartment is spacious and the sun room is great. The maintenance crew is all over any need she has, and the nursing staff are very attentive and smart. The food has been truly excellent, hopefully that will continue with the new hires. They could use a few more activities (because the residents are pretty active) but the ones they do provide are top-notch.
BLA
Assisted LivingFamily/friend
December 18, 2024
My parents moved into Birch Bay Village when they knew they needed more support as they aged. Now that my dad is gone my mom moved from independent to assisted living. Staff helped make this transition go smoothly and now my mom gets excellent care for most of her needs. In terms of the food I'd give the main dining room 5 stars but assisted living gets reheated food from downstairs and it's not quite as good. Overall, I am grateful that I don't have to worry who will get up in the middle of the night to assist my mom or who will come if she falls. It's not perfect, and like everywhere else BB has experienced staffing shortages. But everyone pitches in and somehow they all make it work. The staff make all the difference in showing the kind of care and dedication anyone would wish for their loved one.
Carolyn Cooke
Assisted LivingFamily/friend
December 11, 2024
When my mother could no longer live independently at home, we were grateful that the closest long term care facility was also one of the very best in the country. Birch Bay Village is a gem. The care staff are superlative—kind, caring, and attentive. The setting is spectacular, and residents enjoy activities that include a well-used walking path, evening wine in the library, an arts group that recently held its first public show, regular musical performances on the grand piano in the dining room, movie nights, field trips, and more. Residents and their families feel fortunate to have such a wonderful option right on Mount Desert Island, seamlessly connected to the excellent local hospital.
William H
Memory CareFamily/friend
December 5, 2024
I have interacted with all levels of staff and many in management. Many experiences signal the excellent quality of care: oversight provided by hospital ownership and management, strong community support, dedicated professionals, creative care programming, involved personal care from staff, availability of administrators, high level of communication. The physical location adjoining Acadia National Park and overlooking Frenchman’s Bay is stunning. Facility maintenance matches quality of custodial care.
Anonymous
Assisted LivingFamily/friend
October 18, 2024
What we like about Birch Bay is the friendly caregivers and thoughtful activities- music therapy in particular! The community feels small and homey
Birch Bay Retirement Village
Safety is a primary concern when seniors and their families look for Assisted Living. To ensure that a community meets your needs and expectations, we recommend that seniors and family members:
Know Maine’s regulations for memory care. Each state has its own laws and inspection processes to ensure seniors reside in a safe environment. Depending on your state, you may even be able to look up inspection reports for the communities you’re considering. Learn more about Maine’s regulations for memory care and download the Guide to Senior Living Licensure and Inspection Reports.
Tour the location. Touring allows you to speak to current residents and staff, and it helps you confirm the accuracy of the community description and photos. Use our touring checklist to help guide your visit.
Confirm the availability of required services. Before committing, make sure that the community offers all the services your loved one needs, and that those services can be provided within your budget.
The features and amenities that are displayed on this page contain marketing information provided by the community. A Place for Mom has not confirmed the completeness of the provided information, and cannot guarantee its accuracy. If you become aware of any information that should be updated or noted, please contact A Place for Mom. A Place for Mom uses the term “assisted living” to indicate that the community provides some level of assistance with daily living activities. It does not indicate that the facility meets official state requirements for level of care.