L. L. Bean

209,000 – Square feet of L. L. Bean complex

33,000 – Square feet of new Hunting and Fishing Store

29,155 – Weight in pounds of new store’s 24-foot-long riverbed aquarium

5,600+ — Items of merchandise in new store

3,500 – Gallons of water in aquarium

650 – New store capacity in people

200+ – Gallons of moving water pumped into aquarium per minute to simulate a river

Wood, wildlife and wonder
L.L. Bean opens new hunting and fishing store to oohs nad ah-has!

FREEPORT – Hundreds of people of all ages braved Saturday’s quickly deteriorating weather from Hurricane Noel to experience the adventure of the new L. L. Bean Hunting and Fishing Store during its grand-opening celebration.

Arriving shoppers and awestruck visitors were greeted outside the 33,000-square-foot store by the heady aroma of wood lingering in the nippy morning breeze. That ambiance, combined with fly-rod-and-reel handles on the front doors and antler handles inside, set the stage for the more than 5,600 items of merchandise framed inside by wooden post-lined stairways and a second-story walkway bridge centered above a giant stone fireplace.

High on the fireplace, a large bull moose taxidermy mount stared out toward hunting apparel, accessories and gear on the first floor, while a bull elk mount with a magnificent rack directed eyes toward the fishing section on the second floor.

“It’s a cool melding of history and traditions,” Mac McKeever said of the atmosphere and several displays of the founder’s outdoor sporting gear, while leading a morning tour.

“This is the best-of-the-best and, perhaps, overwhelming. It’s a funky store. This is just like a giant toy box for hunters and anglers, with enough features and attractions to make it a great shopping experience,” McKeever, L. L. Bean’s senior public relations representative, added.

Nearly 100 fish and animal mounts lined walls on both floors, including one raccoon lounging atop a pipe near the ceiling just inside and to the right of the doorway that volunteer greeter Lucy Behnke of Topsham delighted in pointing out.

“People are definitely impressed,” she said. “They come in and their jaw just drops. Most are looking for the fish tank.”

“The feedback’s been phenomenal from customers. We’re very busy and we’ve received terrific praise,” McKeever said.

Behnke directed many toward a 3,500-gallon, 24-foot-long riverbed aquarium stocked full of indigenous fish, turtles and crayfish. A unique bubble observation dome on the bottom gave viewers inside it an even closer encounter of the fishy kind.

The display lined a first-floor wall linking the main shop with the new store’s archery section, inside which stood real tree logs on which hunting platform tree stands were mounted at different heights and angles.

“Mom! I found the turtle!” 7-year-old Nick Dilworth of Falmouth shouted while peering into a small canyon on the right end of the aquarium. His mother, Becky Dilworth, told him it was an Eastern painted turtle, after reading signs depicting each species within the tank.

“We’re in here getting his winter boots and socks,” she said. “Maine doesn’t really have an aquarium, so this is the next best thing. This is a fun outing for the kids, and then you just squeeze in the shopping.”

Across the way, Mary Buchanan of North Yarmouth and her son Paul, 8, peered into the new store’s Techno-Hunt indoor virtual-archery range. McKeever said bowhunters can bring in their bows and get ready for the season.

“This is fun to watch. This is cool,” Paul Buchanan said, watching two archery experts fire arrows down the 20-yard lane. “Hey, Dad! Dad, you should try this.”

His father, Paul Buchanan, looked in, mentioned he was a bow hunter and was soon firing at videotaped zebras, elephants, deer and other animals and birds, grinning widely and looking back at his wife in between shots.

“It’s great practice, very realistic, has the angles, tells you when it’s a good time to shoot and tells when you hit vitals or a body shot or a miss,” he said. “We’ve only been from the fish to the archery range, so I’m anxious to look around. Maine is the place to be if you like to hunt and fish.”

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