I Visited the LL Bean Flagship Store!

Whether you’re into preppy fashion or not, a trip to the LL Bean flagship store is nothing BUT a must-see when in the state of Maine! Growing up, my family and I spent summers on end up in Northern Maine. HOWEVER, we rarely visited the LL Bean Flagship store with the *iconic* LL Bean (Bean) boot in the front for ALL of your Instagrammable needs located in Freeport, Maine (I had been before, yet it has been at least 5 years since!!). So, when Papa wanted to go visit on our way up to Northern Maine, I knew *yet* another visit to the LL Bean Flagship store was in the cards for me!

In case you didn’t already know, LL Bean is an outdoorsy fashion house that is Maine-based with many of its products being made and even handcrafted right in the state. LL Bean also carries several preppy and classic fashion staples. The Bean boot (pictured in the sculpture in front of the flagship store and linked below) is one of its well-known designs. I own a pair of Bean boots, too, and LOVE them! LL Bean also offers customizable canvas totes and bags, hiking gear, women’s and men’s clothing (whether it be outerwear for hiking/cold Maine-like winters or day-to-day life), back to school gear (I had and still have an LL Bean monogrammed backpack!), and winter gear. Not to mention the fact that LL Bean sells kayaks, hammocks, tumblers, fishing gear, camping gear, and much more! You can explore their website more here: https://www.llbean.com/?&qs=3085166&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq4n7w_bx-QIVgoTICh0crQygEAAYASAAEgLULfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

LL Bean is headquartered in Freeport – a town located just North of the Maine’s biggest city of Portland and easily accessible off of I-295 (it only took us about 3 minutes to get to the store from the highway!). Like Portland, Freeport is aligned on the Maine coastline. Along with LL Bean, Freeport also offers a variety of other shops, including: Patagonia and J. Crew Factory. At the same time, the town offers a plethora of local Mainer-owned gift shops and restaurants and even a whoopie shop called Wicked Whoopies. Papa and I went to Wicked Whoopies, a bakery honoring the well-known Maine dessert of the whoopie pie, that sells whoopie pies in flavors of ALL kinds (I got the peanut butter and Papa got the original!). When in Freeport, Maine, you will see several murals, beautiful Maine streets, LL Bean kayaks hanging practically EVERYWHERE, and food trucks selling lobster ALL because: when in Maine, do as the Mainers do and enjoy it all!!!

Upon entering the LL Bean Flagship store, you will see a HUGE LL Bean Boot sculpture and red backpack with likely a line of folks waiting to snap a photo in front of it before they enter the store, themselves. I am not super sure about later times in the day or weekends, but Papa and I had a quick wait in line (1-2 parties and snapped photos for others, too) as we arrived on a Tuesday around 10am. After snapping our photo with my dog Rosie who came along for the adventure, we headed into the store. The BEST part?! ALL LL Bean stores (like many outdoor equipment stores such as Cabela’s) ARE dog-friendly!, so Rosie went shopping, too!

The LL Bean Flagship store is probably the biggest LL Bean store out there! It has a WHOLE section for monogrammed goods (a customized tote with a funny saying courtesy of Instagram amiright?!) with a sewing booth done the day of, outdoor gear, women’s clothing, men’s clothing, children’s clothing, Back to School lunch bags and backpacks hanging ALL across the walls, and much more! The store ALSO had some tumblers, winter coats ON SALE (VERYYYY tempting!!!), and kayaks. Right across the street, LL Bean has a home goods store, too. We didn’t check that store out, but if I had more time, I would have done just that. Below, I have linked some of my favorite LL Bean pieces!