Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Portland (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Cross Insurance Arena, Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, and Portland Observatory. Also, be sure to include Portland Museum of Art in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Portland (Maine).
Table of Contents
Cross Insurance Arena
Arena in Portland, Maine. Cross Insurance Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977, at a cost of US$8 million, it is the home arena for the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. There are 6,206 permanent seats in the arena, and it seats up to 9,500 for concerts.[1]
Address: Portland, 1 Civic Center Square
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway, located in Portland, Maine, United States.[2]
Address: 58 Fore St, 04101 Portland
Portland Observatory
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Portland Observatory is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States. Using both a telescope and signal flags, two-way communication between ship and shore was possible several hours before an incoming vessel reached the docks. The tower was designated a National Historic Landmark and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2006; it is now managed by Greater Portland Landmarks, a local historic preservation nonprofit. It is open to the public as a museum.[3]
Address: 138 Congress St, 04101-3608 Portland
Portland Museum of Art
Art institute in Portland, Maine. The Portland Museum of Art, or PMA, is the largest and oldest public art institution in the U.S. state of Maine. Founded as the Portland Society of Art in 1882. It is located in the downtown area known as The Arts District in Portland, Maine.[4]
Address: 7 Congress Sq, 04101-1119 Portland
Children's Museum of Maine
Children's museum in Portland, Maine. Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is located in the Arts District of downtown Portland, Maine and features a wide variety of interactive exhibits and activities for children and families.[5]
Address: 142 Free St, 04101-3961 Portland
Hadlock Field
Stadium in Portland, Maine. Hadlock Field is a minor league baseball stadium in Portland, Maine. It is primarily home to the Portland Sea Dogs of the Double-A Northeast but also the Portland High School Bulldogs and Deering High School Rams baseball teams. The stadium is named for Edson B. Hadlock Jr. a long-time Portland High School baseball coach and physics teacher and member of the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.[6]
Address: 271 Park Ave, 04102-2911 Portland
Victoria Mansion
Historical landmark in Portland, Maine. Victoria Mansion, also known as the Morse-Libby House or Morse-Libby Mansion, is a landmark example of American residential architecture located in downtown Portland, Maine, United States. The brownstone exterior, elaborate interior design, opulent furnishings and early technological conveniences provide a detailed portrait of lavish living in nineteenth-century America. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971 for its architectural significance as a particularly well-preserved Italianate mansion.[7]
Address: 109 Danforth St, 04101-4504 Portland
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral in Portland, Maine. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a historic cathedral at 307 Congress Street in Portland, Maine that serves as seat of the Diocese of Portland. The pastor is Bishop Robert Deeley, and the rector is Father Seamus Griesbach. The church, an imposing Gothic Revival structure built in 1866–69, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is the tallest building in Portland and the third tallest in Maine.[8]
Address: 307 Congress St, 04101-3638 Portland
Congress Square Park
Park in Portland, Maine. Congress Square Park is a small public park in the Arts District of Portland, Maine. The park includes a stage for performances and areas for sitting. It is also home to a large, historic clock which had previously been located at Union Station.[9]
Address: 157 High St, 04101 Portland
Wadsworth-Longfellow House
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a historic house and museum in Portland, Maine, United States. It is located at 489 Congress Street and is operated by the Maine Historical Society. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, and administratively added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The house is open daily to public from May through October. An admission fee is charged.[10]
Address: 489 Congress St, 04101-3414 Portland
State Theatre
Theater in Portland, Maine. The State Theatre is a historic theater located at 609 Congress Street in downtown Portland, Maine, which features a combination of Moorish and Art Deco architecture. It reopened as a 1,870-seat performing arts venue in 2010.[11]
Address: Portland, 609 Congress Street
Maine Historical Society
The Maine Historical Society is the official state historical society of Maine. It is located at 489 Congress Street in downtown Portland. The Society currently operates the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, a National Historic Landmark, Longfellow Garden, the Maine Historical Society Museum and Store, the Brown Research Library, as well as the Maine Memory Network, an online database of documents and images that includes resources from many of state's local historical societies.[12]
Address: 489 Congress St, 04101-3414 Portland
Fort Gorges
Fort in Portland, Maine. Fort Gorges is a former United States military fort built on Hog Island Ledge in Casco Bay, Maine. Built from 1858 to 1864, no battles were fought there and no troops were stationed there. Advancing military technology, including iron clad ships and long range guns, made the fort obsolete before it could be used. The fort is now a park, accessible only by boat. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[13]
Deering Oaks
Park in Portland, Maine. Deering Oaks is a 55-acre public park in Portland, Maine, which has a baseball diamond, tennis courts, a playground, and a pond. It is located west of downtown Portland and is bordered by Deering Avenue on the west, Forest Avenue on the east, Park Avenue to the south and Interstate 295 to the north. State Street bisects the park. Access is from State Street, Deering Avenue, or Park Avenue. The Portland Farmers Market is located on the Park Avenue side of the park. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[14]
Address: btwn Deering Ave. & Forest Ave., 04101 Portland
One Longfellow Square
The Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Monument is a public monument in Portland, Maine's West End. Located on the corner of State and Congress Street, it honors poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was born in Portland in 1807. The intersection built around the monument is known as Longfellow Square.[15]
Address: 181 State St, 04101-3701 Portland
Williston-West Church and Parish House
United church of christ in Portland, Maine. The Williston-West Church and Parish House are an historic church and house at 32 Thomas Street in the West End neighborhood of Portland, Maine, United States. The church was built in 1897, and is a significant Gothic work by Francis H. Fassett. The parish house, built in 1905, was designed by John Calvin Stevens and John Howard Stevens. The church is historically notable as the founding site of Christian Endeavor International, consider a major forerunner of modern youth ministries. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The church congregation merged with another in 2011, and the property was sold for rehabilitation and redevelopment. It now houses professional offices.[16]
Ram Island Ledge Light
Lighthouse in Portland, Maine. Ram Island Ledge Light is a lighthouse in Casco Bay, Maine, United States, marking the northern end of the main channel leading the harbor of Portland, Maine.[17]
First Parish Church
Building in Portland, Maine. First Parish Church is an historic church at 425 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. Built in 1825 for a congregation established in 1674, it is the oldest church building in the city, and one of its finest examples of Federal period architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The congregation is Unitarian Universalist; its pastor is Reverend Christina Sillari.[18]
Address: 425 Congress St, 04101-3505 Portland
Lincoln Park
City park in Portland, Maine. Lincoln Park is a 1.8-acre urban park in downtown Portland, Maine. Created in 1866 following the 1866 Great Fire which burned down most of the buildings of Portland, it was named in honor of former President Abraham Lincoln. It is bounded by Congress, Pearl, Federal and Market streets. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[19]
Address: 139 Federal St, 04101-4399 Portland
Western Cemetery
Cemetery in Portland, Maine. The Western Cemetery is an urban cemetery in Portland, Maine. At one time Portland's home for the "poor and indigent", the cemetery is named for its location in city's West End neighborhood and proximity to the Western Promenade. Founded in the 18th century, the land was acquired by the city in 1829. In 1841, the city expanded the cemetery to its present 12 acres. The Western Cemetery was Portland's primary cemetery from 1829 to 1852, when Evergreen Cemetery was established in the suburb of Deering. It was an active cemetery until 1910. In October 2003, the cemetery began a restoration and reconstruction project was run by the Stewards of the Western Cemetery and the City of Portland and funded with municipal funds.[20]
Address: 2 Vaughan St, 04102-3618 Portland
Portland City Hall
Building in Portland, Maine. Portland City Hall is the center of city government in Portland, Maine. It is located at 389 Congress Street, and is set in a prominent rise, anchoring a cluster of civic buildings at the eastern end of Portland's downtown. The structure was built in 1909-12 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[21]
Address: 389 Congress St, 04101-3566 Portland
St. Lawrence Arts Center
Performing arts center in Portland, Maine. The St. Lawrence Arts Center is a performing arts center and community space at 76 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill district of Portland, Maine. It is located in the former parish house of the St. Lawrence Church, a historic Romanesque church that was built in 1897 and demolished in 2008. The church property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.[22]
Address: 76 Congress St, 04101 Portland
McLellan-Sweat Mansion
Museum in Portland, Maine. The McLellan-Sweat Mansion is a historic house museum on High Street in Portland, Maine. It forms the rear component of the Portland Museum of Art complex. Built in 1800–01, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 as a well-preserved Federal style brick townhouse.[23]
Baxter Woods
Park in Portland, Maine. Mayor Baxter Woods Park is a nature reserve and municipal forest in the Deering Center neighborhood of Portland, Maine, USA. The land which became Baxter Woods was owned by Congressman Francis Ormand Jonathan Smith. He died in 1876 and his estate sold the forest to canning magnate, land developer, and future Mayor James Phinney Baxter in 1882. When J.P. Baxter died in 1921, it had not been developed during the preceding building boom and was bequeathed to his son Percival P. Baxter. In April 1946, Percival Baxter donated the land to the City of Portland on the condition that it would "...forever be retained and used by City in trust for the benefit of the people of Portland as a Municipal Forest and Park and for public recreation and educational purposes". On June 19, 1956, U.S. Senator Frederick Payne mentioned the land in a speech honoring Percival Baxter, calling the land a "beautiful nature sanctuary given by you in honor of your father..."
Covering 29 acres (120,000 m2), Baxter Woods is the largest undisturbed forested area in the city. The park is bordered by major roads Stevens Avenue to its east and Forest Avenue to its west. Its trail connects to Evergreen Cemetery and is also close to Baxter Boulevard.[24]
Address: Forest Ave, Portland
Green Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church
Building in Portland, Maine. The Green Memorial A.M.E. Zion Churchis a historic church at 46 Sheridan Street in Portland, Maine. Built in 1914, it is home to Maine's oldest African-American congregation; it is named for Moses Green, an escaped slave. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[25]
Address: 46 Sheridan St, Portland
Merrill Auditorium
Auditorium in Portland, Maine. Merrill Auditorium is a 1,908-seat auditorium located in Portland, Maine, United States. Originally known as Portland City Hall Auditorium, it is located in the eastern section of Portland City Hall.
The auditorium was built in 1912 and underwent a major rebuild and renovation in 1997. It features a large pipe organ, the Hermann Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, donated by Cyrus Curtis and built by the Austin Organ Company (Opus 323).
The rental rates vary ($5000 for one performance, $3500 non-profit for one performance) and include space rental, available City of Portland equipment, and all front of house labor for most usage. Prime tenants at Merrill are the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland Ovations and the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ. Resident organizations include the Maine State Ballet, Portland Ballet and Opera Maine. Merrill is available for concerts, comedy, theatrical performances, corporate functions and other special events.[26]
Address: Portland, 20 Myrtle St.
Eastern Cemetery
Cemetery. Eastern Cemetery is a historic cemetery at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Congress Street in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland, Maine. Established in 1668, it is the city's oldest historic site, and has more than 4,000 marked graves. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The cemetery has been maintained since 2006 by the non-profit group Spirits Alive, who offer tours four days a week: Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday.[27]
Address: 224 Congress St, Portland
Tukey's Bridge
Bridge in Portland, Maine. Tukey's Bridge is a bridge connecting the neighborhoods of Munjoy Hill and East Deering in Portland, Maine. It is part of Interstate 295, U.S. Route 1, and State Route 26.[28]
Museum of African Culture
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Museum of African Culture Is a museum in Newfield, Maine, Maine, United States, that specialized in Sub-Saharan African tribal art and culture. Changing exhibits included art inspired by the African diaspora, and the museum's programs included music, storytelling, films, poetry, literature, healing ceremonies and other Sub-Saharan African cultural traditions. Collections included wooden masks, figures, textiles, household objects and tools. It is the only museum in northern New England devoted to African arts and culture and has over 4,500 pieces of art[29]
Address: 13 Brown St, 04101-3934 Portland
Bagheera
Bagheera, formerly Beacon Rock, is a historic schooner normally berthed at the Maine State Pier in Portland, Maine. She is a two-masted auxiliary rigged schooner, built in 1924 by the noted naval architect John G. Alden, and is noted for her racing success on the Great Lakes. She is now owned and operated by the Portland Schooner Company, which offers sailing tours of Casco Bay, using Bagheera and Wendameen. Bagheera was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.[30]
Address: 72 Commercial St, 04101-4749 Portland
Pullen Fountain
Stanley Thomas Pullen Fountain is an historic public water fountain and horse trough in Portland, Maine. It is named for Stanley T. Pullen, a former president of the Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals. Pullen died in 1910; the fountain's installation date is not known. The fountain was designed by George Burnham, and is made from granite mined at Jay, Maine.
In 2010, the fountain was renovated, and set into a protective curb to protect it from snow plowing equipment. This work was funded by the Portland Public Art Committee and the Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust; Margaret Burnham was the daughter of the fountain's designer, George Burnham.
The fountain is located on Federal Street, between the Central Fire Station and the Edward T. Gignoux United States Courthouse.[31]
Portland Public Library
Public library system. Portland Public Library is the main library of the public library system in Portland, Maine, USA. It is located at 5 Monument Square on Congress Street in the Old Port neighborhood of Portland. The library has three neighborhood branches, Burbank branch, Peaks Island branch, and Riverton branch.[32]
Address: 5 Monument Sq, 04101-4072 Portland
Portland Fire Museum
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Portland Fire Museum is a fire museum in Portland, Maine. Located at 157 Spring Street in the former home of Fire Engine 4, the museum is operated by the Portland Veteran Firemen's Association. It showcases the history of firefighting in Portland, including a number of retired firetrucks. The PVFA was originally located at the headquarters of Casco Engine 1 which was located at 19 South Street across from what is now the Cumberland County Civic Center. The building at 19 South Street was demolished during the building of the Spring Street arterial and the PVFA moved west to the 157 Spring Street location.[33]
Address: 157 Spring St, 04101-3828 Portland
Cathedral Church of St. Luke
Cathedral in Portland, Maine. The Cathedral Church of St. Luke is an Episcopal cathedral located in Portland, Maine, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Maine.[34]
Address: 143 State Street, Portland
Tate House
Museum in Portland, Maine. The Tate House is a historic house museum at 1270 Westbrook Street, near the Fore River in the Stroudwater neighborhood of Portland, Maine, United States. The house, one of the oldest in Portland, was built in 1755 for George Tate, a former Royal Navy captain who was sent by a contractor to the Navy to oversee the felling and shipment of trees for use as masts. Because of the house's comparatively remote location away from central Portland, it survived Portland's numerous fires intact. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark as a rare surviving example of a once-common colonial housing form, the clerestory gambrel roof. Since 1935 it has been a museum operated by the National Society of the Colonial Dames.[35]
Address: 1267 Westbrook St, 04102-1934 Portland