Great place to be for the art lovers as well as art novices like me. Good collection of paintings,…read moresculptures and photos which makes it really diverse and makes you travel across so many different eras. The descriptions to the items are well written and well conveys the story and the message behind the display. It spans four floors (it has elevator) but the third and fourth ones won't take that much time. There is a nice cafe underground which has snacks as well. Note that you aren't allowed to take food/beverages upstairs. There were a few displays around the cafe too. Staff was nice and friendly. Definitely recommended.

Impressive hidden gem of Portland, some classic artists, wonderful pieces. Interesting history of…read morethe building as well and lay out. We had a great time on a hot day.

Before heading to the airport we were looking for things to do (not in the rain) so we found this…read moremuseum. This is a free museum that survives off donations. As we walked in we were greeted by a curator (I'm sorry I don't remember his name) who was amazing. He offered a tour of the museum and stated after his tour we could walk around as we pleased. This man was a wealth of knowledge and even had so good humor to add to the information. I was so intrigued by what he was saying and showing that I didn't even take pictures. Next time we are in town I think we will go back again when we have even more time to spend!

Incredible collection of wartime memorabilia. A museum with a heart, Mr Lee and our guide Chris are…read morevery welcoming. The museum staff makes you feel like family. We spent three hours looking and listening to great stories you cannot read in books. I felt emotional hearing the stories well delivered by Chris. Highly recommend this museum in PORTLAND, MAINE. Leo of California

The Tate House is a mid-eighteenth century home that was build for Captain George Tate who served…read moreas the Senior Mast Agent for the British Royal Navy. From what I remember, he helped oversee the shipments of pine trees from Maine to England. This impressive pre-Revolutionary home sits on a knoll overlooking the banks of the Fore River and boasts of a beautifully manicured yard (I would absolutely love to have a garden party here... something with fancy hats and bubbly, y'know?). I love everything about this museum, really I do...I think it has captured a frozen moment in Portland's timeline. I just think they need some new folks working here who are passionate about the right things. What I mean is, docents really can make or break an experience; when they're engaging and enthusiastic about the information they're sharing, it's infectious. When they're genuinely excited to breathe life into history, they make generations to come also excited. Unfortunately, from what I've experienced, the docents here (and the people inside the Gift Shop) are the complete opposite of that. Here's just one example (and there are many to choose from): I was once standing in the museum in a way in which a particular docent didn't like. So much so, she stopped the tour to make my friends and I reposition ourselves (multiple times) until she was happy, but then yelled at us because our arms were taking up too much space... not kidding. My suggestion is, if you can, come here during one of their events - there's a lot of different people working a lot of different areas, so one bad egg won't ruin your experience. For me, their Colonial Christmas event is absolutely spectacular (especially if there's a light dusting of snow on the ground). They really do capture the essence of the colonial times perfectly from the decorations to the period costumes to the music to the interactive games and to the delicious spread of treats in the Means House available afterwards!

I'm an old house enthusiast and this was a great house to tour…read more The guide was just ok, not great...but it's a great house to go see a typical colonial style home without trekking to Williamsburg. Put the kids in the car, take them here, and teach them about good old fashioned 'Murkan history.

I highly recommend the guided tour over the self-guided tour. The tour guide was enthusiastic about…read morethe history and home. We enjoyed stories of all the family members. Well maintained home! The historical society displays were well done. Informative and high quality artifacts.

It's a History to Me…read more Founded in 1822, the Maine Historical Society's sole purpose is to preserve the history of Maine thru rotating exhibits that include historical photos and artifacts. The Good: *Free admission to the Longfellow Garden (May - Oct) during normal hours of operation *Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a separate part of the museum, with a separate fee ($18/GA). We didn't do this, so I can't comment if it's worth it. *Admission is reasonable at $12/adults *Reciprocity program with other museums, if you're a member ($25-75/year). *Located in beautiful Downtown Portland The Meh: *Not the world's biggest museum, as you can probably see the whole thing in 1-2hrs, depending on how much you read the placards for each item/display. The Ugly: *Location is in Downtown Portland, which is great, but you'll most likely have to deal with paying for parking at one of the garages. Pro Tip: If the garage DOESN'T advertise their pricing on the outside, then skip it on and move onto the next one that does. Evidently these predatory parking garages are a big thing here in DT Portland. Conclusion: Nice place to visit if you're in Portland and looking for a little culture.

This was my "go-to" park for jogging in the morning during a July 2026 stay in South Portland. It…read morehas so many pluses. First, parking is free and generally available in the morning. Second, it has a lovely, open view of Casco Bay with several islands in the distance. Third, you can jog along the park and around the marina - or connect to the Greenway trail for a longer run. Fourth, it has a cool display on WW2 history and Portland's vital role in navy shipbuilding (more than 25,000 workers added to the population).

This is a nice place for a quick stop! Theres a nice walking path. If it was a warm day i would…read morehave taken a walk since it has beautiful views. The lighthouse itself was small but well kept. Overall a nice picturesque park.

Lovely visit to the Portland Observatory…read more We had intended on a self-tour but were told that self tours would start at 4:30pm...and that before that time, you would have to take a toured guide up the tower. As there was a scheduled guide about to start soon...we opted to take the guided tour. At that time (mid-week in late August around 12pm) there were only four of us on that tour. Our tour guide, an older woman, was wonderful. As we ascended the tower during the 45-minute tour, we stopped off at each floor and she explained a bit about the tower and its history. Lots of interesting facts! We made it to the top to take in some amazing views of the area. Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-16 and free for those 5 and under. The stairs (there are about 100) throughout the tower are spiral-ish...so be careful of your foot placement on the narrowed parts of each step while ascending and descending. Street parking signs can be a bit tricky in the area reading "...no parking on the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th ___day of the month..." Be sure to properly read those signs and park accordingly.

My plans only have me in town for two days, so I asked my local coworker one sight I had to see…read morewith a short time frame, and was sent here. Just a fun little local tip. The history itself is cool enough: this was a lookout for ships coming into the harbor before radio, and is the oldest currently standing in the USA. But I really appreciated the elevation for getting a good look of the downtown and harbor area, walking around the tower in the breeze and seeing the ocean peaking through the islands in the harbor. Worth the $10 to the top. (Note: the stairs are steep and there's no room inside for an elevator. We're talking large curving internal staircases. Maybe not for those with mobility issues.)

First of all, the lady at the front was so nice, because we're trying to use a card to get it…read morecheaper, but I had forgotten mine. She was very friendly and gave it to us anyways. Second of all, the second floor with all the maine things was hands down my son's favorite. The fire truck with the pole, the train that we just rode on to get there, the fisherman boat with the lobster, they definitely need more food for the diner. We love the water thing upstairs.It was very different than the one in boston

Amazing fun children's museum! There's something fun for everyone! They have an incredible craft…read moreroom where we make everything and get to take it home! We can decorate a boat! We even made a few cool jellyfish!! There's a cool water station, light room, firehouse, pilot, boat ramps and such! Honestly LOVE how this museum has a theatre - Finding Nemo but it's sold out! It's great for small kids and young families! We had our newborn and she still had fun- even watching the bee hives and pet hospital! Empowering little kids and making science fun for them! Love this place!

This institute is an art school and gallery for artistic people. It has various classes promoting…read morevisual arts. It has 5 exhibitions every year. Limited street and lit parking.

MECA is an amazing school! With a great location, amazing professors and the most talented…read morestudents. This Holiday Sale is more like a museum sale! The building has a semi-open floor plan with colorful walls and spacious rooms. Even when there is hundreds of people roaming the halls you can still find a spot to breathe and enjoy the art on display! I hope one of my children decides to make this their choice! The art and crafts for sale here are reasonably priced and well made...with Love!