A small square in the midst of the arts district area. A good place to have a sit down and rest…read more There are tables and chairs as well as a ping pong table. Limited street parking with a pay for parking lot across the street.

What a tree lighting show! This was our first year going to the event. Held every year the Friday…read moreafter thanksgiving. They had the movie Elf playing, free candy canes, hot cocoa and egg nog (hosted by Hood!) live music, carols, and plenty of festive fun. We had a great family evening.

The Cryptozoology Museum in Portland is a fun and very weird place to visit. It is full of neat…read moreexhibits about hidden animals like Bigfoot and the Yeti. The museum is small, but every single room is packed with strange models, footprints, and cool toys. It is a great stop if you like fun mysteries and want to see something totally different.

The International Cryptozoology Museum is a museum that opened in Portland, Maine in 2003. It was…read morefounded by cryptozoologist, author and TV personality Loren Coleman. Although he has a background in social work, Coleman has had a passion for cryptozoology (the study of animals whose existence is unproven: aka cryptids) for several decades. Originally from Virginia, he relocated to Maine in 1980 and wrote a number of articles and books on cryptozoology. In 2003, Coleman opened the museum in the first floor of his home. As his collection of cryptid artifacts grew, so did his need to find a larger museum space. The museum moved a number of times before it ended up in its current location in Portland's Thompson Point in 2020. There are plans to move the museum to an even larger space in Bangor in 2026. My extended family and I visited the museum this past summer while we were vacationing in Maine. I've wanted to visit it for several years. I'm very familiar with Coleman's work from his books and TV appearances on documentaries on A&E or the History Channel. The museum is loaded with an absurd amount of artifacts all related to cryptozoology. I would say that a majority of the artifacts are dedicated to Bigfoot (Sasquatch), the Abominable Snowman (Yeti) and other legendary ape-like hominids. There were plenty of sculptures, footprint castings, and other various artifacts. The highlight for me was the 8.5-foot-tall Crookston Bigfoot sculpture made by taxidermist Curtis Christensen. There are also artifacts dedicated to cryptids such as Lake Monsters (Loch Ness Monster, Champ, Ogopogo, Cadborosaurus), Swamp Monsters, the Feejee Mermaid, the Montauk Monster, the Mothman, the Dover Demon, the Jersey Devil, the Beast of Bray Road, and others too numerous to mention. We all really enjoyed exploring the museum and we highly recommend it to anyone who's interesting in all things strange and unusual.

Although it was terrific to see a real Wyland whaling wall, as I am a big fan, the condition of the…read morepainting was not good. I was incredibly disappointed and disheartened to see it in such bad shape. It was very beaten up from the elements being right by Casco Bay. Wyland painted it in the early 1990's. Someone from the city of Portland, Maine needs to have another artist (not necessarily Wyland) come along to periodically restore the wall. It really looks bad/faded and should be a source of pride for ocean conservation efforts as it was intended by Wyland.

The Whaling Wall is a 450-foot long mural by artist Robert Wyland entitled "Whales off the Coast of…read moreMaine". It was the 36th public marine painting in his series of 100 that are located across five continents, thirteen countries, and seventy-nine cities. The project took twenty-seven years and was completed in 2008 (Maine's was dedicated on June 7, 1993). According to the Wyland Foundation, the murals are painted to scale to help "increase appreciation and understanding for aquatic habitats and the life within. Perhaps, most importantly, they have reshaped attitudes about marine life conservation" (http://www.wylandfoundation.org/community-events-whaling-walls-3.shtml). They will also make you realize how flipping (shout out to mah dolphin friends) enormous whales really are. Wanna feel inferior to the animals that swim just below the surface of our big pond? Go stand near the Whaling Wall. Talk about perspective! It's located behind the Casco Bay garage, but if you're waiting for a ferry or walking back to your car post-ferry ride, it's not hard to miss. In all honesty, there's not a ton to see here. It's exactly what it sounds like: a huge painting of sea life. Personally, I still think it rocks because a) it is a part of what makes Portland's wharf scene so distinct; b) it's part of this unique, record breaking art project that only 99 other locations are a part of; and, c) how often in life do you get to see a life-sized whale, eh? Eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh eh (sorry, Google Translate doesn't work on dolphin speak)!!!

If you're looking to experience Maine, the city of Portland, has it all rolled into one city…read more If you love lighthouses, you can tour them by land, or by water. If you are a foodie there are so many great restaurants.This is a seafood lovers paradise with some of the best lobster, lobster rolls, oysters, and fresh seafood. You can also check out some of the cities well-known breweries. Let's not forget shopping the downtown water front district. The cobblestone streets are filled with quaint shops. If you want to be on the water, take a sunset, lighthouse, or schooner cruise. There are also all kinds of sightseeing tours. Put on your best walking shoes, and check out Portland Maine.

This town was way more crowded than we expected it to be since we were road-tripping New England…read moreregion and had been to many cities before coming here. all other previous cities was quite charming and less crowded but Portland felt more dense. Tons of food and shopping options in the port area. Overall cute town and beer scene is way to do here. I would recommend this city when you are in that region.

A small and intimate museum, but very well curated! I visited for the Looking For America and…read moreAmerican Conversations exhibits. I liked that these exhibits didn't just feature art that was conventionally pretty, but rather featured works that were more provocative. This surprised me considering the museum is relatively small; I expected more traditional and old-fashioned works. I felt like each piece challenged the idea of what it truly means to be American. As an added bonus, the museum grounds are GORGEOUS. They are a must-explore when visiting Ogunquit. Next time I will bring a picnic blanket and plan to spend the day there. I think you can even take a dip in the ocean on their pebble beach. Overall such an amazing experience.

Recent visit for the Flower Sculpting Show. They pair paintings with floral sculptures . I had…read morenever been. Admission was 15.00 and included a ballot to vote for our favorite. It was honestly hard to pick. There is lots of room in each room to really study the art despite the amount of people there. The view of the ocean as you walk in is its own beautiful painting. Outside they have beautiful gardens as well as the ocean view which had a nice breeze while we were there. There is a gift shop that had a nice sample of beautiful items. Plenty of parking with a complimentary post card. Saw kids also enjoying the art too . Plenty outside to see as well.

This lovely boutique for "healing and mysticism" on Monument Square offers gifts, decor,…read morecuriosities, treasures, jewelry, candles, crystals, charms, books, decks, perfumes... there's so much to look at and to take in! I feel like every time I visit, I find something new. The employees I've encountered seem so calm and welcoming: I haven't felt any pressure to hurry up (and ooooh do I like to linger!), or move on, or even buy anything. I've overheard them being helpful and kind to people with questions. It seems the store is stocked with products from small, local artisans; what's not to love about that?! There are tarot readings available by the 15, 30, and 60 minute slot every Saturday; tarot and palmistry on Fridays and Sundays; and, other events happening each month too (be sure to look at their board by the cash register)!

What a treat! Super fun (yet elevated) tarot store complete with anything a spiritual gal could…read moreneed. They have an amazing selection of tarot cards and related items, all reasonably priced. The staff are always very friendly. I had the pleasure of treating myself to a personalized, lengthy tarot reading with one of their readers that was SO worth it. Can't recommend enough!

This is a cool public art piece you will come across in Saco where Main Street and Storer Street…read moremeet. If you are a fan of lighthouses you will love this art! It's a small sized gazebo that has a replica like lighthouse that is inside the center of the gazebo. On the replica of the lighthouse you will find beautifully paintings all over it. From the bottom up you'll find flowers on the lowest with the majority being taken up with a variety of lighthouses. Then after a row of lobsters at the top you'll find a quote speaking to the importance of lighthouse and their role in being a beacon of light for ships safety. After the artwork you will see the part that completes the lighthouse replica with the glass 360 degrees around with the light you would find atop any lighthouse. Small yet beautiful art piece showcasing the many lighthouses you may come across!

**November 2025: Friday Morning Visit**…read more I saw that the Victoria Mansion was just a 10 minute walk from our airbnb and that Black Friday was the start of their Christmas overlay! It sounded fun and for $19.25 (Adult Admission) I was excited to see how they would implement the Nutcracker theme to the home. Guests enter through the gift shop and while we arrived at 10:10am or so I was really surprised at how many visitors they had checking out the home. As a National Historic Landmark, this summer home was created by Ruggles Morses, sometime between 1858-1860, and as a hotel entrepreneur Morses implemented many of the lavish hotel designs to it. The home itself is original and over 90% of the interiors and furnishings remain original to 1860, including furniture, carpets, draperies, textiles, which was really impressive. I think I spent about 45 minutes admiring all the home details and reading the placards, and there were friendly informative docents at pretty much each section of the home These photos don't even really do it justice, but the decorations were extremely elaborate and each room focused on a different act in the ballet - ie. Spanish Chocolates, Mother Ginger, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, etc. There was significant care given to each room. Overall, I had fun time!

Street parking was relatively easy for us. No paid meters, but read the signs. $38.50 for 2 adults…read moreis what we paid. That price came with a guided tour of the house and narration. Our guide was actually doing a very good job narrating, that is until she seemed annoyed that we wanted to pose for one or two pictures, hurrying us along and stating we were waisting time. Even the grand staircase, not allowing us to stand in the middle of the steps for a photograph. Telling us that wasn't allowed, it all sounded ridiculous. I mean it was just two people the guide was touring, us! The guide even walked us past the tip box we weren't tossing in anything. Great post card photo opportunities in house, which are allowed. *Videos prohibited. *Final thoughts: Nice and interesting experience go check it out and tell them the Guru sent you. Check out the documentary OLD WORLD ORDER 1&2 at rumble dot com before visiting. The Review Guru* Long Island NY