Portland Things to Do – Attractions & Must See

Portland Things to Do

Portland is a great, traditional seaside town with a lot of charm. Due to its extreme northern location, it is a much more popular destination for summer travel offering many seasonal attractions.

Portland Museum of Art

The Portland Museum of Art is not a very big museum, but it’s got an interesting collection. Dating back to 1882, it is the state’s oldest and largest art museum and it is comprised of three historic buildings that represent three centuries of art and architecture. These are comprised by the 1801 Federal style McLellan House that is connected to the 1983 Post-Modern Charles Shipman Payson Building (designed by I.M. Pei) by the 1911 Beaux-Arts L.D.M. Sweat Memorial Galleries.

The collection includes work from American and European painters representing several movements, including Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Modernism, Cubism, Surrealism, Realism and Contemporary Art.

Portland Town History Museum

This small museum features the life and times of the town people of Portland. It is a pictorial of the town’s early times, mostly covering the 1900’s era. It is housed in a small building at Spring Point Lighthouse complex.

Lighthouses of Portland and the Area

The best known, and oldest lighthouse and keeper’s house of Portland are perched on top of a rocky cliff in the middle of Fort William Park, and named Point Head. There’s a small museum within the house with a nominal entrance fee. The views from the site are spectacular and there’s an older, the less preserved lighthouse off in the distance, Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse, does make a nice backdrop to your photos of the better kept one.

The lighthouse was constructed around 1790 and lit with whale oil lamps. The lighthouse itself was raised 20 feet in the 1800s and the present day keepers’ cottage was rebuilt in the 19th century as well. The lighthouse is still operational today although the light is now automated. Other lighthouses of note in the area are Spring Point and Two Lights in Port Elizabeth.

Portland City Hall

The City Hall is located at 389 Congress Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8am – 4:30pm. It was built between 1909-1912 in the Second Renaissance Revival style and is a favorite spot for visitors.

Editor’s Note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about things to do in Portland.