A Historic Portland
Founded July 4, 1786, Portland has seen its share of history and change. Take a day and explore some of Portland's past, and how areas have been repurposed to be beautiful opportunities within our city.
Start Your Day with Breakfast at Mercury Inn
We are proud of our own history at Mercury Inn. Our building has been in its place for over 100 years, spending the last 20 as a home for travelers to Portland. Enjoy breakfast provided in our dining room, then head upstairs to the living room where you can relax, sip your coffee, and experience a similar start to your day as countless travelers before you.
Find it all at the Portland Flea-for-All
25 Kennebec St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 370-7570
Friday: 12PM - 5PM
Saturday - Sunday: 10AM - 5PM
If you’re in town on a Saturday or Sunday, you must stop by the Portland Flea-for-All. There are new vendors providing hard-to-find items each week.
Maybe you’re hoping for a beautiful mid-century modern chair - you can find that here. An old moped? That, too. Cowboy boots, typewriters, taxidermy, clothing - you can search each vendor’s collection all day and still discover new items. Each vendor curates their own space, giving you the opportunity to meet some of Portland's most interesting people.
Catch a show at State Theatre
609 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101
With no bad seat in the house, the State Theater brings music, comedians, burlesque, and movies to Portland.
A building that retains its old charm (small and outdated bathrooms, musty smells in the lobby, reasonable priced beverages), and is full of architectural wonders from years past. The State (as it’s affectionately called) puts you in an intimate settings for an incredible production.
One tip: there is no air conditioning, so keep that in mind if you're attending a summer show.
Grab Lunch in a Bank Vault at Sonny’s
83 Exchange St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 772-7774
Monday - Thursday: 11:30AM - 10PM
Friday: 11:30AM - 10:30PM
Saturday: 10AM - 10:30PM
Sunday: 10AM - 9:30PM
Located in the former Portland Savings Bank, Sonny’s Bar & Lounge serves new world, farm-to-table cuisine in a comfortable setting. Plus, they just started serving Monday brunch. Who can beat that?
Sometimes parking in Portland can be hard, but they do validate for 2 hours of any city garage parking.
Wadsworth-Longfellow House
“I would just advertise it as ‘Downton Abbey Comes to Maine.’”
489 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822
Open June - October
Monday - Wednesday: 10AM - 5PM
Thursday: 10AM - 7PM
Friday - Saturday: 10AM - 5PM
Sunday: 12PM - 5PM
The first house museum opened to the public in Maine, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, visiting provides you with a one-hour tour of how three generations of a remarkable family lived in Portland. Step onto Congress Street, where now you will only find commercial properties, and explore Portland’s first brick-only home, with an incredible garden behind the building.
Unlike many house museums that are decorated with duplicate or stand-in items, almost all items within the Wadsworth-Longfellow House are original to the families.
If you have AAA, bring your card with you and save a few bucks on admission.
Portland Observatory
138 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-5561
Open May - October
Sunday - Saturday: 10AM - 5PM
Note that the last tour begins at 4:30PM
Built to alert the city of Portland when ships were arriving in the harbor, this is the only known remaining historic maritime signal tower in the United States (a mouthful of a claim). Taking the tour is an incredible way to learn about some history, and see the city from an entirely new perspective. The top of the Portland Observatory has incredible sweeping views of the city.
Note that the Portland Observatory is only open during the summer months, and that it does require you to walk up many wooden stairs.
Grace
15 Chestnut St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 828-4422
Tuesday - Thursday: 5PM - 10PM
Friday - Saturday: 5PM - 10:30PM
A historic church that was restored to its original beauty, Grace now boasts an incredible menu of food, such as blue snapper, coq au vin, and ricotta cavatelli. While you’re eating, look up from your table at the incredible stained glass window and look around at the features that remind you about the history of this location.
Delicious food, top-tier service, and a unique venue bring everything together for a nice evening at Grace. If you want to eat at Grace, we do recommend you make a reservation - they tend to fill up fairly quickly.
Back to Mercury Inn
After exploring Portland's history, head back to the modern-day comforts of Mercury Inn for a good night's rest.