Location: Portland
Top Things to do in Portland
Top 10 Hidden Gems Things to do in Portland, Maine (ME)
From ornate mansions to ocean views, this charming city - the largest in Maine - will enchant you. Saunter down the brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets of the revitalized Old Port District, where you can browse through bookstores, explore craft shops and eat to your heart's content. Visit the Portland Head Light, which dates back to 1791, and is the oldest lighthouse still in continuous use in the U.S. The great poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the city's native son, and you can visit his childhood home, the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. With kids in hand, enjoy the highly interactive Children's Museum of Maine. And then go next door to the calmer Portland Museum of Art, a small, but eclectic museum with Impressionist works, Maine landscapes by Homer and Wyeth and other collections. Land or sea is an option here, so if you're tired of the street life, take one of the popular scenic cruises or whale watches, or hop on a ferry to the islands in Casco Bay. At the end of the day, and without kids in hand, unwind and rest your tired feet at one of the city's brewpubs.
Restaurants in Portland
1. Allagash Brewery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,137 reviews
We are currently open for tastings and sell plenty of year-round and brewery-only beer to go. We are not currently booking brewery tours, but we have a food truck onsite featuring lobster rolls and other tasty treats for you to make a day of it. So if you're in the area, stop by and say hello! Allagash Brewing Company strives to make the best Belgian-inspired beer in the world. Founded in Portland, Maine, the brewery loves giving back to the community—and state—that has supported it since 1995. In 2019 the brewery became a Certified B Corp and Allagash founder Rob Tod won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional. Allagash currently stands as one of the 50 largest craft breweries in the U.S. (by sales volume) and has earned a spot on Maine’s Best Places to Work list for seven years running. Allagash is distributed in: CA, CT, DC, DE, GA, IL (Chicagoland only), MA, MD, ME, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, SC, VA, VT, and WI.
Reviewed By PowPow29 - West Hartford, United States
My friends and I booked the Saturday 1:00pm tour. (Book your tickets ahead of time; they fill up!) We had a great time sampling different beers and learning about the history of the brewery. We stayed afterwards to enjoy the beautiful weather, our favorite beers, and a quick bite at the food truck (Bite into Maine) that parks right outside. They have an outstanding lobster grilled cheese.
2. Wine Wise Events
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 205 reviews
Wine and food pairing education at its best! You'll be joining with Sommelier Erica Archer for our highly-rated Wine & Food Walks and Wine Sails in Portland, Maine. Wine & Food Walks A guided wine tasting and walking tour of Portland, Maine's vibrant restaurant scene as you explore some delicious examples of wines from around the world paired with delicious foods at four great establishments. Wine Sails Board the immaculate Frances, a 74' Windjammer built by her Captain and crew on the Portland Waterfront, with glasses of fine-wine in hand. Sailing ... sipping ... and swooning over the beauty well crafted wines and Maine lighthouses, waterways, islands and sunsets ... all while indulging in a wine class. Book early. These highly-rated events sell out quickly.
3. Wicked Walking Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 454 reviews
Legends & History of Haunted Portland. Join your fellow thrill seekers and history lovers for this VERY entertaining and unique stroll through the cobblestone streets of the Old Port. Our professional performance artists turn factual dark history dating from the 1600's into theater and even Stand-up comedy at times! Featuring Indian Attacks, Witch Trials, Pirates, terrific story telling, hysterical impersonations and more, this extremely ghost popular tour boasts guests who return year after year. It's not a lot of walking, but it sure is a lot of fun!
4. Portland Paddle
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 484 reviews
Portland Paddle offers sea kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals, tours and lessons. We provide paddling adventures for all skill levels, including complete beginners. We send out two-hour sunset kayak tours every evening and half-day kayak tours three mornings each week. Experienced paddlers can rent kayaks or SUPs and explore the Maine Island Trail. We're located at the East End Beach a short drive or walk from downtown Portland. Our site on the waterfront of Casco Bay is perfectly situated for paddling. Dozens of interesting islands are nearby and the waters near the beach are relatively calm and protected. We are a seasonal business open from mid-May to mid-October. Our hours may vary in the spring and fall.
5. Schooner Glory
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 22 reviews
Take a journey back in time and explore beautiful Casco Bay on the Schooner Glory, a half-scale replica of the colonial packet boats that once sailed Portland’s waters back in the 1760’s. Offering 2-hour afternoon and sunset sails out of nearby Spring Point. Come ready to swashbuckle or just kick back and watch it all unfold. Bring a meal and/or your favorite beverage and prepare for adventure on the high seas!
6. Portland Observatory
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 495 reviews
THE PORTLAND OBSERVATORY IS CLOSED FOR THE 2019 SEASON. SEE YOU IN SPRING 2020! Breathtaking views and fascinating history at America’s last standing maritime signal tower. In the 1800s, Captain Moody used this observatory to monitor the routes of ships as far as 30 miles away. Today visitors can tour a museum focusing on the history of the watch tower and get a stunning bird's-eye view of Portland and the harbor.
Reviewed By VoyageursUSA - Swarthmore, United States
We arrived at the Observatory after a long day of touring Portland. As it turned out, we saved the best for last! The structure sits atop Munjoy Hill, with a commanding view of the city and its harbor. It has an interesting history and interesting architectural features, all of which we learned about as we slowly wound our way to the top of the tower, led by Sue, our exceptional and engaging guide. Sue brought the details of the observatory to life with her wonderful gift of storytelling. Without Sue it would have been a pleasant but not exciting visit. With her, it was delightful and memorable!
7. Wadsworth-Longfellow House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 276 reviews
Home where poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived as a boy.
Reviewed By MarlaO_13 - Florence, United States
This tour is only possible because Henry's sister wanted a lasting tribute to her famous brother. Everything in it was original and was placed exactly as she instructed. The tour guide we had wrote a book all about the house and it's history, which was available in the gift shop. Be sure to take this tour!
8. Eastern Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Established in 1668, the Eastern Cemetery is located at 224 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The oldest historic landscape in the city, the cemetery is home to around 4,000 interred. Tours available through Spirits Alive, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Portland's historic Eastern Cemetery.
Reviewed By mainemountainbear - Texas Gulf Coast, United States
This 4,000-grave, 5.3-acre (2.1 ha) cemetery overlooking the Old Port district and distant Casco Bay was the city’s oldest (established 1668). Time-limited parking was curbside. The cemetery had a single gate on Congress Street. A wrought iron fence (erected 1856) surrounded most of it. Many headstones were broken ruins or were illegible or both. Other gravestones noted soldiers and sailors who had fought and died in battles in Portland Harbor, such as during the War of 1812. The cemetery had no paved or dirt roads and no paths, but it did have a simple, grass-covered sunken road. It also had no water spigots, but it did have several kinds of shade trees. On one slope, grass among the headstones remained uncut. I liked all that I found on these sacred grounds; I disliked nothing.
9. Evergreen Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Cemetery listed in the National Register of Historic Places is the final resting place of many famous politicians of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Reviewed By NHjo - Saco, United States
During the pandemic, a lot more people are taking jogs and strolls in cemeteries, especially this one. One of the most magnificent burial sites here is the Hugh Chisholm mausoleum, based on a Roman temple and one of the four most expensive mausoleums built in 1904. This cemetery is beautiful to visit at all times of the year, but especially in the spring when there are lots of ducks in the ponds and several bird species.
10. Maine Foodie Tours
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,365 reviews
Eat and drink like a local with Maine Foodie Tours! We are Maine's premier culinary tour company entertaining and educating guests since 2009. Our tours offer an immersive experience - an education of sweet and savory flavors, meeting and learning the stories of talented taste makers creating classic and creative Maine fare. Our highly trained and entertaining guides share local culinary and social history along with current culture all along the way. In Portland we offer both public and private tours (year-round) We invite you to join us in Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport and Boothbay Harbor beginning each Summer in May and running into the Fall or early Winter. Tours vary by time of day so you'll want to check out our complete schedule online. Join us for a Taste Through Town!
