Portland Museum of Art - Maine

Address:7 Congress Square
Portland, Maine
Tel: (207) 775-6148

Art lovers, brace yourselves! Maine's largest and oldest public art institution has over 18,000 paintings, sculptures, prints, photos, glass and ceramics, artists' books, furniture, and much more. Dating back to the 18th century, the Portland Museum of Art is a treasure trove of artistic beauty with enough variety to please the pickiest of visitors.

The Portland Museum of Art's three buildings represent the union of three centuries that showcase American artistic and cultural history. The recently restored McLellan-Sweat House, an 1801 Federal-style building where the museum was once entirely housed, adds to the visitors' experience. The collection is broken down into the State of Maine Collection, which includes works by artists such as Frederic Edwin Church, Rockwell Kent, Louise Nevelson, John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, and Marguerite Zorach as well as works by impressionist and surrealist artists like Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, René Magritte, and Claude Monet, and many more. If you're looking for a fun place to bring the kids, the Child's Play interactive exhibit allows families to take a trip back into the 1800s by trying on costumes and playing with 19th-century games and toys. Tours are available on Tuesday and Saturday at 2 p.m., and daily at 2 p.m., and when you're ready for a snack break, the Museum Café has homemade sandwiches, soups, salads, and daily specials.

The Portland Explorer Shuttle ($5 round-trip) runs every 30 minutes, bringing visitors from the train station to downtown. The Shuttle meets the in-bound trains, #681 at 12:15 p.m. and the #683 at 2:45 p.m., and drops visitors off in front of the Eastland Park Hotel across from the Museum. So pack yourself up and get ready for a fun-filled day the whole family will enjoy.