Portland, Maine is a city for everyone. I visit the city and its environs with different groups of people and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Portland never disappoints when visiting with just my wife, with the whole family, or for a guys’ weekend. If you’re looking for what to do in Portland, Maine look no further. (The Portland area extends up to Freeport, Westbrook, and the other surrounding towns for this piece.)
Museums:
The Portland Museum of Art
This museum holds an impressive collection from modern art to European portraits. Look for work by the world’s finest artists, including Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Mary Surratt. During my visit the rotating galleries featured photos of 20th-century Africa and an extensive folk art exhibit.
Children’s Museum of Maine
This is my kids’ favorite children’s museum (and they’ve been to a few). Some of their favorite rooms include the natural history of Maine, a hands-on light exhibit, and a water-play area. It’s the perfect mix of educational and downright fun.
International Cryptozoological Museum
Look for creatures such as Bigfoot or a jackalope at this museum of the possible real-life monster. Enjoy it here while you can, since it’s moving north to Bangor within the next couple of years.
Restaurants:
Thirsty Pig
Looking for a good piece of meat? Check out that sausage patty at the Thirsty Pig. With indoor and outdoor seating, this spot will keep the meat-lover happy.
Day’s Crabmeat and Lobster
For a taste of a classic Maine seafood dinner, head up Route 1 to Day’s in Freeport. Choose from lobsters or fried delicacies. You can’t beat the marshy view in the summer season.
Nova Res Bier Cafe
Sandwiches, snacks, and charcuterie are what to expect on the food end of this subterranean Belgian beer bar. But what you’ve probably come here for is the old-world vibe and spellbinding beer list. Move over IPAs and let breweries such as Ox Bow, with a slew of Belgian brands, tantalize your taste buds.
Rosemont Bakery
A list of what to do in Portland, Maine, would not be complete without a sandwich stop. Rosemont Bakery is my pick, offering delicious sandwiches, baked goods, and provisions in one of seven locations. Part bakery, part sandwich shop, and part grocery store, you’ll enjoy what you get here.
$3 Dewey’s
For the opposite experience of Portland’s fine dining or one of the many gastropubs, try $3 Dewey’s. Although known for its food, it’s the kind of place to sling back a few Coors Lights and munch on popcorn to wind down a night on the town.
Mainely Custard
For some excellent and extra big freshly made custard, make sure to check out this ice cream shop on Route 1 in Freeport. They also offer pints to go.
Buck’s Naked BBQ
Want great BBQ in a rowdy location? Well, actually presumably a former Dexter Shoe store. Look no further than Buck’s in Freeport. Family-friendly to the max, this joint even features a gigantic play area that is sure to pull the young’uns as if they were magnetic.
Coffee By Design
With a few locations in Portland, one will be close by. We recently got a behind-the-scenes tour of their roastery on Diamond Street. For my literal favorite coffee ever, try the Breakfast in Maine latte, either hot or iced.
Breweries:
Bissell Brothers
Clearly, the Portland area of Maine is all about craft beer. One of the stalwarts is Bissell Brothers. From their flagship Substance, to the highly coveted Swish to everything in between, the brewery is a lively spot at Thompson’s Point that also includes food and a merch shop.
Battery Steel
Located in the ever-popular industrial park that also features many more fine breweries, Battery Steel has both indoor and outdoor areas. Try one of the many variations of their Flume IPA.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
Rising Tide is in the other area, East Bayside, which is another mecca of craft breweries. It serves solid beer of all styles and also features an excellent restaurant, the Galley. Their fries are some of the best I’ve ever had. Also very enjoyable is their selection of sandwiches, including the falafel sandwich. Their salads are crisp and delish.
Definitive Brewing Company
Located next to Battery Steel, it also features indoor and outdoor areas. In addition to fine beer, they have a fun taproom with video games played on a large tv screen and table games to enjoy while sipping their beers.
Allagash Brewing Company
The best known of all of the region’s breweries and with good reason. There’s much more than just Allagash White on the menu here, as a visit shows the depth and breadth of this brewery’s offerings (although White is an excellent beer). Enjoy outside or in and later this year look for the Cellar at Allagash for all you beer aficionados.
Maine Beer Company
The Maine Beer Company experience in Freeport is like visiting a museum of beer. From the high ceiling to the well-lit space to the large glass fountain, it is certainly a little different than your neighborhood brewery. Come for the crisp and oh-so-fresh tasting beers including Lunch, Dinner, and Peeper. Make sure to try a wood-fired pizza and a salad to boot.
Mast Landing
The original Mast Landing is located in nearby Westbrook. Seating is inside and out and expect a great selection of their fantastic beer. There are other branches in Freeport and South Portland too.
Belleflower Brewing
On my latest trip with the guys Belleflower was the surprise. This was a brewery that none of us had heard of before, but it quickly became a favorite for all of us. I tried some amazing IPAs such as Scruggsy and Folk Magic. A must.
Austin Street Brewing
Located in the cool East Bayside neighborhood, this branch of Austin Street is housed in a former garage. It’s an inviting space with plenty of natural light and the tap room is accented by plants.
Attractions:
Smiling Hill Farm
This one is for the kids. Smiling Hill Farm in nearby Scarborough is a farmyard that the kids will enjoy visiting. Farm animals, including pigs, goats, and sheep are viewable and some can even be fed. There is also a collection of playground features that the kids can climb into and on, including a train and farm equipment. Make sure to make a stop for homemade ice cream. Visit the cow barns and take home a gallon of fresh milk.
Portland Head Light
Of the five lighthouses dotting the Portland Harbor, the Portland Head Light is both dramatic and accessible. It is on the grounds of Fort William State Park in Cape Elizabeth. It’s a classic lighthouse with its white tower and black top. The keeper’s house is bathed in white with a slanted red roof. The park has much to offer additionally, including the fort, a food truck, and a playground. Look for the Ram Island Ledge Light in the ocean from the Portland Head Light.
Bug Light
Enjoy this serene seaside park capped off by Portland Breakwater Light, better known as Bug Light. Bug Light is a term for a small lighthouse such as this. Although small, this lighthouse is styled in an elaborate way. Walk out to this 1875 lighthouse from the park’s walkway.
Eastern Promenade
The Eastern Promenade Park and path is a fantastic place for walking in the sunshine. With sweeping views of Casco Bay, it is certainly a crowd-pleaser. My wife took our youngest, Charlie, around Fort Allen Park when I took the younger two closer to the harbor, walking the Eastern Promenade Trail. This wraps around one side of the city and is a perfect place to explore within city limits.
L.L. Bean
We typically visit this region of Maine yearly. One of the places that we always visit is the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport. This gigantic outdoor and everyday clothing and accessories store is actually open 24 hours! My kids always love to pose next to the gigantic duck boot which greets visitors at the main entrance. The stuffed moose locking horns in the window is another hit. Both during this visit and last, the kids enjoyed poking around the room of tents pretending they were camping out. Currently, much of L.L. Bean is under renovation.
Hadlock Field
For my older son, no baseball game can compete with catching a game at Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs are the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. A Sea Dogs game is a rollicking good time. There is always large and lively attendance, and kids love to stomp on the metal bleachers which makes quite the racket. Unlike many minor league stadiums in which field views can be seen from the concourse, at Hadlock the concourse is beneath the stands. Look for Slugger, who is quite honestly the best mascot in baseball. It’s definitely on the list for what to do in Portland, Maine.
Hotels:
For our itinerary of what to do in Portland, Maine, we are giving two hotel suggestions. Granted, when I’m up there I tend to stay at places that highlight more function over luxury. Either with my family or the guys, a clean, comfortable hotel room is all that is needed. Both of these suggestions are located in the commercial district of South Portland.
Home2 Suites
Managed by Hilton, this is a no-frills hotel that checks all the boxes. The room I stayed in was large with two queen beds and a couch that turns into a bed. There’s a pool and breakfast offered which can provide activities for the kids. It is located on Maine Mall Road.
Holiday Inn
For years, the fam and I would always stay at the Holiday Inn in South Portland, located at Sable Oaks Drive. With views of the interstate, it won’t win any awards for landscape. What it does feature is spacious rooms, breakfast, and a pool and is perfect for kids.
If you’re looking for what to do in Portland, Maine, take a look at all of these suggestions. If you’re traveling with a significant other, with kids, or with friends on a road trip, have a great time in Portland!
