Although Maine recently legalized recreational cannabis, the city of Portland had marijuana decriminalized for several years now. In fact, many prominent patient groups consider Maine to have the best medical marijuana program in the country.
Despite all that evergreenery, Mainers take pride in their rich New England history way above their recent progress on cannabis. This is, after all, one of the first places where European settlers set up shop in North America. Maine was also instrumental during both the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War – and for these reasons, many of its primary attractions are historical in nature.
Portland Museum of Art
Nothing captures the essence – the true spirit – of the times like artwork can. Portland’s Museum of Art stands as the largest and oldest museum devoted to art in the state of Maine. Founded in the early 1900s, PMA contains works spanning from the beginning of the United States straight up to the postmodern era. PMA recently underwent major renovations to maximize the art-viewing experience for its visitors, and within its walls, the audience will find the entirety of American history stretched across canvas and sculpture.
7 Congress Square
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 775-6148
www.portlandmuseum.org
Portland Observatory
Portland began as a port city. And it’s still a port city today. The Portland Observatory stands as the city’s most visible historic landmark. Prior to the 1920s, it prevented ships from crashing into Portland harbor, and today it’s the nation’s only remaining maritime signaling station. Visitors who scale the total height of the observatory can marvel at its breathtaking views and peer through its powerful telescope, which can spot ships up to 30 miles off the coast.
93 High Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-5561
www.portlandlandmarks.org/observatory
Eartha, The World’s Largest Globe
If you drive just ten minutes outside of Portland, into the small town of Yarmouth, you can gaze up at the world’s largest globe ever constructed. Housed at DeLorme, the headquarters of a mapping company, Eartha was scaled to be exactly one-millionth the size of the planet Earth, though it still has a hulking diameter of just over 40 feet. During regular business hours, Eartha is open to the public, and at night it can be seen from the outside, illuminated within its glass atrium.
2 DeLorme Drive
Yarmouth, ME 04096
(207) 846-7100
www.delorme.com
The Desert of Maine
Yes, there’s an actual desert in the Pine Tree State. It’s about a half hour drive north from Portland, but it’s well worth the trek. The Desert of Maine is the result of bad farming practices from hundreds of years ago, which stripped the topsoil and revealed a desert biome hidden beneath the state’s dense forests. The desert covers hundreds of acres, and tour guides will give visitors both the historical and geological background of the area. The desert serves as a lesson to modern day humans, and you might just learn something after your trip.
95 Desert Road
Freeport, ME 04032
(207) 865-6962
www.desertofmaine.com
Victoria Mansion
There’s quite a few houses in Maine available for historical tours, but none come close to Victoria Mansion. This luxurious mini-palace one housed some of Portland’s most elite families, and it’s been largely preserved so visitors can get a taste of what life was like here for those who ran among the upper echelons of New England society. Note: Locals refer to it as the Morse-Libby House, just in case you hear that name while in Portland.
109 Danforth Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 772-4841
victoriamansion.org