Our Historical Walking Tours of Portland continue to be offered daily at 1:30pm through October 31.

Traditional Wadsworth-Longfellow House tours continue to be offered daily through October 31, and will resume May 1, 2015.

During this holiday season, special themed tours will be offered Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays on the hour 12:00pm to 4:00pm from November 28 and December 28. Visit us online for more information about our Celebrate the Season programs and events!

Starting November 1, 2014, the Brown Library at MHS will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Winter hours will remain in effect until April 30, 2015.

Traditional hours will resume May 1, 2015 and carry through October 31, 2015. The change allows the library staff more opportunity for collections management, and in turn provides improved access to our collections during the busy season. 

As always, please call ahead when traveling from a distance and in the case of inclement weather. Fee-based research appointments are available for those who seek access to the collections on Mondays and Tuesdays during the winter season.

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Please join us on Friday, November 14 at 5:30pm for the opening reception of Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, a national traveling exhibition which focuses on Abraham Lincoln's struggle to meet the constitutional challenges of the Civil War.  

 

MHS is offering three free public programs in connection with the exhibition: Free and Responsible Government: The Long Shadow of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address with speaker Jared Peatman on November 14 (directly following the reception at 7pm); Maine in the Civil War with speaker Lee Webb on November 18 at 12:00pm; and Portland's Irish in the Civil War with speaker Matthew Jude Barker on December 2 at 12:00pm.

 

This exhibition will be on view in the second floor reading room of the Brown Library, and is open to visitors free of charge on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10am-4pm.

 

Ancient headstones carved with intricate designs of angels, figures, suns, flowers, and other symbols have various meanings (often with different interpretations). The angel represents spirituality, and is a symbol of judgment and resurrection. The winged face represents the soul in flight to its afterlife. The female figure represents sorrow or grief. The sun-like face may represent the everlasting life of the soul. A skull and crossbones is the symbol of death.

Visit Maine Memory Network and search the terms "grave", "gravestone", or "headstone" and view an array of material related to Maine cemeteries.

Spirits Alive at Eastern Cemetery in Portland offers its annual Halloween week tours; this year's theme is "Walk Among The Shadows - Boom & Bust: Ghosts of 1807 Portland." Details online.

After 17 years of service and dedication to Maine Historical Society, Allan Levinsky retires. Allan has worked at MHS in various capacities, including a Wadsworth-Longfellow House guide, and most recently as a Visitor Services Coordinator. You've most likely met him in our store, where he is known for educating guests about MHS, Portland's history, the Wadsworth and Longfellow families, Maine's role in the Civil War, and much more. Allan is a historian and author of three books: A Short History of Portland, At Home with the General: A Visit to the Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum, and The Night the Sky Turned Red: The Story of the Great Portland Maine Fire of July 4, 1866, As Told By Those Who Lived Through It (published this fall), each available in our Museum and Online Store (click the titles to view in our online store).

Allan and his most recent book were featured on Bill Green's Maine television program on Saturday, October 25. Click to watch it here and learn about the Portland fire of 1866. Allan shares some first hand accounts from Portland residents who lived through the ordeal.
Thanks, Allan, for all you have done for MHS over the years. You will be greatly missed!

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was often called "the children's poet" and his love of young people is well known. Maine Historical Society invites kids ages 4-9 to celebrate reading and literature at Longfellow's childhood home with a new program called The Children's Hour. The program begins with a read aloud of a favorite children's book in or around the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, followed by a fun craft-making activity inspired by the story. The program is led by Kathleen Neumann, Manager of School and Interpretative Programs.

 

Upcoming dates: October 28, November 11, 18, and 25 at 3:30pm. 

 

The program is free and refreshments will be served. Participating children must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver; check-in at the Museum Store. Space is limited.

Please call or email Kathleen the Friday before a program to reserve a spot: 207-774-1822, ext. 214, kneumann@mainehistory.org.

 

Become a MHS Member and be part of an amazing group of supporters!

Our members enjoy great benefits including free admission to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, free admission to our Museum and to many of our programs, unlimited access to the Brown Library, shopping discounts, and much more!

     
 

Maine Historical Society	Museum Store
Maine Memory Network	Museum Catalog
Vintage Maine Images	Library Catalog
Maine History Online	Henry Wadsworth Longfellow