The best hikes from bus stations around Portland

Tucked between Congress and Franklin Streets in Portland, Lincoln Park is one of the city’s oldest public green spaces. It was laid out shortly after the devastating fire of 1866 and named in honor of Abraham Lincoln. The park’s open lawn, lined with old trees and crisscrossed by walking paths, is enclosed by a wrought-iron fence. A stone fountain marks its center. Though modest in size, the park quietly reflects a chapter of Portland’s rebuilding history.

In the heart of Portland, Maine, Monument Square marks a crossroads between old and new. Once called Market Square, it has long been a central point in the city. Today, office buildings, cafés, and the main library line its edges. At the center stands a statue commemorating Portland’s Civil War dead. With its mix of history and daily activity, the square remains a familiar place where locals meet, pass through, or simply pause for a moment.

This memorial celebrates Portland's founder, George Cleeves, and his partner Richard Tucker, who landed at the historic Portland Waterfront in 1633. From here you get sweeping views out across Casco Bay and the Eastern Promenade. This was the first public monument erected in Portland, two hundred and fifty years after the first colonial landing, in 1883.

The Eastern Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The cemetery was opened in 1668 and is the oldest historic site in the city. The cemetery has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. In 2006, dedicated citizens founded Spirits Alive!, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving, maintaining and improving the Eastern Cemetery. https://www.portlandlandmarks.org/eastern-cemetery

Lincoln Park is located in downtown Portland, Maine. The park was established in 1866 after a major fire destroyed almost all of the city's houses. In 1989, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Park_(Portland,_Maine)

The Time and Temperature Building is a 14-story office building on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The building is named after a neon sign on the roof that has displayed the local time and temperature since 1964. It was built in 1924 with a shopping center on the ground floor. In 1999, a new neon sign with 182 bulbs was installed, which also broadcasts messages of two lines of four characters each. Perhaps the most common ad in recent years has been "CALL JOE," referring to the law firm of Joe Bornstein, the sign's longtime tenant (deceased 2020). Since 2010, his firm has published short messages from over 300 nonprofit organizations. https://downeast.com/our-towns/portland-time-temperature-building/ Photographer Corey Templeton has paid much attention to the neon sign; his photos are documented on a blog: https://timeandtempblog.joebornstein.com/

The State Theatre is a historic theatre on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The theatre opened in 1929 and had a capacity of 2,200 spectators. For over 30 years it served as a first-class cinema for film premieres. In the decades that followed, the history of the theatre took an unfavourable turn; however, demolition like other buildings in the city was avoided. After several changes of ownership and an extensive renovation, the State Theatre was reopened as a venue for the performing arts in 2010. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Theatre_(Portland,_Maine) https://statetheatreportland.com/

The Portland Museum of Art is the largest and oldest public art institution in Maine. The museum was founded in 1882 as the Portland Society of Art and is located on Congress Square in the Arts District of Portland, Maine. The PMA has significant holdings of American, European and contemporary art as well as works from Maine. https://www.maineartmuseums.org/portland-museum-of-art