The Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Portland

The two main Wadsworth-Longfellow houses (this and the house in Boston) are unusual in the sheer volume of original artifacts. What distinguishes this house is the rather professorial mien of the guides. Taken in total, it is easy to gain a deeper appreciation for America's most popular poet during the 19th century.

We really enjoyed our visit. It is a gorgeous place. Kudos to the staff who put their hilarious spin on the "do not touch" signs! I pretty much went on a treasure hunt, looking for one in each room! Our guide was wonderful,too.

The exhibit on clothing was okay- some specifics to Maine and Portland but I felt like it was similar to many other exhibits I have seen. Didn’t think it was worth the admission fee given that it is a very small museum and house.

We like to visit a historical society whenever we get a chance because we like learning about the community's history. There's a great food exhibit in the gallery that was really interesting and informative. You can even turn into a Portland Italian sandwich which is obviously for kids, but naturally I couldn't resist. You can also visit the Wadsworth-Longfellow House next door.

We wanted to visit a museum in Portland that is focused on local history and this was the only one that fit the bill. It was small but quite interesting. It gave us a glimpse of Maine’s past and present through two exhibitions. The first, called “Trade Banners and the Crafts That Built Maine” presented the various trade associations from the mid-1800s, whose collective output was vital to the state’s economy. The second, called “Spark! Maine ART Stories”, showcased the work of contemporary local artists and what Maine means to them. The museum has a nice gift shop offering coffee table books and souvenirs. We stayed for an hour.