The best hikes from bus stations in Cumberland County

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 State Street Congregational Church is a historic church in Portland, Maine. The church was built in 1851. https://www.mainememory.net/record/19323

The First Parish Church is a historic church on Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The church was built in 1825 and is the oldest church building in the city. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Parish_Church_(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 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

Longfellow Square is a public square on Congress Street in Portland, Maine, named after the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. In the center of the square stands a monument to the poet from 1888. The square is home to One Longfellow Square, a non-profit performing arts and concert venue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longfellow_Square https://www.mainememory.net/record/105909

The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum has maintained a narrow gauge railway since 1993, which runs approximately 2.4 km along the coast of the Portland Peninsula and parallel to the Eastern Promenade Trail. The railway tracks date from a time when the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad and later the Grand Trunk Railroad ran from Portland to Montreal. After the East End Rail Bridge was badly damaged by fire in 1984 and was not repaired for economic reasons, the railway line was no longer used. This led to the founding of the non-profit organization with the aim of preserving the railway and making its history unforgettable. https://mainenarrowgauge.org/