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PORTLAND HARBOR MUSEUM OPENS FOR SEASON
Each year Portland Harbor Museum presents a new exhibition to the
community and when the museum opens for the season on Saturday, April 7,
it will be unveiling They Came By Sea: Portland Harbor, A Tourist Destination.
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, when a vast new
middle class began to look for a cool refuge from America's hot, gritty
and increasingly crowded cities, Portland Harbor has been a haven for
tourists.
The exhibition portrays a 19th century harbor which welcomed steamers
bringing tourists who sought the sparkling blue water, quiet islands and
delicious seafood of Maine. In the next century, however, a major effort
was needed to restore crumbling wharves, energize the Old Port Exchange
and clean up the water. The changes which allowed the natural beauty of
the harbor and its islands to attract tourists once again are documented
as well as plans for an exciting new cruise ship terminal, Ocean Gateway.
Curator Margaret Beals has created a beautiful exhibition which uses
enlarged period photographs, artifacts, and text to tell the story of
tourism in the harbor.
According to Director Linda McLoon, Portland Harbor Museum is opening its
doors earlier than ever before. By opening on April 7, we hope many more
school groups will be able to visit the museum. We think they should be
aware of their rich maritime heritage.
Although regular opening hours in April and May will be Saturday and Sunday
from 10am - 4:30pm, the museum schedules school tours during the week by appointment.
Admission is $3;ages 6 - 16 $1; younger children and members are free.
Portland Harbor Museum is located on the SMTC campus in South Portland. FMI 799-6337
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Each year Portland Harbor Museum presents a new exhibition to the community and when the museum opens for the season on Saturday, April 7, it will be unveiling They Came By Sea: Portland Harbor, A Tourist Destination. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution, when a vast new middle class began to look for a cool refuge from America's hot, gritty and increasingly crowded cities, Portland Harbor has been a haven for tourists. The exhibition portrays a 19th century harbor which welcomed steamers bringing tourists who sought the sparkling blue water, quiet islands and delicious seafood of Maine. In the next century, however, a major effort was needed to restore crumbling wharves, energize the Old Port Exchange and clean up the water. The changes which allowed the natural beauty of the harbor and its islands to attract tourists once again are documented as well as plans for an exciting new cruise ship terminal, Ocean Gateway. Curator Margaret Beals has created a beautiful exhibition which uses enlarged period photographs, artifacts, and text to tell the story of tourism in the harbor.