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Portland Harbor Museum provides visitors with an opportunity to learn about the role that Portland Harbor has played in shaping Southern Maine's economic, social, and historic character.

Just a few hundred yards from Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, the museum resides in a historic building on the waterfront in South Portland. In addition to both permanent and changing exhibits, it offers a variety of programs including lectures, school and group tours, special events, and research opportunities.

Other points of interest are within easy driving distance of the museum -- Bug Light Park and the Liberty Ship Memorial are less than a mile away.

Schedule and Hours: Mid-April until Memorial Day: Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10:00am-4:30pm. Memorial Day through Mid-October: Open 7 days a week, 10:00am-4:30pm. Mid-October through Thanksgiving weekend: Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10:00am-4:00pm

Special rates are available to groups of 40 or more. For More Information Portland Harbor Museum Fort Road - SMCC campus South Portland, ME 04106 (207) 799-6337 info@portlandharbormuseum.org www.portlandharbormuseum.org

Directions: From the Maine Turnpike (I-95) Exit from I-95 onto I-295 (I-95 Exit 44 from the south and I-95 Exit 52 from the north). Take I-295 Exit 6A (Forest Avenue South). After exiting, follow the signs to Route 77, which becomes State Street. From this point, follow the directions from Downtown Portland (below). From Downtown Portland Take State Street (it's one way) and go over the Casco Bay Bridge.

At the traffic signal at the end of the bridge, proceed straight onto Broadway. (Broadway also goes to the right, but straight will take you to the museum.) Continue on Broadway until it ends at Spring Point Marina (approximately 1.5 miles). Turn right at the stop sign onto Benjamin Pickett Street and turn left at the next stop sign (Fort Road). Follow Fort Road through the SMCC campus until it ends at the water. Portland Harbor Museum is on your right.

Collections: Portland Harbor Museum's collections are composed of artifacts and documents relevant to Casco Bay's ongoing maritime culture.The museum's holdings include the Angell Glass Plate Negative Collection of over 500 photographic images from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a major archival and artifact collection from the South Portland Shipyards that produced Liberty Ships during World War II, and other materials that revolve around the history of Portland Harbor from its early settlement by Europeans to the present.

Exhibits: A large section of the only surviving American clipper ship, Snow Squall, is the centerpiece of the museum's permanent exhibit on 19th century wooden shipbuilding. In addition, the museum opens a changing exhibition annually. In the past, exhibits have focused on topics such as Shipwrecks, A Day in the Life of Portland Harbor, WWII Shipyards, and Heroes of the Tall Ships.

Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse: The United States Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the museum in 1998. Built in 1897, it is one of a very few caisson lighthouses that can be reached on foot -- a 900-foot breakwater provides access. The tower of the lighthouse is open to the public for tours on specific, publicized dates, and group tours of the lighthouse may be arranged in advance by contacting the museum staff. Fort Preble

The museum is on the grounds of Fort Preble. Constructed in 1808 and active through 1950, many of the coast artillery gun emplacements from both world wars are still visible as are the granite Civil War casemates along the shore. Spring Point Shoreline Walkway With historic markers and interpretive panels, the walkway, which crosses the museum's doorstep, offers a stroll into history along with spectacular views of Casco Bay, Portland Head Light, Portland Breakwater "Bug" Light, the Liberty Ship Memorial, and the early harbor fortifications on neighboring islands.Willard Beach and the 17th century Old Settlers' Cemetery are also easily accessible from the Walkway.

Lectures and Tours: The museum can accommodate groups of almost any size by prior arrangement. Group visits generally begin with a tour of the museum galleries, but can include a wide range of other activities as well such as guided walks of Fort Preble, tours of Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, slide presentations on a variety of subjects from lighthouses to the shipyards, and a boxed lunch in the historic Portland Marine Society room. On selected dates throughout the summer, the museum offers tours of Casco Bay's island forts.

Throughout the year, the museum sponsors lectures on topics tied to its mission and exhibits. The lectures and fort tours are open to the general public. School Activities Age of the Clipper Ships, the museum's program for fourth-graders, takes students on a voyage to the mid-1800s in Maine. Portland Harbor in the Colonial Days, especially designed for seventh-graders, is an internet-based program that traces the history of the harbor from the 1620s to the American Revolution. Both programs may include field trips to the museum, a visit to your school by museum docents, or both.

Inside the museum gift shop

Gift Shop: The museum's gift shop offers a variety of unique items, many created by regional artists and craftspeople. Open during museum hours, the shop features merchandise that reflects the museum's focus on maritime history and culture.