Maine Historical Society and the Wadsworth-Longfellow House

"We visited the Maine Historical Society while in Portland to learn about the state's history. Admission was $18 per person, which covers two separate areas: the historic home and the museum gallery. First, we toured the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, where the famous American poet grew up. Built during the Revolutionary War era, this center-hall colonial is an incredible time capsule. Walking through it took me right back to the 1970s when reading "Paul Revere's Ride" was mandatory elementary school curriculum. The museum section itself is quite small and currently focuses about 90% of its space on Maine during the Revolutionary War.I discovered that the city—known in those days as Falmouth—was burned to the ground by the British before it was put back together and dubbed Portland. No doubt some schoolmaster inserted this fact into my skull decades ago, but it has long since gone adrift in the foggy backwaters of my memory. The story is excellently detailed with rare, beautifully preserved artifacts. There is also a small, interesting display featuring about seven historic photos of the first labor unions in the U.S., which began right here in Maine. While the exhibits are high quality, the narrow focus means you don't get a broad overview of the state's entire history. It is absolutely worthwhile, but visitors should temper their expectations regarding the size and scope of the museum."

"I really enjoyed my visit to the Revolutionary War rooms. The garments and handwritten documents were fascinating. The curators told a storyline from the actual lives of 5 Mainers, including an African American man and a Native American woman. The Longfellow house was not open the day I visited. There was a small exhibit on Maine golf, which I skipped completely. There was also another small exhibit on Italian immigrant stone cutters in Maine, which was more interesting to me. I’m not sure this stonecutter exhibit would be appropriate for children though. It’s mostly old photographs and documents to read, hung in the hallway. There were two marble statues in another hallway, but they lacked any information. I suppose they were the product of the Italian immigrants(?)"

"The house was small and simple with a nice garden. I like that there is no guide and you can walk around freely."