We stopped in here to have a drink while waiting on a table for supper at nearby Empire. At the…read moredoor, we were carded and showed our bags. We ordered our cocktails at the bar then chose a booth. The drink prices were reasonable ($12 gin and tonic, $2.78 coke, $14 espresso martini). There is a self serve water station with paper cups. There are so many pinball machines and other fun games. We didn't play any but I think they operate on quarters. There is a downstairs with other carnival type games. They offer a pizza/snack menu. There is a private area that can be rented for special events. It is a fun option, a bit different than movies, bowling or a board game spot. This is a 21+ venue - an adult Chuckie Cheese!

I met some friends here for a surprise birthday party and had a blast…read more The upstairs game's were a bit disappointing, but downstairs changed everything. We played nba jam, 4 guys for a 7 game series and loved it. I had two tributaries and I think that they were 12.50 a piece. The staff was friendly.

I recently visited Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery and had a very enjoyable experience. One of the…read morebiggest draws was their $1 tastings, yes, just one dollar for a taste of their ciders, wine and spirits, which is really fun and makes sampling without commitment super easy. The service was great, our server, Courtney, was exceptionally friendly, helpful in guiding us through the selection, and made the whole experience relaxed and enjoyable. I want to note, as a point of context, that in September the production facility of Sweetgrass's main operation in Union suffered a devastating fire. Despite that, the Portland tasting room remains open and functioning, which is a testament to their resilience. On the tasting side the variety was solid, and the $1 price point made it easy to try a bunch of things. The ambiance is cozy and inviting. If I were to pick one improvement, I'd say the tasting pours felt a bit light compared to some other spots I've been to....not a complaint, just an observation given the price point and expectations. In all, Sweetgrass is a strong pick if you're looking for a laid-back, local winery/distillery stop in Portland with friendly staff (shoutout to Courtney) and wallet-friendly tastings.

Sweetgrass Winery & Distillery is a farm winery and distillery that opened in Union, Maine in 2005…read more It was founded by husband and wife Keith & Constance Bodine. Keith has been in the alcohol business since 1992, and he earned his MS degree in Food Science and Enology. Constance has been called the heart, soul and brains behind the business. She spends most of her time in the fields, gardens and barns that produce the various ingredients used for making their wine and spirits. Sweetgrass is Maine's first farm winery & distillery; using over 70,000 pounds of Maine-grown fruit and grain each year. The distilled spirits are hand crafted in old world tradition with a copper alembic, still capturing the full flavors of their gin, rum, and traditional apple brandy. A secondary tasting room and retail shop opened on historic Fore Street in the Old Port section of Portland in February 2014. In September 2025, a debilitating fire destroyed the Union facility. The Old Port location remains open, but the future of the Union location remains uncertain. My extended family and I visited Sweetgrass's Portland location this past summer while we were vacationing in Maine. While exploring Old Port, we walked past their window and I said, "Hey, this looks like a cool place!" We went inside and signed up for a tasting. For just $10, customers can choose any five wines, ciders or spirits to taste. The five that I chose included "Maine Hard Imperial Cider" (Dry Cider), "Blueberry Smash" (Semi-Sweet Dessert Wine), "Back River Gin", "Cranberry Gin", and "Apple Brandy". The latter was easily my favorite of the tasting, but unfortunately they had no more bottles for purchase. I plan on ordering some online in the future. I am so happy that I discovered the Old Port tasting room by chance. I felt really bad when I learned later on that the Union location burned down. I'm happy to hear that no one was hurt and I hope that they are able to rebuild.

Lovely visit to the Portland Observatory…read more We had intended on a self-tour but were told that self tours would start at 4:30pm...and that before that time, you would have to take a toured guide up the tower. As there was a scheduled guide about to start soon...we opted to take the guided tour. At that time (mid-week in late August around 12pm) there were only four of us on that tour. Our tour guide, an older woman, was wonderful. As we ascended the tower during the 45-minute tour, we stopped off at each floor and she explained a bit about the tower and its history. Lots of interesting facts! We made it to the top to take in some amazing views of the area. Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-16 and free for those 5 and under. The stairs (there are about 100) throughout the tower are spiral-ish...so be careful of your foot placement on the narrowed parts of each step while ascending and descending. Street parking signs can be a bit tricky in the area reading "...no parking on the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th ___day of the month..." Be sure to properly read those signs and park accordingly.

My plans only have me in town for two days, so I asked my local coworker one sight I had to see…read morewith a short time frame, and was sent here. Just a fun little local tip. The history itself is cool enough: this was a lookout for ships coming into the harbor before radio, and is the oldest currently standing in the USA. But I really appreciated the elevation for getting a good look of the downtown and harbor area, walking around the tower in the breeze and seeing the ocean peaking through the islands in the harbor. Worth the $10 to the top. (Note: the stairs are steep and there's no room inside for an elevator. We're talking large curving internal staircases. Maybe not for those with mobility issues.)

Amazing store. We popped in for some fish, but came away with wine, cheese, and some other goodies…read more They have specialty items that are not found anywhere in Portland. This was like being in a bigger city! The cheese bar was open, and we were served a few delicious cheeses with full explanations. We of course ended up buying cheese to go with the wine we were not planning on purchasing. Then I found the wine, wow, what a selection. These are not the supermarket wines, these are excellent selections made by people that know what they are buying. Something unique, delicious, and bold. I loved it. It was pricey, but the service was excellent (until we went to the fish counter - maybe a bad day?). But everyone else in the store was very helpful, kind, and were smiling. The prices were a bit high, but the location is pretty, well organized, clean, and again - very helpful staff.

Amazing selection of fresh fish, frozen specialty proteins (like way steak), huge wine selections…read moreand cheese. George and staff very pleasant and accommodating. A nice find. Will return.

Sometimes described as Portland's "art house theatre", The Nickelodeon is a cozy six screen cinema…read morelocated in the heart of the Old Port. One of Portland's treasures, the Nick has been operating in the Old Port for over 40 years, and screens mainstream indie films as well as current blockbusters. Surrounded by the best restaurants and cafés Portland has to offer, it's super easy to park and combine a dinner and a movie. The garage next door is a sure thing if you're not into street parking, just know it's closed on Sundays. I probably see a dozen or so films a year at The Nick--I like to see all of the Academy Award nominated films, and this is the place to catch all of the best picture nominees. In the past few weeks I've seen I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, and The Brutalist at the Nick. A great experience every time--I've walked right up to buy tickets with only one party or two parties in line, at most. The selection concessions offered is reasonable, and includes vegan options. Seats are comfortable, however, they aren't the giant recliners offered at the big corporate cineplexes. Also, you can buy tickets in advance, but you are not able to reserve a particular seat. This is a old school sort of cinema, and yes, the bathrooms are upstairs. They are clean, and you can say hello to Audrey Hepburn on the large Breakfast at Tiffany's poster on your way down the stairs. People really seem to enjoy $6 ticket Tuesdays. Otherwise, tickets are $10 for a matinee and $13 for an evening ticket, less for children and seniors. The Nickelodeon is one of my favorite places in Portland, one of the few institutions that's managed to stand the test of time, and I hope it is able to stay around for another 40 plus years.

The building is very beautiful inside and parking is convenient since there's an attached garage…read more The staff is very friendly, too.

What an impressive place to visit! The history is fantastic and I'm glad it didn't get torn down…read moreduring the last 100 years. We bought tickets during Christmas time to also see the amazing decorations. At $20 a ticket it was a good deal. It is a self guided tour so you can spend as little or as much time as you want. They do have people stationed at certain spots where you can ask questions and they give you some history. It was a beautiful and def something worth trying at least once.

**November 2025: Friday Morning Visit**…read more I saw that the Victoria Mansion was just a 10 minute walk from our airbnb and that Black Friday was the start of their Christmas overlay! It sounded fun and for $19.25 (Adult Admission) I was excited to see how they would implement the Nutcracker theme to the home. Guests enter through the gift shop and while we arrived at 10:10am or so I was really surprised at how many visitors they had checking out the home. As a National Historic Landmark, this summer home was created by Ruggles Morses, sometime between 1858-1860, and as a hotel entrepreneur Morses implemented many of the lavish hotel designs to it. The home itself is original and over 90% of the interiors and furnishings remain original to 1860, including furniture, carpets, draperies, textiles, which was really impressive. I think I spent about 45 minutes admiring all the home details and reading the placards, and there were friendly informative docents at pretty much each section of the home These photos don't even really do it justice, but the decorations were extremely elaborate and each room focused on a different act in the ballet - ie. Spanish Chocolates, Mother Ginger, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, etc. There was significant care given to each room. Overall, I had fun time!

Great place to be for the art lovers as well as art novices like me. Good collection of paintings,…read moresculptures and photos which makes it really diverse and makes you travel across so many different eras. The descriptions to the items are well written and well conveys the story and the message behind the display. It spans four floors (it has elevator) but the third and fourth ones won't take that much time. There is a nice cafe underground which has snacks as well. Note that you aren't allowed to take food/beverages upstairs. There were a few displays around the cafe too. Staff was nice and friendly. Definitely recommended.

Very nice museum! $20 for any adult over wasn't bad at all…read moreand there was definitely a lot of art to see. Glad we dropped by for a visit!

Great show, good drinks and easy to get to and back to our hotel. By Uber. Always good Dead bands…read morehere.

A cozy events venue hosting dance nights (shoutout Charli XCX night!!) and maybe (?) concerts?…read moreComplete with a pit, singular "balcony" with a few tables (no coat check) and a small-ish bar with only a few people on staff. Not the best, not the worst; pretty fun.

The International Cryptozoology Museum is a museum that opened in Portland, Maine in 2003. It was…read morefounded by cryptozoologist, author and TV personality Loren Coleman. Although he has a background in social work, Coleman has had a passion for cryptozoology (the study of animals whose existence is unproven: aka cryptids) for several decades. Originally from Virginia, he relocated to Maine in 1980 and wrote a number of articles and books on cryptozoology. In 2003, Coleman opened the museum in the first floor of his home. As his collection of cryptid artifacts grew, so did his need to find a larger museum space. The museum moved a number of times before it ended up in its current location in Portland's Thompson Point in 2020. There are plans to move the museum to an even larger space in Bangor in 2026. My extended family and I visited the museum this past summer while we were vacationing in Maine. I've wanted to visit it for several years. I'm very familiar with Coleman's work from his books and TV appearances on documentaries on A&E or the History Channel. The museum is loaded with an absurd amount of artifacts all related to cryptozoology. I would say that a majority of the artifacts are dedicated to Bigfoot (Sasquatch), the Abominable Snowman (Yeti) and other legendary ape-like hominids. There were plenty of sculptures, footprint castings, and other various artifacts. The highlight for me was the 8.5-foot-tall Crookston Bigfoot sculpture made by taxidermist Curtis Christensen. There are also artifacts dedicated to cryptids such as Lake Monsters (Loch Ness Monster, Champ, Ogopogo, Cadborosaurus), Swamp Monsters, the Feejee Mermaid, the Montauk Monster, the Mothman, the Dover Demon, the Jersey Devil, the Beast of Bray Road, and others too numerous to mention. We all really enjoyed exploring the museum and we highly recommend it to anyone who's interesting in all things strange and unusual.

Although this place was geared more towards Bigfoot than any other animal, it definitely had a…read morelittle bit of everything and was oddly interesting. For $10 it's worth a stop. I think Parking was two dollars for an hour. There were a good number of kids there who obviously seemed to love it. i'm not sure that I would consider it an actual museum. It's more of a collection of odds and ends.

We had the honor of opening for Y La Bamba on the Maine leg of their fall U.S. tour. An absolutely…read morestellar venue with a supportive staff, FANTASTIC in house audio engineer, and probably the best ambiance in Portland. Would highly recommend to any left of the dial band looking for a cool place to place in the city. - Colter, Night Hawk

I want to be the kind of person that is "hip to the jive" of what Space is doing, but I'm not sure…read moreI am (I sometimes feel an exclusive, judgey attitude emanating from this otherwise very awesome place... maybe this is just something I've manifested in my head as I realize how uncool I am the older I get, but I've been here enough that I should, by now, "get it", right? And feel some sort of hospitableness and acceptance?). I soooooooo appreciate everything they do for the community, though - from book signings to film screenings to dance parties to concerts to lectures to art exhibits... they embrace, promote, encourage, and foster all forms and mediums of art. How refreshing! As someone who creates in words, it's often frustrating to see other art be put first... Space never does, and never will do, that. Love it! The lectures I've been to here and just the right amount of seating to provide both intimacy and privacy (a fine line that Space has worked out exceptionally well), so I can't agree with others have said about this, then again I've never been for a musical performance. I think the bartenders I've dealt with here have all been proficient at their job. And I agree with what another reviewer has said... the people watching here is like no other spot in town (especially during debates and art openings). Space's physical space is also different than anywhere else in town - it feels like someone's very cool garage that you never want to leave, because something interesting might happen if you just stay another minute. Impressive how they've captured that sense. One of my all time favorite art exhibits was here - one that moved me so much that I've never stopped thinking about it. RGB: The Jungle (http://www.space538.org/exhibitions/rgb-jungle) was an exhibit that used colored lights and filters to reveal images using primary colors. I thought it was fun, illuminating, and really forced me to be in the moment to appreciate it. We sat there for quite some time drinking wine and just taking in the walls as they changed in and out of shapes and scenes. Very, very, very cool stuff, Space.