Victoria Mansion

Members Preview Reception: A Celebration of National Textiles Day
2024-05-02 17:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Mansion Members are invited to join us for an exclusive preview reception of our Celebration of National Textiles Day.
About The Event:
Victoria Mansion is fortunate to have over 90% of the house’s original collection, including samples of beautiful, intricate textiles from nearly every room. These delicate objects are usually housed in our climate-controlled textile storage room on the third floor of the museum and are rarely on public view.
Our community of Mansion members, supporters, and visitors frequently express curiosity about the house’s textiles, and this May, we’re planning a special, limited exhibition of select objects!
National Textiles Day falls on May 3rd, which coincides with our 2024 regular season opening weekend. Textiles from the collection will remain on view in the Mansion’s rooms from Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 5th during regular tours.
Members are invited to an exclusive preview reception on Thursday, May 2nd from 5pm-7pm. The reception will include a first look at the textile collections that will be on exhibit in every room of the Mansion, and the opportunity to hear from special guests and staff about highlighted topics, including:
Reception Room Window Treatments: Executive Director Tim Brosnihan will discuss current efforts by Victoria Mansion’s Collections Committee to reproduce the elaborate window treatments in the Reception Room, completing a decade-long restoration. Remnants of the original drapes and examples of some patterns under consideration for replacement fabric will be on view.
Dining Room Chair Upholstery: Special guest Melissa Debbs-McDougald will talk about her process of upholstering and applying period-accurate French polish finishes to the original Dining Room chairs. Samples of the original upholstery and an un-restored Herter chair from a similar set will be on view in the Dining Room. Melissa has over 25 years of international experience in furniture conservation and restoration.
Stair Hall Carpet: Special guest textile expert Jacqueline Field will discuss the process of recreating the Stair Hall carpet. A graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art, retired college professor, and active scholar, Jacqueline spearheaded the recreation of the Mansion’s Stair Hall carpet design, including conducting research at the James Templeton Company archive in Glasgow. Examples of the carpet designs will be on view in the Hall.
Parlor Festoons & Tulip Drops: Victoria Mansion’s Conservator Siobhan Lindsay will discuss conservation in the Parlor, and share select examples of the elaborate floral festoons and tulip drops that ornamented the original window treatments. With an extensive background in art conservation, Siobhan previously worked at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and with the Gianfranco Pocobene Studio, which led her to Victoria Mansion. Siobhan has been a critical player in the recent restorations of the Reception Room and Parlor.
Turkish Smoking Room Textiles: Victoria Mansion’s Textile Conservation Technician Vivian Cunningham will discuss caring for the elaborate original panels of the Turkish Smoking Room’s window treatments, as well as the recreation of the textiles for the room’s complete restoration. Vivian received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art + Design in Fashion and Textiles, and can also be found working at the Maine Historical Society and Portland Observatory.
Light bites and drinks will be provided for guests at this event.
If you are currently a Member, please check your email for your invitation and RSVP details. If you need to renew your membership or would like to join to receive your invitation, please visit our Membership Page, or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111 or ext.101.

A Celebration of National Textiles Day at Victoria Mansion
2024-05-03 10:00 - 2024-05-05 16:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Victoria Mansion is fortunate to have over 90% of the house’s original collection, including samples of the beautiful, intricate textiles from nearly every room. These delicate objects are usually housed in our climate-controlled textile storage room on the third floor of the museum and are rarely on public view.
Our community of Mansion Members, supporters, and visitors frequently express interest and curiosity in the textiles, and this May, we’re planning a special, limited exhibition of select objects!
National Textiles Day falls on May 3rd, which coincides with our 2024 regular season opening weekend. Textiles from the collection will remain on view in the Mansion’s rooms from Friday, May 3rd through Sunday, May 5th during regular tours.
Registration is highly encouraged to ensure entry. Plan your visit online any time, or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 with any questions about your visit.
An exclusive preview reception will be held for Victoria Mansion Members on Thursday, May 2nd. If you are a current Member, keep an eye on your inbox in April for an invitation! Not a member yet or need to renew? Join any time on our Membership page.
Victoria Mansion will also be offering free admission to view the museum and textile exhibit during the First Friday Art Walk from 5-8pm on Friday, May 3rd. (Capacity limited per half hour.)

First Friday Art Walk: National Textiles Day
2024-05-03 17:00 - 20:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Victoria Mansion is fortunate to have over 90% of the house’s original collection, including samples of beautiful, intricate textiles from nearly every room. These delicate objects are usually housed in our climate-controlled textile storage room on the third floor of the museum and are rarely on public view.
Our community of Mansion Members, supporters, and visitors frequently express interest and curiosity in the textiles, and this May, we’re planning a special, limited exhibition of select objects!
National Textiles Day falls on May 3rd, which coincides with our 2024 regular season opening weekend, as well as Portland’s First Friday Art Walk. Join us from 5-8pm for a FREE self-paced tour of Victoria Mansion on Friday, May 3rd, with a rare chance to view original 1860s textiles exhibited in the rooms for which they were originally designed. Docents will be stationed throughout the house to interpret the rooms and select objects.
Due to capacity limitations inside Victoria Mansion, we highly recommend reserving an entry time. Admission is free for all visitors during the First Friday Art Walk, but reservations are encouraged. Please note that food/drinks/gum, smoking/vaping, large bags, strollers, and pets are not permitted inside Victoria Mansion for the safety of our collections, guests, staff and volunteers. Non-flash, still photography is allowed in the Mansion, but we do not permit selfie sticks, tripods, flash photography, or video recording/streaming of any kind. If you have any questions about your visit, please see our FAQs or give us a call at (207) 772-4841.

Historic Perspectives of Park Street Walking Tour (Jane's Walk Maine 2024)
2024-05-04 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
A free walking tour, offered as part of Jane’s Walk Maine 2024!
Explore Park Street, part of the West End Historic District, a well-preserved time capsule that offers a glimpse into 19th-century Portland. This one-hour stroll will highlight some of the people who helped create this fashionable residential enclave – which at the time was considered “the most beautiful neighborhood in Portland.” We’ll showcase the popular architectural styles of the 19th century and learn more about the people who built them and the movements to preserve them during times of urban renewal. Park Street’s history encompasses working-class and upper-class neighborhoods, culinary endeavors, hot-button issues of 19th-century politics, and more.
The walk will end at Victoria Mansion on the corner of Park and Danforth Streets, a singular example of the Italianate villa style and one of the greatest examples of American residential architecture prior to the Civil War. For those who would like to continue the conversation, we’ll wind up on Victoria Mansion’s back lawn for a discussion about four decades of intensive conservation and restoration work at this National Historic Landmark.

ACCESSIBILITY:
The approximately half-mile walk travels the length of Park Street from Congress to Danforth, a small residential street that is primarily comprised of a historic brick sidewalk. There is free on-street parking and there are two handicapped-accessible parking spaces immediately adjacent to Victoria Mansion at the corner of Park and Danforth Streets.

STARTING LOCATION:
Lafayette Square Apartments, 638 Congress Street (corner of Park and Congress Streets)

638 Congress Street, Corner of Congress & Park Streets
Portland, Maine 04101

ENDING LOCATION:
The walk will end at Victoria Mansion on the corner of Park and Danforth Streets.

Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street
Portland, Maine 04101

ABOUT JANE’S WALK:
Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. Learn more at MainePreservation.org.

Member Event: Basement to Tower Tour
2024-05-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Save the date!
Victoria Mansion Members are invited to a rare opportunity to tour areas of the house not usually on public view. Join Mansion staff to tour the basement, once a vital center of operations for domestic staff, the third floor, today home to collections storage and conservation initiatives, and small group access to the tower. Light refreshments will be served for guests at this event. Due to limited capacity in the featured spaces, RSVPs are required. Members – keep an eye on your email inboxes for RSVP details.
Want to join as a Member, or need to renew? Visit our Membership page or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111.

Queen Victoria's Birthday: Free Admission for Victorias and Alberts
2024-05-24 10:00 - 16:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Queen Victoria’s 205th birthday is Friday, May 24th! While the Queen never visited the Mansion during her lifetime, she became its namesake when siblings William and Clara Holmes saved the house from possible demolition and reopened it as a museum in 1941.
Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, co-designed their summer home, Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, which helped to popularize the Italianate style in which Henry Austin designed Victoria Mansion. An 1848 painting of Osborne House hangs in the Library hall of Victoria Mansion – a gift from Buckingham Palace in 1944.
Continuing our tradition of the past several years, we are offering FREE admission to anyone named Victoria or Albert on May 24th. Stop into the Carriage House or call us to book a ticket in advance: (207) 772-4841.

Member Event: Backstairs Lives Tour
2024-06-06 17:00 - 19:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Save the date!
Tours at Victoria Mansion have always included the Morses and the Libbys, but there was another group who also lived here – their domestic servants. For many years, we knew only minimal information about them. Recently, however, research through the Backstairs Lives Initiative has led to some interesting discoveries about the people who worked for these two families.
Members are invited to join us for a special opportunity to hear about the Mansion as a workplace, not just a home. Who were the people who worked here? Where did they come from? Where did they work and where did they live? This tour will include spaces not usually on public view.
Light refreshments will be served for guests at this event. Due to limited capacity in the featured spaces, RSVPs are required. Members – keep an eye on your email inboxes for RSVP details.
Want to join as a Member, or need to renew? Visit our Membership page or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111.
Pictured in header image: Nora Steed; Hannah Shine (cook for Libby family); Katie Steed (maid for Libby family), ca.1913.

Juneteenth: Free Admission
2024-06-19 10:00 - 16:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Victoria Mansion is OPEN for Juneteenth. In observance of this holiday, we are offering a community day with free admission and a special program. Thank you to Kennebec Savings Bank for their support of our Free Admission Days.
We invite visitors and members of the public to join us on Victoria Mansion’s lawn at noon for a recitation by local actors of the Emancipation Proclamation, in commemoration of its reading in Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865. We will also honor and hold space for the twenty-seven individuals known to have been enslaved by Ruggles and Olive Morse in New Orleans, whose lives and journeys before, during, and after enslavement we continue to uncover and share with visitors.
Since 2021, our Unwilling Architects Initiative has prompted extensive research that has begun to discover much about these enslaved persons, whose uncompensated labor in Louisiana contributed to the fortune that built Victoria Mansion. Through this ongoing effort, we endeavor to shine a light on these individuals’ lives and bring their stories into the full human history of this landmark property.
Tour admission is free on Juneteenth, but reservations are encouraged due to museum capacity. To reserve your free admission on June 19th, please select the date on the calendar at the Plan Your Visit page, select the time you wish to visit from the dropdown menu, and then select the number of Juneteenth Admission tickets you wish to reserve. (For parties larger than 8 people, please call 207-772-4841.)
Learn more about the importance and observance of Juneteenth at Juneteenth.com and via the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Brownstone Brews & Bites, Brought to You by Allagash
2024-07-12 17:30 - 20:30 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Celebrating our 18-year partnership with Allagash Brewing, our summer fundraiser Brownstone Brews & Bites returns to the Mansion lawn this July!
Featuring Allagash beer, Cellardoor wine, Green Bee soda, music by the Pete Kilpatrick Band, catering from Cheese Louise and goodies from Sullivan House Bakery, this annual fundraiser helps support our ongoing historic preservation projects, with a special eye on preserving the Mansion’s iconic brownstone exterior. Additional partners will be announced soon! Special thanks to event sponsor Bird & Co.
Food, beverage, live music, and first-floor Mansion tours are all included with the price of your ticket. All attendees also receive a free Allagash chalice to use during the event and take home at the end of the evening.
Please fill out the form below for tickets. Questions about the event? Please call (207) 772-4841 ext.111 or ext.101.

Ruffi Stuffie Sleepover
2024-07-24 16:30 - 18:30 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Our newest program for young visitors, their caregivers, and their stuffed animals returns this summer!
Would your child’s stuffie like to explore the Mansion with host Ruffi the (stuffie) Museum Cat? Bring your stuffed animal friend from home to join us for a story time and a look around the Mansion on July 24th at 4:30pm.
Then, leave your stuffed animal with Ruffi and our museum staff for a Mansion stuffie sleepover! Photos of all their fun activities will be shared with participants when they pick up their stuffies in the morning on July 25th.
Tickets are $5 per child & stuffed animal with accompanying adult. Tickets are limited due to capacity. Check out the calendar below to reserve tickets!

Member Event: Open Shutters Tour
2024-08-15 17:00 - 19:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Save the date!
Members are invited to join us at Victoria Mansion for an exclusive open shutters tour! These rare but popular tours provide the opportunity to see the Mansion’s rooms in full natural light, as they would have appeared in the 19th century. Light refreshments will be provided at this event.
Members: keep an eye on your email inboxes later this spring for RSVP details.
Want to join as a Member, or need to renew? Visit our Membership page or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111.

Member Event: Preserving Maine’s Brownstone Masterpiece
2024-09-19 17:00 - 19:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Save the date!
Members are invited to an exclusive reception focusing on the house’s iconic brownstone exterior. This event will feature a talk by Executive Director Tim Brosnihan about the history of brownstone, from its formation to its quarrying and use in residential architecture. Attendees will also hear details about the restoration of the Reception Room Bay, likely the last large-scale project we will be able to undertake using brownstone from Portland, Connecticut, where the Mansion’s original material was sourced, as all quarries have now closed. This event will also feature a small exhibit of brownstone architectural elements from our archive, representing pieces that have fallen or been safely removed from the Mansion’s exterior over time.
Light refreshments will be served for guests at this event. Members – keep an eye on your email inboxes for RSVP details.
Want to join as a Member, or need to renew? Visit our Membership page or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111.

A Bizarre Victorian Bazaar: An Exhibition of Oddities and the Obscure
2024-10-05 10:00 - 16:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Our outdoor Victorian Fair will return to the Mansion lawn this October, with an “odd” twist! Join us for A Bizarre Victorian Bazaar: An Exhibition of Oddities and the Obscure. This one-day fair kicks off the Halloween season with an educational (and entertaining!) take on Victorian folklore, customs, Spiritualism, and more.
Learn about poison books and wallpaper, how purported mediums conducted seances, and why some elite Victorians held mummy unwrapping parties. Have your cards (or head) read, create Victorian crafts, and much more! This fair will have activities and games for kids throughout the day. Plus, a visit from Charles Dickens, scenes from Portland Ballet’s Thrills & Chills, and live music by the Shank Painters! We’ll also have Sullivan House Bakery onsite for visitors who want to grab a bite to eat while they enjoy demonstrations and performances on the lawn.
For those who would like to attend in their Victorian finest, we encourage entry into our costume contest on the day of the Bazaar!
A Schedule of Events is now available to view! Copies will be available onsite on the day of the Bazaar.
Exhibitors and performers include:

Clairvoyant Light
Roxie Zwicker of New England Curiosities
Spirits Alive
Phillips Puppets
Artist Julie Gray
Mira Ptacin, author of The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
Osher Map Library
Terrarium
Saco Museum’s Cabinet of Curiosities
…and more!

This event is designed for visitors ages 8 and up. We encourage caregiver discretion for younger and more sensitive children.
Keep an eye on our Events webpage, and our Facebook and Instagram pages in the coming weeks as we announce more. A full schedule of events will be available onsite on the day of the event, and a preliminary schedule of events will be available closer to the event date.
Tickets:
Adults: $21
College Students: $8
Children ages 6-17: $6
Children 5 and under: Free
Victoria Mansion Members: Free
Museums for All (SNAP/EBT cardholders): $3 (with valid SNAP/EBT card at check-in)

Stories on the Staircase - Every Monday in December at 10am
2024-12-02 10:00 - 2024-12-30 11:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Stories on the Staircase returns as an in-person series this year! This series of programs for our youngest visitors and their caregivers takes place every Monday morning during the holiday season. Families join us while we are otherwise closed to the public for a holiday- or winter-themed story time, and then get to walk around and preview the holiday decorations in select rooms!
This event is free, but registration is encouraged due to capacity. In the event of a snow day, a notice will be posted to our homepage and social media (Facebook and Instagram).
Can’t wait till December? Check out our 2021 virtual Stories on the Staircase series, featuring titles from our friends at Islandport Press!

Holiday Gala 2024
2024-12-05 17:00 - 21:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Come celebrate the opening of our 44th season of holiday tours and catch an early glimpse of this year’s décor imagining Stories of the Season, beloved winter tales from across the world.
Join us:
Thursday, December 5, 2024
At 5 p.m. at Victoria Mansion
Kick off the event at 109 Danforth Street with a champagne toast set against the splendid backdrop of the Mansion in all of its holiday finery. You’ll also enjoy holiday musical selections by Goldenwood Ensembles.
From 6:30 – 9 p.m. at the Cumberland Club
Gather at the Cumberland Club, 116 High St. in Portland to feast, sip, and celebrate the magic of the season. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be available.
A shuttle will be provided to convey guests between parking at the Holiday Inn by the Bay and the sites of the evening’s festivities.
Space is limited. Registration has now closed. Questions about the event? Please contact Director of Development Ann O’Hagan at (207) 772-4841 ext.101.
Proceeds from this festive and fun evening support the Mansion’s mission to preserve this nineteenth-century treasure and share it with visitors from all over the world.

Night of the Nutcracker with Portland Ballet **SOLD OUT!**
2024-12-08 17:15 - 2024-12-15 19:15 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Ballerinas from Portland Ballet return to Victoria Mansion’s Stair Hall this December to perform scenes from A Victorian Nutcracker. This production of the Nutcracker is unlike any other, featuring figures from Portland’s history in the opening scene, and with sets and costumes based on Victoria Mansion’s interiors.
This family-friendly event is fun for kids of all ages. After the performance, walk through the house, see the decorations, and meet the ballerinas!
Performances on Sundays, December 8th and 15th at 5:15 and 6:15pm.

Ruffi Stuffie Sleepover **SOLD OUT!**
2024-12-11 16:30 - 17:30 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Our newest program for young visitors, their caregivers, and their stuffed animals returns this holiday season!
Would your child’s stuffie like to explore the Mansion with host Ruffi the (stuffie) Museum Cat? Bring your stuffed animal friend from home to join us for a story time and a look around the Mansion on December 11th at 4:30pm.
Then, leave your stuffed animal with Ruffi and our museum staff for a Mansion stuffie sleepover! Photos of all their fun activities will be shared with participants when they pick up their stuffies in the morning on December 12th.
Tickets are $5 per child & stuffed animal with accompanying adult. Tickets are limited due to capacity. Tickets will go live on November 29th!

A Magical Dickensian Celebration **SOLD OUT!**
2024-12-19 17:00 - 18:30 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Actor Andrew Harris returns to Victoria Mansion this holiday season for his ever-popular one-man performance as Charles Dickens. Featuring selected readings from A Christmas Carol, Mr. Harris’s performance also touches on history and other tales.
Two performances on one night only, Thursday, December 19th: first performance 5:00-6:00pm, second performance 6:30-7:30pm.
To reserve your tickets, please click here or use the widget below:

Ring in the New (Performances at 5pm & 6:30pm)
2025-01-04 08:00 - 14:00 | Test Venue, Test addres 1111, Test City, AL, 00000, United States
Join us for a celebratory evening in the company of Mr. Charles Dickens (British actor Andrew Harris) as he shares how the Victorians celebrated New Year festivities, reads from some of his work and that of his contemporaries, and shares the Mansion in all its festive glory.
Performances are one night only, Saturday, January 4th, at 5pm and 6:30pm.
Tickets are $25/members, $30/general public (tickets will also include a small surcharge at checkout to defray the costs of our ticketing service).
To reserve your tickets, please click here.

Preservation Trades Training: Historic Woodworking
2025-04-21 09:00 - 2025-05-02 16:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Explore a hands-on program designed for tradespeople in the Portland, Maine area. This training boosts basic carpentry knowledge for work on older and historic buildings. The focus will be on exterior woodwork details and takes place onsite at Victoria Mansion.
This training program is for tradespeople actively working in the greater Portland, Maine area. The objective of the training is to boost their basic carpentry knowledge and skills into the field of work on older and historic buildings. The training will focus on exterior woodwork details and takes place onsite at Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland. Download the overview flyer here.
Program Summary
This training program is for tradespeople actively working in the greater Portland, Maine area. The objective of the training is to boost their basic carpentry knowledge and skills into the field of work on older and historic buildings. The training will focus on exterior woodwork details and takes place onsite at Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland. Download the overview flyer here.

Download an informational flyer about the workshop here.
Access the application here.
Questions about this workshop? Please contact Executive Director Tim Brosnihan at tbrosnihan@victoriamansion.org or (207) 772-4841 ext.100.

Preservation carpenters
Preservation carpenters are knowledgeable tradespeople. Essentially, they combine traditional woodworking knowledge and skills with modern carpentry practice. They do this with thoughtful study and creative work.
Traditional trades manuals document specific methods and materials to construct these older and historic buildings. The modern practice of carpentry is largely one of installing pre-designed and pre-manufactured parts. Preservation woodworking is a creative process that begins with determining what needs to be done.
For example, a moulding is missing and must be made to match an original so its profile is documented with a drawing and measurements. Then, the moulding is made out of basic materials, like a board of rough-cut wood; the process then involves shaping it, creating a finished moulding, then installing the moulding to re-establish the weather envelope of the building.
According to instructor John Leeke, “The enlightened preservation carpenter brings both traditional knowledge and modern practice to bear on these fine old structures to preserve their historic significance.”
This project is being supported in part by the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior and Maine Historic Preservation Commission.
Schedule
Two weeks of ten full-time days, 9:00am-4:00pm, April 21 – May 2, 2025. This includes hands-on work at Victoria Mansion, with evening reading assignments and study.
Application & Selection
Tradespeople can apply for the training by responding to this questionnaire.
Applications are being accepted through March 25, 2025. Applicants will be informed of their status by April 1.
Five trainees will be selected by an objective procedure administered by Victoria Mansion Executive Director Tim Brosnihan, and workshop instructor John Leeke.
Trainees will receive $1,000 at the end of each week ($2,000 total) for full-time attendance of all days and conscientious application of mind and hand.
Topics of Study

Historic preservation of buildings
Wood science, demonstration of a few topics from Bruce Hoadley’s Understanding Wood
Wood deterioration
Weather envelope of a wood building

Hands-On Exercises

Sizing wood to match existing
Tool sharpening
Making mouldings to match with simple shop machinery and hand methods
Wood Dutchmen and part-by-part replacement
Wood-Epoxy repairs
Sourcing wood
Preservative treatments

Training Manuals
Given to participants as part of workshop:

Understanding Wood by Bruce Hoadley
Practical Restoration Compendium by John Leeke

Outcomes
Each trainee will:

Make and complete a significant woodwork detail, to have as a sample of their work;
Acquire a basic knowledge of the field of historic preservation, and the preservation trades specifically;
Set up and follow an ongoing self-directed training program;
Receive $1,000 at the end of each week ($2,000 total) for full-time attendance of all days and conscientious application of mind and hand.

Victoria Mansion’s 82nd Annual Meeting
2025-04-23 17:00 - 19:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Members of Victoria Mansion are invited to the museum’s 82nd Annual Meeting on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025. More information about this year’s program is forthcoming. Members should receive invitations in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Opening Day!
2025-05-01 | ME
Our regular season will run May 1st – October 31st, 2025.
Tickets for our regular season are on sale now.
We look forward to seeing you!
Victoria Mansion is a much-loved Portland landmark, but its significance extends far beyond Maine. Distinguished for its architecture and extraordinary original interiors, it is among the most important homes of the 19th century anywhere in the nation. As an organization, it is our mission to conserve, maintain, and restore this one-of-a kind property and share its history with the public.

Adults: $19.25
Senior citizens (62+): $17.25
College students: $8.00 with valid student ID
Students age 6-17: $6.00
Children under 6: Free*
Family rate: $42.50
Family Rate applies to 2 adults and up to 5 children age 6-17 of the same household
Museums for All – tickets for SNAP/EBT cardholders: $2.00 with valid ID and EBT card, good for up to 4 tickets
Visit the Museums for All website to learn more.
Victoria Mansion members: Free*

Open for Tours
2025-05-01 10:00 - 2025-10-31 16:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join us for a Tour of the Mansion!
Our 2025 regular season runs May 1 – October 31.
All of our tours are facilitated by trained docents. Depending on the day, tours may be guided OR self-paced; please call if you are interested in finding out which experience is offered on a particular day.
Victoria Mansion, a National Landmark
Victoria Mansion is a much-loved Portland landmark, but its significance extends far beyond Maine. Distinguished for its architecture and extraordinary original interiors, it is among the most important homes of the 19th century anywhere in the nation. As an organization, it is our mission to conserve, maintain, and restore this one-of-a-kind property and share its history with the public.
Getting Here – How to get here, directions, and more.
Requesting a Group Tour – How to request a group tour, bus information, & logistics
Gift Shop – Tickets are not required for shop entry. Learn more here.
Holiday Season Information – Learn more here.

A Celebration of National Textiles Day & First Friday Art Walk
2025-05-02 17:00 - 20:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
National Textiles Day falls on May 3rd, which coincides with our regular season opening weekend. For the second year in a row, we will be celebrating National Textiles Day with a limited exhibition of items from our textiles collection in the rooms for which they were designed. Textiles will remain on view in the Mansion’s rooms from Friday, May 2nd through Sunday, May 4th during regular tours.
Victoria Mansion is fortunate to have over 90% of the house’s original collection, including samples of the beautiful, intricate textiles from nearly every room. These delicate objects are usually housed in our climate-controlled textile storage room on the third floor of the museum and are rarely on public view.
An exclusive preview reception will be held for Victoria Mansion Members on Thursday, May 1st. If you are a current Member, keep an eye on your inbox in April for an invitation! Not a member yet or need to renew? Join any time on our Membership page.
Victoria Mansion will also be offering free admission to view the museum and textile exhibit during the First Friday Art Walk from 5-8pm on Friday, May 2nd. (Capacity limited per half hour, reservations recommended.)
Registration is highly encouraged to ensure entry. Tickets and more information will be available in April – stay tuned!

New Orleans Sunday Brunch
2025-05-18 11:00 - 14:00 | Portland Country Club, 11 Foreside Road, Falmouth, ME, 04105, United States
Please save the date for a spirited Victoria mansion New Orleans Sunday brunch! Hurricanes, Oysters Rockefeller, gumbo, pralines, live jazz music, and more!
We are going back to Victoria Mansion’s roots, New Orleans, to share with you the exciting next chapter of this National Historic Landmark.
We hope you will join us at the Portland Country Club on May 18th.
Tickets are selling fast, and online sales will close May 9.

Closed for Memorial Day
2025-05-26 10:00 - 16:00 | ME
We will be closed on Monday, May 26, 2025 in honor of Memorial Day. We hope you will visit on another day- we are open seven days a week, with the exception of Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.

Preservation Trades Workshops: Danforth Street Sketching Tour
2025-06-01 13:00 - 17:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Sunday, June 1, 2025
(Rain date: Sunday June 8)
9:00am to 12:00pm
Drawing for Tradespeople
Drawing is an important skill for preservation tradespeople. These graphic skills help them see the buildings with clarity, and help them communicate with their fellow tradespeople and customers. Tradespeople will receive the famous Mind/Hand/Heart triangle certificate of completion for this important aspect of the Preservation Trades Training Program. Bring your sketchbook or clipboard and pencils. Bring your lunch if you intend to also go on the afternoon sketching tour.
1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Free to the public: Sketching tour on Danforth Street
Sunday afternoon we’ll start at Victoria Mansion and saunter down Danforth Street, to observe, appreciate and sketch the historic houses, both grand and modest. Learn about the various historic time periods and architectural styles that contribute to our cultural heritage here in Portland.
No special artistic talent or drawing skill required. Simply looking at old buildings gives you an impression of them. While sketching these buildings you will actually see them in a new light and come to possess a deeper understanding of their shape, form, and design.
The public is welcome at no cost. Bring your own sketchbook and pencils, or clipboard, paper, and pencils.
The sketching tour is part of the Victoria Mansion’s ongoing Preservation Trades Training Program. Past trainees and those interested in future training are encouraged to participate. Sketching and drawing are important skills for preservation tradespeople. These graphic skills help them see the buildings with clarity and help them communicate with their fellow tradespeople and customers.

Tradespeople will receive the famous Mind/Hand/Heart triangle certificate of completion for this important aspect of the Preservation Trades Training Program.

Tour Leaders:
John Leeke, Historic Preservation Specialist
John is a nationally recognized preservation tradesman and educator. John was recently honored by Traditional Building Magazine as one of the industry’s “top 25 leaders who have dedicated their careers to the classical and traditional styles in outstanding ways that are serving as models around the country.” John is the lead instructor for our local Preservation Trades Training Program
Tony Taylor, Drafter/Designer, Sign Painter/Muralist
Since his teens, Tony has collected architectural salvage and documented historic buildings in photos and drawings. He has worked as a drafter/designer for contractors, cabinet makers, and architects, and written articles and architectural guidebooks for historic neighborhoods in New England cities.

Download an informational flyer about the workshop here.

Member Event: Open Shutters Tour
2025-06-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Visitation in Full Swing at the Mansion
Save the date!
Members are invited to join us at Victoria Mansion for an exclusive open shutters tour! These rare but popular tours provide the opportunity to see the Mansion’s rooms in full natural light, as they would have appeared in the 19th century. Light refreshments will be provided at this event.
Members: keep an eye on your email inboxes for RSVP details.
Want to join as a Member, or need to renew? Visit our Membership page or give us a call at (207) 772-4841 ext.111.

Juneteenth: Free Admission
2025-06-19 10:00 - 16:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Victoria Mansion is OPEN for Juneteenth. In observance of this holiday, we are offering a community day with free admission and a special exhibit. Thank you to the Rines Thompson Fund of the Maine Community Foundation for their support of our Free Admission Days.
We invite visitors and members of the public to join us to celebrate the final reading of the Emancipation Proclamation, held in Galveston, TX on June 19, 1865. We will honor and tell the stories for the twenty-seven individuals known to have been enslaved by Ruggles and Olive Morse in New Orleans, whose lives and journeys before, during, and after enslavement we continue to uncover and share with visitors.
Since 2021, our Unwilling Architects Initiative has prompted extensive research that has begun to discover much about these enslaved persons, whose uncompensated labor in Louisiana contributed to the fortune that built Victoria Mansion. Through this ongoing effort, we endeavor to shine a light on these individuals’ lives and bring their stories into the full human history of this landmark property.
Tour admission is free on Juneteenth, but reservations are encouraged due to museum capacity. To reserve your free admission on June 19th, please visit Tickets for Juneteenth 2025 (For parties larger than 10 people, please call 207-772-4841.)
Learn more about the importance and observance of Juneteenth at Juneteenth.com and via the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Closed for the Fourth of July
2025-07-04 10:00 - 16:00 | ME
We will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2025 for the holiday. We hope you will visit on another day- we are open seven days a week, with the exception of Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day.
