Victoria Mansion

Through the Looking Glass
2025-10-16 17:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join Victoria Mansion and Portland Ballet as we explore six stories from the 19th century that are told very differently in today’s popular culture. Dancers will perform excerpts from their fall ballet, “Alice in Wonderland,” then guests will be led around the Mansion to hear the original stories of tales we all think we know. Stories will include Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, and Frankenstein.
This event will have two time slots, one at 5pm and one at 6:30pm. When purchasing tickets please select a time.
Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for general public

A Fresh Face on the Front Bay
2025-10-17 16:30 - 17:30, 2025-10-18 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-18 13:00 - 14:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We are thrilled to announce that the restoration of Victoria Mansion’s front brownstone bay window, a project ten years in the planning, is now complete.
This transformational project, a centerpiece of the Forward Facing campaign, brings our National Historic Landmark property closer to its 19th-century appearance, turning back the clock 160 years to restore important passages of carving and detailing lost to Maine’s harsh weather. A new series of rooftop balustrades will also be in place, making the Mansion’s front façade complete for the first time since the 1950s.
Please join the Director, Tim Brosnihan, for select tours to hear more about the Front Bay. Tours are free but space is limited.
TOURS:
Friday, October 17th at 4:30pm
Saturday, October 18th at 11am and 1pm
Please select a time when reserving tickets.
Tours will meet on the lawn in front of the Front Bay.

Cabinets of Curiosities: Victorian Wonders of the Natural World
2025-10-23 17:30 - 18:30 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Sometimes natural wonders are just as intriguing as supernatural ones. Learn about “Cabinets of Curiosities,” which date back to the 1500s and were the origins of the modern natural history museum. Cabinets of Curiosities were early ways to organize and display objects of wonder, and sparked eclectic Victorian hobbies of collecting, displaying, and preserving the world around them. Museums opening in this time period drew large crowds of people hoping to be thrilled and educated by the larger natural and cultural world. This talk is given by Lyndell M. Bade, Director of the L.C. Bates Museum of Natural History and Culture, Maine’s own Cabinet of Curiosities.
This lecture will be held at Victoria Mansion.
Tickets are $20 for members, and $25 for general public.

Unwilling Architects Initiative Art Unveiling
2025-10-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Since 2021, Victoria Mansion has been researching and sharing the stories of the individuals enslaved by the Morses in New Orleans, and how their unpaid labor provided the funds to build this beautiful summer home. Thanks to a generous grant from Coffee by Design’s Rebel Blend Fund, Victoria Mansion has been working with artist Carl Joe Williams to produce a piece of art to bring the stories of the Unwilling Architects Initiative to life.
We would like to thank Indigo Arts Alliance, our Artist Selection Partners, for their support and guidance throughout the process. We are excited to have this work on display, giving us a tangible reminder of the role these individuals played in the Mansion’s history.
Please join us on Wednesday, October 29th as we share this work for the first time and hear from the artist about his process. This event is free, but space is limited. Light food and beverages will be provided.
For more information on Carl Joe Williams, visit his website.

Not Before Bedtime
2025-10-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Emmanuel Chapel at St. Luke’s, 143 State St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
The Victorian age witnessed a resurgence in Gothic fiction, which was peppered with supernatural and inexplicable events. To experience a true Victorian evening join this storytelling event performed by British actor, Andrew Harris, as Charles Dickens, reading three tales of mystery, intrigue and suspense.
Doors will open at 5:30pm and the performance will begin at 6pm. No late arrivals will be admitted.
This event will be held in the atmospheric, Emmanuel Chapel in the Cathedral Church of St. Luke’s. Paid parking is available in the lot nearby (a mobile device is needed to pay) or for free on the street after 5pm.
Tickets are $40 for members, $45 for nonmembers.
Our sincere thanks go to RBC Wealth Management for their generous sponsorship of this performance and the Mission of Victoria Mansion.

Holiday Season at Victoria Mansion
2025-11-28 10:00 - 2026-01-04 16:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States

Closed Mondays
2025-12-01, 2025-12-08, 2025-12-15, 2025-12-22, 2025-12-29 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We will be closed on Mondays through the Holiday Season. We hope you will visit on another day- we are Tuesday-Sunday 10-4 with last admission at 3pm.

Stories on the Staircase
2025-12-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-08 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-15 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-22 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-12-29 10:00 - 11:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Stories on the Staircase returns! 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 required due to capacity. In the event of a snow day, a notice will be posted to our homepage and social media (Facebook and Instagram).

The Nutcracker Gala
2025-12-03 17:00 - 21:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Please join us for a holiday gathering to mark the opening of our 45th annual holiday season.
This year, we are celebrating our longtime partnership with the Portland Ballet and their production of A Victorian Nutcracker, with its backdrop and costumes inspired by the Mansion. Come see how our holiday designers have interpreted this beloved holiday tradition—with a Maine twist!
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
At 5 p.m. at Victoria Mansion
109 Danforth Street for a champagne toast set against the colorful 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.
Proceeds from this festive, social 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
2025-12-07 17:15 - 19:30, 2025-12-14 17:15 - 19:30, 2025-12-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join members of Portland Ballet as they perform excerpts from The Victorian Nutcracker in Victoria Mansion’s beautiful stair hall. This family-oriented event welcomes the young and young-at-heart. After the performance visitors will have the opportunity to walk through the house, see the decorations, and meet the dancers!
Performances are at 5:15pm and 6:15pm. Please select a time when purchasing your tickets.

Children's Book Reading & Signing
2025-12-08 12:00 - 13:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join Victoria Mansion in celebration of the publication of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day by Mansion friend, John William Babin and Illustrated by Mansion staff member, Sarah Coughlin.
This event is free and open to the public.

Ruffi Stuffie Sleepover
2025-12-09 16:30 - 17:30 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
In its 3rd year a program for our youngest visitors, their caregivers, and their stuffed animals!
Would your child’s stuffie like to explore the Mansion with host Ruffi the (stuffie) Museum Cat? Bring your stuffed friend from home to join us for a story time and a sneak peek at the Mansion’s holiday decorations on December 9th 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 10th.
This program is $5 per family. Reservations are required due to Mansion capacity.

Making Christmas Merry & Bright with Dickens
2025-12-11 17:00 - 19:30 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Mr. Dickens (portrayed by British professional actor Andrew Harris) returns to Victoria Mansion this holiday season with “Making Christmas Merry and Bright with Dickens!” Andrew’s entertainments have delighted guests of the Mansion for many years, and we are thrilled to have his stories from and about A Christmas Carol to share with the public once again.
Come see us in our seasonal glory and experience the delights of Dickens and Victoria Mansion!
There will be two performances, one at 5pm and one at 6:30pm. Please select at time when purchasing tickets!
Tickets: $20 members and $25 general public
Note: As always, tickets are limited and sell quickly.

Closing Early Christmas Eve
2025-12-24 10:00 - 13:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We will be closing early on Christmas Eve at 1pm, last admission at noon.

Closed Christmas Day
2025-12-25 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We will be closed on Christmas Day. We hope you will visit on another day- we are Tuesday-Sunday 10-4 with last admission at 3pm.

Meet the Designers
2025-12-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Join Victoria Mansion’s talented designers as they share their inspirations for this year’s theme of “The Nutcracker.” Doors open at 5pm – don’t miss it!
Tickets: $20 general public, free for members
Anticipated Designers:
Blue Elephant Catering (Reuben Bell & Fausto Pifferrer)
Chevaughn Marie Designs
C.M.Skerritt Designs (Christopher Skerritt)
Dawn Hachey
Emerald City Design (Danny R. Hatt, Don Chouinard & Marcedas Hatt-O’Toole)
Harmon’s Floral Company (Dan Kennedy & Jennifer Miller)
Mainely Decorative (Lesley Turnbull)
Northwoods Design (Theresa Ruel)
The Portland Bridget Project (Michelle Josephson & Hannah Field)
Sarah Coughlin Fine Art
Victoria Mansion Docent Committee

Closing Early New Year's Eve
2025-12-31 10:00 - 13:00 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We will be closing early on New Year’s Eve at 1pm, last admission at noon.

Closed New Year's Day
2026-01-01 | Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth Street, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
We will be closed on New Year’s Day. We hope you will visit on another day- we are Tuesday-Sunday 10-4 with last admission at 3pm.
