Archive for Portland Maine

Ruffi Stuffie Sleepover **SOLD OUT!**

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…

Stories on the Staircase – Every Monday in December at 10am

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…

Member Event: Preserving Maine’s Brownstone Masterpiece

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…

Queen Victoria’s Birthday: Free Admission for Victorias and Alberts

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…

Juneteenth: Free Admission

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…

A Magical Dickensian Celebration **SOLD OUT!**

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….

Night of the Nutcracker with Portland Ballet **SOLD OUT!**

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…

Historic Perspectives of Park Street Walking Tour (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.

Member Event: Victoria Mansion’s 81st Annual Meeting

Victoria Mansion Members are invited to the Cumberland Club for the organization’s 81st Annual Meeting on April 24th. A brief business meeting and election of officers for the upcoming year will be followed by a scholarly lecture by Scott Hanson entitled The Final Flourish – Victoria Mansion’s Missing…

First Friday Art Walk: National Textiles Day

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….