The Maine Historical Society

The Maine Historical Society preserves the heritage and history of Maine: the stories of Maine people, the traditions of Maine communities, and the record of Maine’s place in a changing world.

The Society was founded in 1822, just two years after Maine became a state, and includes:
  • a Museum with changing exhibits that explore a variety of topics related to Maine's past;
  • a Research Library that houses one of the state's largest and most important collections of historical and genealogical materials;
  • the Maine Memory Network, a statewide digital history museum; and
  • the Longfellow House, childhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
In addition, Maine Historical Society maintains a website devoted to Longfellow which grew out of “The Longfellow Institute,” a program for teachers funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and led by scholar Charles Calhoun, author of the biography Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life (Beacon Press, 2004).

The website includes a searchable database of all of Longfellow’s poems, as well as information about his homes, work, and family. It is intended to be a comprehensive collection of Longfellow-related information, as well as a resource for researchers, educators, and anyone with an interest in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Contact Information and Hours
Maine Historical Society
489 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822
info@mainehistory.org

Wadsworth–Longfellow House
Guided tours May – October
Open December for holiday tours. Call for hours.
School tours available starting April 1 by reservation only
Monday–Saturday, 10:30am–4pm; tours on the hour, first tour at 10:30am, last tour at 4:00pm.
Sunday, 12pm–4pm; tours on the hour.
Museum
Monday–Saturday, 10am–5pm
Sunday, 12pm–5pm
Research Library
Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm
Closed Sunday, Monday, Holidays & some holiday weekends. Call ahead.