Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is located in the Arts District of downtown Portland, Maine and features a wide variety of interactive exhibits and activities for children and families.

The Children's Museum of Maine was founded by the Junior League of Portland in 1976, opening in just a few rooms in Fort Williams park in Cape Elizabeth. In 1980 the Museum moved to a Victorian home on Stevens Avenue in Portland.

After more than a decade of successful exhibits and programs, the Museum once again needed a new space to accommodate growing interest. In 1991 a capital campaign was launched, and two years later the Museum opened to the public in a grand new home, the former Chamber of Commerce building on Free Street in downtown Portland.

The 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) building has since been home to dozens of large-scale interactive exhibits, both permanent and rotating.

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine celebrated the merger in 2008 by producing The Twelve Dancing Princesses in the Dress-Up Theatre followed by The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet. After many months of developing a new brand, the new kitetails logo was revealed in April 2009 at the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine Annual Auction.

The Youth Ranger program continues to employ high school students as environmental educators and outreach programs bring the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine experience to nearly 2,000 children and caregivers each year.

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine has been recognized for its contributions to education on local and national levels. Receiving numerous grants and awards has allowed the Museum & Theatre to expand their outreach efforts aimed towards lower-income families.

Location

142 Free Street
Portland, Cumberland County
Maine, USA

Getting There

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is easily accessible by public transportation. The museum is located in downtown Portland and is just a short walk from several bus stops, including those serviced by the METRO bus system. Visitors can take bus routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 to reach the museum. Additionally, the museum is within walking distance of the Portland Transportation Center, which serves Amtrak and Concord Coach bus lines.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in Maine that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.