Join Royal Oak as the Maine Historical Society takes us on a guided tour of downtown Portland, named after the Isle of Portland, Dorset. This city’s seal aptly depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes, a homage to its resilience and recovery from multiple devastating fires.

In this tour we will explore Portland’s rich maritime heritage and authentic character. Through historic and contemporary photographs, we will discover how Maine’s largest city has changed over the past 400 years as we touch upon famous city residents, industries, architecture, historic landmarks, social history, and of course the Great Fire of 1866.