2020-2021 Visitor's Guide

SHOP AROUND 1912

PORT SPORTS 1907

ART ATTACK 1882

Leon Leonwood Bean did not set out to establish an iconic outdoor-retail empire in Freeport, Maine when he created the legendary Bean boot. But with his commitment to quality and ability to build a loyal customer base, that’s exactly what happened. Freeport is still home to L.L.Bean ’s world headquarters, but the modest shop has grown into an expansive 220,000-sq.-ft. flagship campus, normally open 24-hours a day, every day of the year. In addition to entertainment, seasonal events, holiday festivities, and educational programs hosted by L.L.Bean, the coastal town’s luxurious Harraseeket Inn and surrounding natural outdoor beauty and farmland all contribute to Freeport’s popularity. (More on p. 44, 46 )

Professional sports teams in Maine began way before the current Portland Sea Dogs (1994, AA minor-league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox ). Hometown teams took the field as early as 1907 with the Portland Blue Sox (Chicago White Sox). Thus began over a century-long tradition of farm teams in a variety of professional sports. In baseball, the Portland Duffs (1918) followed the Sox. The Portland Gulls (1946, Philadelphia Phillies) later became the Portland Pilots (1947). The Maine Mariners (1977) hockey team preceded the Portland Skipjacks/ Pirates (1982), and returned to the ice in 2017 as a NY Rangers farm team. And since 2009, the Maine Red Claws have dominated G-League basketball for the Boston Celtics . (More on p. 30)

The PortlandMuseum of Art and Maine College of Art (MECA) are the largest and oldest art institutions inMaine, both founded in 1882. The PMA collection contains over 22,000 masterworks and sculptures, and attracts 140,000 patrons annually. MECA is also home to the evolving Institute of Contemporary Art . An Arts District was designated along Congress St. in the 1980s, and First Friday Art Walks take place there monthly. In 2006, Portland established Creative Portland to embrace and foster its creative economy, entice Arts professionals and promote artistic and musical shows. (More on pages 25, 27)

PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: COURTESY TOURISM MEDIA; THE MAINE MARINERS; L.L.BEAN

10 / visitportland.com / @visitportland / #visitportland

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator