NAT IVE AMBASSADOR
Heading north? Take a detour off Route 295 to see the
40-foot statue of Chief Passamaquoddy affectionately known
by locals at the BFI for Big Freeport (or other word of your
choice) Indian. Sporting a full-feathered headdress and
holding a spear and shield, the BFI has been greeting
visitors to Freeport for 45 years.
TASTY T IME TRAVEL
When you’re ready for a heady dose of nostalgia, stop on
Marginal Way in Portland at the Miss Portland Diner, a
true landmark business. The 1949 Miss Portland Diner, a
prime example of the Worcester Lunch Car Company’s
handcrafted diners with porcelain exteriors and hardwood
interiors, was situated on Marginal Way in 1964 and
preserved by Portland native Tom Manning in 2007.
Enjoy breakfast all day and comfort foods in a retro diner
where everything old is new again.
L IGHTS, CAMERA, COLOR
The only Camera Obscura in New England resides at the
Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine in Portland. From
the darkened interior of the museum’s top floor, explore the
world of light and optics as the camera reveals one of the
most amazing panoramic views of the city from a room
without any windows.
NOT- SO- FLEET ING FAME
Who is that man smoking a pipe with his leg casually flung
across his knee immortalized in bronze at the intersection of
Ford, Bank, York, Pleasant, and Danforth Streets in Portland
(Gorhams Corner)? Perhaps Portland’s most famous son of
Irish immigrants, the Hollywood filmmaker John Ford was
one of eleven children and followed in the footsteps of his
brother Francis to make a career in the film industry. Ford sits
in his director’s chair surrounded by plaques detailing each
of his six Oscar-winning films.
T IMELY DISPLAY
From the heart of Portland’s downtown business district, the
flashing sign atop the Time & Temperature Building (477
Congress St) catches the eye of pedestrians and drivers alike,
delivering both the time and temperature throughout the
city. First installed in 1964 above the 14-storey structure, the
sign also warns of parking bans and is used for business
promotions and occasional celebratory messages.
ALL LOCKED UP
A heart-warming display of romantic and other love, the
Fences of Love chain-link fence on Portland’s waterfront is a
solid testimony to the enduring belief in love everlasting.
Since the first padlock was affixed there, hundreds of folks
have proclaimed their adoration by hanging locks bearing
the names of loved ones and disposing of the keys.
CONVENTION + VISITORS BUREAU /
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