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Portland Museum of Art Claimed

The Portland Museum of Art is an open, accessible, inclusive, and welcoming museum for all, with exhibitions and programs that reflect our community and create experiences with art that strengthen our bonds and bring us together.

With an extensive collection and nationally renowned exhibitions, the Portland Museum of Art is the cultural heart of Portland, Maine. The PMA boasts significant holdings of American, European, and contemporary art, as well as iconic works from Maine—highlighting the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists. The museum brings it all to life with unparalleled programming. From special members events, Free School Tours, and a commitment to family activities, to PMA Films, curator talks, and tours of the Winslow Homer Studio—it’s all happening at the PMA.

In 2022, the museum launched The PMA Blueprint: Building a Landmark for the Future, a $100M campus expansion and unification project that will more than double the size of the PMA’s campus as well as the museum’s economic impact throughout the region. Designed by LEVER Architecture, a new mass timber, landmark building will be a pillar of sustainable design and a catalyst for climate-safe construction in Maine. Sparked by the current growth of the collection, record attendance and community feedback, and new opportunities to expand and unify its campus, the Portland Museum of Art stands ready to embark on what will be its most ambitious and pioneering era yet.
Excellent
4.6
Based on 1968 reviews
Ryan Mazierski
The Portland Art Museum is Maine’s largest and oldest art museum located in Portland, Maine. The museum’s permanent collection has over 22,000 works of art. Besides many nice pieces of art the museum also contains the McLellan-Sweat Mansion, which was built in 1802. With the mansion only the bottom floors of it can be seen. From April-November it is possible to tour the studio and home of renowned artist Winslow Homer, by booking a tour through the museum.One of the biggest draws of the museum is the outstanding collection of Winslow Homer paintings they have. Well-known artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Cassatt, Picasso, and Wyeth have works displayed here. There are many galleries in the museum, upon visiting some of them were closed. The closed galleries were set to reopen soon.The staff at the museum were friendly and helpful. The museum’s cafe is worth stopping at and has some good food. It is easy to purchase tickets online or at the door. On Friday evenings the museum is free to the public. If you’re visiting Portland this museum is worth a look.
Aung Myo Htut
It was a big museum in the center of Portland. You can buy the tickets easily at the counter. The price for an adult is $20 per person. There are interesting sculptures and paintings inside. A good place to explore when you visit Portland.
Samuel Huntington
I had the opportunity to visit the museum w/ a few family friends over Thanksgiving weekend and it was one of the only cultural institutions that I was able to get to why I was in town. I really liked what they were doing there. As an outsider, I could see that they were making a conscientious effort to tell a story about the state of Maine and the legacy of so many artists that have taken a detour to be there and have called it home. It's a smaller museum and we decided to start on the fourth floor and walk down. So, we started w/ the modern collection and then worked down to the early European art on the second floor. There was a young artist's exhibition on the ground floor and not all of the work landed but I thought it was good to be able to get into the head space of a collection of young artists that had chosen to call Maine home while attempting to live an artistic life in the turbulence of the 21st Century. I enjoyed seeing landscape and nautical paintings from Winslow Homer, George Bellows, and Marsden Hartley. So, it was a rich experience but it would've been even more impactful if there were more contemporary landscapes and a greater effort to show/ tell the changing landscape of Maine in the age of environmental destruction.
Nazim Erol
Museum was well packed with history. Did not anticipate to see a lot of Picasso's art work. It was well laid out through historical pace. The emphasis on the local artist that contributed to Portland Art Society was very prideful. The accessibility and amenities were laid out perfectly. Though the pricing was little bit more compared to NYC museums, I still recommend checking it out if you're in Portland.
Rachel Ellen
This was better than expected. So many treasured artists spanning the centuries and reflecting various techniques. Renoir, Hartley, Picasso, Camille, Rodin to name a few.Visit and see if you can find the “person pitcher” sculpted by Picasso. Answer here if you find it!
Linda Dyer
Beautiful, well curated museum. Would love to see a Phillip Barter retrospective. Maine lost a beautiful artist in 2024. Loved the Peggy Bacon exhibit and loved the paintings by Tessa Greene O'Brien.
S Topp
I especially enjoyed the exhibit featuring new Maine artists' work from 2022-2024. Terrific talent. Also, the Passages exhibit with better known works shown with commentary by new local voices with different perspectives is thought-provoking and well worth the time to consider. And of course, Whistler, NC Wyeth, etc. Definitely recommend.
Dominic Lee
A real world class art gallery with four floors of pieces to see, including a Rodin and Picasso. It is also free on Fridays from 16:00 to 20:00, which is a real selling point. Elevators available for those with access needs or baby strollers.Note that you cannot pre-order tickets for the free Friday slots.
Justin Vader
Friendly staff. The museum has a lot of beautiful art pieces with famous artists like Picasso and Monet. I just wished they had a little more art based from Portland in this museum. It took me an hour to see everything here and I was rushing through it. Be sure to walk past the gift shop because there's more art in the back. It's free on Friday nights which is a plus.
Lyudmila Kennedy
It is such a special place that really focuses on exhibits of local artists that have portrayed Maine rugged and wild beauty, W.Homer, J.frey, G. Morse, F. Church, C. Codman and others. We spent at least 2 hrs just wondering from room to room, admiring all the works of art. Before leaving, I bought a print of a "mount Katahdin "painting by Frederick Church.
Alexandra Florimonte
Saw the most incredible exhibit by a Native-American weaver of baskets that took traditional practices and pushed them way beyond!
Ally T
Wonderful experience! The collection was vast and breathtaking, and the staff was incredibly kind. I’m especially grateful to an individual (I believe his name was Mark,) who took the time to discuss the artwork with my sister and I and offer great suggestions for things to do in Portland.
Lanny Cheuck
Fantastic little museum! We got a discounted ticket entry on Groupon. We spent a very enjoyable few hours there.
Kimberly de Berzunza
I went on a Friday evening when it’s free from 4 to 8 PM. I just happen to be there that time. I saw a great temporary exhibit by a Native American basket weaver. There is some other very nice art, and the building is great and very accessible for viewing art. There is also a good children’s book selection and a nice gift shop.
Allison Reilly
Wow. What a great local museum. We especially enjoyed the exhibit on basket weaving and the second floor dedicated to the local indigenous land and its relationship to art. They have a few jewelry pieces and a small collection of decorative glass. The third floor modern collection was awesome. I especially loved the animal collection that leads to the fourth floor. Highly recommend and the museum experts are great!
Anonymous Reviewer
Great exhibits. A variety of art pieces and styles.We found a Groupon that cut the price of admission in half, so check that out.
Jaila Brown
was very fun, but my boyfriend made a joke about one of the pieces being a tax write off and one of the nearby workers immediately started following us the entire time. I think he was trying to find a way to get us kicked out?? lol. other than that everything was great
Stephanie Urquhart
This was our first visit to this museum but certainly won't be our last. What a great experience we had. We were pleasantly surprised to see Monet, Renoir, Picasso and Wyeth paintings. I'd like to give a shout out to Wendy Lee from Portland Discovery Tours, who spoke highly of the museum, which is what attracted us to go see it. One of the lovely gentleman working there reminded us to make sure we visit the oldest section of it, which was nearly hidden behind the gift shop. It was in an old house and was incredible. I was glad for the tip, since it would have been easy to miss. There is so much to see here... in my opinion this is a "must do"!!!!
Adam Riemer
The baskets exhibit was wonderful and I enjoyed some of the paintings. The staff are incredibly friendly with one exception.One curator kept staring me down. It was really uncomfortable, that’s why four out of five stars.The canoe on the second floor and the glass bowls (the blue one with the person) were probably my favorite two things in the museum. The apples on the way to the cafe are pretty cool too.
Wil Greene
Super! Really enjoyed our visit & pleasaly shocked to see Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Akers', The Dead Pearl Diver & other world-famous art on display.
Vj Water
Spend the entire morning enjoying the exhibits. Fabulous variety and friendly staff.
Christian Ostheimer
Staff is exceptionally helpful, friendly and proactive. Decent size, number and variety of exhibits including sculptures, painting and furniture. Covers classic, modern and contemporary art. Museum includes beautifully and diligently restored McLellan historic house with fabulous interior restoration work and stunning flying staircase. Museum incl. historic house is fully wheelchair accessible.
Natalia Banasik-Jemielniak
Very nice musem. A little bit of everything. I spotted one pice of Picasso. Some local artist, too. Fantastic person working at the museum, who was super helpful and engaging in the conversation.
Dariusz Jemielniak (Pundit)
A delightful, tiny museum with super friendly staff and well thought through exhibitions
Stephen Priest
Four floors of 🎨 artwork you can approach and study. History cards are next to the paintings, vases, sculptures, antiques and other items. It gives you information ℹ️ not only about the art but a little insight to the artist as well. Monet, Picasso,Kandinsky and many other artists' artwork being accessible was thrilling!I liked how the building was set up to use the lighting inside. The large windows added to my enjoyment because I could take a break and look out on the city 🏙️ and watch the activity. I wonder 🤔 how the inside would have looked on a bright 🌞 sunny ☀️ day?There is a garden with artwork outside. A cafe with plenty of seating is available. The bathroom was in good condition. A gift shop with books 📚 on art 🎨 and an elevator 🛗 for the handicapped is also available. Security was constantly walking around.I was limited on time to study everything due to the time I could purchase for parking 🅿️. Two hours is enough time to see 🙈 everything but not to read everything and watch the lectures on the flat screens.I want to return in the spring 🌱 or early summer! I am recommending a visit to everyone!
Stephen Priest
Four floors of 🎨 artwork you can approach and study. History cards are next to the paintings, vases, sculptures, antiques and other items. It gives you information ℹ️ not only about the art but a little insight to the artist as well. Monet, Picasso,Kandinsky and many other artists' artwork being accessible was thrilling!I liked how the building was set up to use the lighting inside. The large windows added to my enjoyment because I could take a break and look out on the city 🏙️ and watch the activity. I wonder 🤔 how the inside would have looked on a bright 🌞 sunny ☀️ day?There is a garden with artwork outside. A cafe with plenty of seating is available. The bathroom was in good condition. A gift shop with books 📚 on art 🎨 and an elevator 🛗 for the handicapped is also available. Security was constantly walking around.I was limited on time to study everything due to the time I could purchase for parking 🅿️. Two hours is enough time to see 🙈 everything but not to read everything and watch the lectures on the flat screens.I want to return in the spring 🌱 or early summer! I am recommending a visit to everyone!
Valerie Flanagan
Rich variety of accessible art. Respectfully displayed in a comfortable environment. A bit pricey but edifying.
Rebecca Latella
$20 entry fee, very spacious, seating around. There is an attached historic home from 1801 that you can go in that has historic items. There is a mixture of types of art and from different time periods and cultures. For my personal taste I enjoyed the art museum in Brunswick more, I found the artwork there more engaging and moving. Everyone has their own taste though!
Elliot Dater-Roberts
Got in for free on a Friday which was great. I love this museum, while it’s not my favorite, I find it an enjoyable experience. A little short compared to what I’m used to, but it always has some interesting medium’s on display for its special exhibits. It is also a little bit to vertical and I wish it was more spaced out but that’s personal preference.
Cassidy
We had a wonderful time visiting on Indigenous Peoples' Day. Really appreciated the emphasis on Native and Black voices and art
citrussunrises
This museum was a delight to visit! We had middling expectations and were blown away. It had a fantastic collection of compelling art. It was well designed and well laid out. It had helpful and personable staff. I cannot recommend this enough. My friend calls it fantastic and that it has zero problems. Also! They're working very hard to make it physically accessible. There's frequent seating as well as portable stools and seats. It has an elevator and a wheelchair lift for smaller stairs.
Paul Vanasse
The Art Museum of Portland, Maine was a great experience in local and international art.There were many Winslow Homer originals on display. There were many Winslow Homer originals on display. He was an American painter, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the best American painters of the 19th century.I was taken by the mastery of the paintings throughout my tour, and I snapped some close-ups to show the details.There are also fantastic sculptures, models, and other various forms of art exhibited in different rooms.If you are looking for a break, there is a café at the basement level that sells adult beverages and snacks with some limited seating.If you are in Portland, ME and love art, make sure to put the Portland Museum of art on your itinerary.
Heather K. Powers she-they (HKpowerStudio)
This museum happened to be free on the rainy Saturday we went in June. I really loved the powerful way the art, crafts & decorative objects were juxtaposed in each room of the permanent collection (Passages in Americn Art). The Elizabeth Columbo exhibition, Mythologies, was also wonderful!
Josh M
This museum's Free Friday is the best venue around. Admittance is free in the afternoon for everyone. My girlfriend and I happened to visit while grad students from Julliard were giving a classical music presentation and performance. The music contributed greatly to the atmosphere of the museum. For this reason, I give the museum 5 stars.As for the museum as a whole: everyone has different tastes in art, so I won't judge the museum purely on my own artistic preference. The museum features a wide variety of mediums and styles; there were plenty of pictures, abstract art, and impressionist/realist paintings--our favorites--situated in logical traffic lanes for easy viewing. Pleased to see some Homer, Degas, and Whistler in little old Portland, Maine. It was clean and well maintained. Great date night.
Yulia Berry
It has a few great masterpieces that I really enjoyed. For my taste - a little too much of modern art. Would love to see more of older art (at least as temporary exhibits), photo exhibitions.The German exhibit was excellent and intense. Recommend to visit at least once!
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Agenda
Agenda
April 2025 Apr 2025
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Apr
9
Wed
Art In Bloom at Portland Museum of Art @ Portland Museum of Art
Tickets
Apr 9 @ 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Art In Bloom at Portland Museum of Art @ Portland Museum of Art | Portland | Maine | United States

Art in Bloom has become a can’t-miss event for PMA members, art and floral enthusiasts, and visitors throughout the region. Featuring floral work by designers, artists, farmers, and florists from across southern Maine, the museum comes alive with fragrant blooms, extravagant displays, and incredible floral installations of all types—each inspired by an artwork from the museum’s collection.

Art in Bloom is included with general admission to the PMA, so come on in whenever you’re ready to check out the arrangements! Special programs are ticketed and advanced registration is recommended.

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Categories: Art Entertainment Tags: Art entertainment Portland Museum of Art
April 2025 Apr 2025

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  • Wednesday10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Thursday10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
  • Friday10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
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