Masonic Temple, Portland

Finished in 1911, the Masonic Temple mixes brick and stone into a fa莽ade that means business. The entrance alone sets the tone: two stories high, framed by broad pilasters, with a big round-arched window above that feels like it鈥檚 watching who comes and goes. Add in Corinthian columns, recessed bays, and a frieze that slices across the front like a fancy belt buckle, and you鈥檝e got one of Portland鈥檚 most commanding downtown landmarks.

Inside is where things get truly theatrical. The Masonic Temple鈥檚 halls and meeting rooms are some of the most elaborate interiors in Maine鈥攕paces where carved wood, ornate stone, and grand staircases combine to impress. It鈥檚 no wonder it landed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982; the place practically begs for recognition.

But the story goes deeper than just good looks. The Grand Lodge of Maine, founded in 1820, runs the show here. Its lineage stretches back even further鈥攐ne of Maine鈥檚 earliest Masonic charters was signed by none other than Paul Revere in 1762. For nearly two centuries, this building has been the nerve center of Masonic life in the state.

By 2008, though, the upkeep was getting pricey, and the Masons put the building up for sale. The Temple still thrives today by renting out its grand rooms for weddings, galas, and events鈥攂ecause if you鈥檝e got some of the most impressive interiors in Maine, why not share them?

The Masonic Temple may guard its mysteries well, but it鈥檚 not above letting you in鈥攅specially if there鈥檚 music, champagne, or a packed dance floor involved. Some legacies stay standing; this one stays busy.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Portland. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Masonic Temple
Sight Location: Portland, USA (See walking tours in Portland)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Walking Tours in Portland, Maine

Create Your Own Walk in Portland

Creating your own self-guided walk in Portland is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Buildings Walking Tour

Portland, Maine may be small, but it packs centuries of history into its streets. Think of it as a living scrapbook鈥攕ome pages sing in stone, others whisper in brick, and all of them survived the city鈥檚 Great Fire of 1866, which could鈥檝e erased it all. Instead, Portland rebuilt in style, and today you can wander its historic core spotting everything from colonial leftovers to Victorian... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles

Portland Maine Introduction Walking Tour

If New York is the city that never sleeps, Portland, Maine, is the city that daydreams with an ocean breeze. Jutting out into Casco Bay, this coastal gem balances big-city energy with the easygoing warmth of a neighborhood you鈥檝e known your whole life.

Long before lobster shacks and artisan coffee shops, the Algonquian people (populous indigenous American group) called this land... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

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