The photo above shows the graining to the right of the Parlor door disfigured by early 20th-century varnish. What started out as a touch-up by past preservationists darkened over time. Fortunately our conservators were able to remove the varnish without damaging the original paint underneath. Now that the varnish has been removed and the original graining protected, restoration can begin.

Conservation in the Stair Hall will be ongoing throughout our regular season, often in the public eye. We can guarantee that the hall will look much different in October than it will in May - stay tuned!

Keep an eye on our Events page for tickets and more information about upcoming programs.

Jane’s Walk is a global festival of free, volunteer-led walking conversations inspired by community activist Jane Jacobs. Jane’s Walks combine the simple act of exploring a place with personal observations, local history, and civic engagement. The annual Jane’s Walk festival takes place the first weekend in May, in more than 200 cities and towns around the globe. This year, it will be held in Maine on Saturday, May 6.

Join Victoria Mansion Executive Director Tim Brosnihan for a conversational tour of the Mansion's neighborhood. Built between 1858 and 1860, Victoria Mansion is widely recognized as one of the best-preserved houses of its period in the nation. Widening the lens a bit, we find that the building sits within one of the most intact and elegant 19th-century neighborhoods in the City of Portland.

In this focused, single-block tour of the Mansion’s surroundings, we’ll discuss the forces of both preservation and change that have shaped the streetscapes we see today. We’ll also discuss near misses, from the great fire of 1866 to urban renewal efforts of the mid-20th century, which skirted the neighborhood but ultimately passed it by unscathed. Participants will gather in front of Victoria Mansion, on the corner Park and Danforth Streets. On-street parking includes two handicapped-accessible parking spaces immediately adjacent. The walk will proceed clockwise around the block, from Park to Pleasant to High Streets and then back to Victoria Mansion on Danforth. Time allowing, we’ll wind up on Victoria Mansion’s back lawn for a conversation about four decades of intensive conservation and restoration work on this National Historic Landmark.

This tour is wheelchair-accessible (please be aware of inclines and potentially bumpy sidewalks) and will last approx. 60-90 minutes. Jane's Walks are offered at no charge, and registration is not required. Meet at the corner of Danforth and Park Streets to begin the tour. We hope you'll join us!

We are looking forward to summer - and to Portland Explorers summer camp! We haven't been able to host a summer camp since 2018, and this year we're pleased to partner with Maine Historical Society, Greater Portland Landmarks, Osher Map Library and the Fifth Maine Museum on this week-long camp for students ages 9-12.

Go behind the scenes and learn from experts at five of Portland's top museums, get a glimpse of life in long-ago Portland through exciting activities and special field trips, work with artists, museum curators, historians, educators and volunteer docents, and explore photography, cooking, arts and crafts, and even spooky cemetery symbols!

Portland Explorers camp runs from August 7-11, 2023. Cost is $250/members (of any of the partner museums) and $300/general public. Space is limited - register at the link below!

Questions about Portland Explorers? Contact Staci Hanscom, Victoria Mansion Director of Education & Public Programs, at shanscom@victoriamansion.org or (207) 772-4841 ext. 104.

REGISTER HERE: https://victoriamansion.org/event/portland-explorers-summer-camp/

Victoria Mansion's annual summer fundraiser with Allagash Brewing returns in July!

It just hasn't felt like summer without our annual beer tasting on the lawn with Allagash Brewing these past few years - we're excited to bring this well-loved event back this year (with a new name) for the first time since 2019. Our partnership with Allagash Brewing began in 2005 and has been going strong ever since. Victoria Ale, which premiered in 2006, has now retired, but we'll have plenty of Allagash beer samples on the lawn, along with good food, good music, and good company as we raise money for Victoria Mansion's preservation and educational activities. Attendees will also get the chance to tour the first floor of the Mansion to check out the progress of our ongoing Stair Hall conservation project.

This popular event tends to sell out - keep your eye on our Facebook, Instagram, newsletter and Events page for when tickets become available. We hope to see you this summer!

(Want to get involved as a food sponsor? Let us know! Contact Ann O'Hagan, Director of Development, or Brittany Cook, Development & Communications Coordinator, to learn more.)

Victoria Mansion relies on the support of our community near and far to help us realize our mission to conserve, maintain, and restore this one-of-a-kind property and share its history with the public. Our mission is put into practice every day, with preservation often happening in the public eye. Ongoing research initiatives help us better represent the Mansion within the context of its period to scholars, students, and our everyday visitors.

Support from our community helps us fund the much-needed care this historic structure requires, allowing us to consult with some of New England's top experts in historic preservation, as well as to bring our history curriculum, A Century of Change, to Maine classrooms at no cost to the school.

When you give to the Annual Fund, 100% of your gift goes directly to support Victoria Mansion, making the greatest possible impact on our educational and curatorial programs, restoration initiatives, and ongoing maintenance—all while allowing us to move the Mansion’s top priorities forward. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported us in our 2022-23 fiscal year. With your help, we raised over $46,800 between April 2022-March 2023. A new fiscal year has begun - help us start the year off strong!

We are looking for docents and part-time paid guides to join us for 2023!

For more information or to sign up, please email Stacia Hanscom, Director of Education & Public Programs at shanscom@victoriamansion.org.

Members enjoy year-round free admission, discounts in the Museum Shop, and invitations to exclusive events. Become a member today to assist in our conservation efforts and receive the first news about upcoming Victoria Mansion events and programs.