Children's Museum and Theater of Maine in Portland, ME Exercises the Imagination

Situated in downtown Portland, Maine, in the city's Arts District, the Children's Museum and Theater of Maine provides a plethora of interactive and hands-on exhibits for young children and their families.

Founded in 1976 by the Junior League of Portland, the museum moved to its current location in 1993 and has continuously expanded to provide a huge variety of exhibits and displays that promote discovery and exploration through imagination and play. Specifically, the museum focuses on four areas of learning including early childhood education, science education, multicultural education, and the visual and performing arts.

The Children's Theater of Maine began as the Children's Theater of Portland in 1923 and remains the oldest continuously operating kid's theater in the nation. Committed to the production of original works, including plays and musicals written by children, the theater merged with the museum in 2008 and now produces a four-show season of theater "by children and for children.''

The three floors of the museum are busy with things to do that will thrill little hands while intriguing older visitors as well. On the Lower Level, children can make a stop at Coco's Diner for the opportunity to serve up some pretend food and drink, or can pop into the Dress-Up Theater for a chance to don fun costumes and check out the light and sound booth. This is also where the museum's theater productions take place.

When visitors reach the First Floor area, they'll find themselves in the middle of Our Town, a place where children can try out different roles and explore the jobs of the people in their community. Our Town includes a mock car repair shop, fire truck, lobster boat, market with ATM, farm, animal hospital, post office, and shipyard. At each of the stops, children can try their hand at a variety of tasks associated with each job or industry. There's also a toddler park on the main floor, perfect for the museum's youngest visitors.

On the Second Floor, visitors can check out LL Bear's Discovery Woods, where they'll learn basic survival tips and try their hand at rock climbing and other outdoor adventures. The Tree to Timber display teaches children about sustainable forestry and a space shuttle replica and mini-planetarium tout the importance of space exploration. On the second floor, there's also a bee hive exhibit, a display about the history of Maine, and a tidepool touch tank, where visitors of all ages can view sea urchins, star fish, and mussels.

The Third Floor is home to a unique Camera Obscura, which provides panoramic views of the city of Portland.

Myriad special programs are offered at Children's Museum and Theater of Maine. During the summer, the theater sponsors one-week camps that teach acting, puppetry, and other related topics. Weekly early childhood programs and groups, science, art, and history programs, and multicultural workshops round out the offerings for kids of a variety of ages.

Private birthday parties can be held in the museum or theater and include facility rental, admission to the museum, and balloons for each child. Deluxe themed parties also include cake, beverages, and party favors.