Maine Historical Society employs a professional staff of 35. Our one–acre campus, which is open year round, is situated in downtown Portland, across from Monument Square. The Maine Historical Society strives to serve the entire state through its education and outreach programs and through the digital museum, the Maine Memory Network.

The Maine Historical Society Museum features changing exhibitions and programs spanning more than five centuries of Maine life. Original and provocative exhibitions feature art, artifacts and documents that vividly bring Maine history to life. Politics, culture, sports, religion, art and business all find expression through the Society’s extraordinary collections.

The Museum Store offers unique books and gifts related to Maine history. Store items span the cultural, social, political, environmental, economical, and recreational history of Maine. With something to interest everyone, the Museum Store is open year round in conjunction with the Maine Historical Society Museum.

Since 1822, Maine Historical Society has been collecting materials about Maine. Featuring books, manuscripts, broadsides, maps, photographs and ephemera, the Library collections are used by historians, writers, educators, students and genealogists. Visiting the Library is truly a unique experience where you can see one–of–a–kind material about Maine's history and people. MHS works to collect and preserve these collections, and we have instituted policies and procedures to protect our holdings for the future. Please note: Library collections do not circulate.

"The Maine Historical Society preserves the heritage and history of Maine: the stories of Maine people, the traditions of Maine communities, and the record of Maine's place in a changing world. Because an understanding of the past is vital to a healthy and progressive society, we collect, care for, and exhibit historical treasures; facilitate research into family, local, state, and national history; provide education programs that make history meaningful, accessible and enjoyable; and empower others to preserve and interpret the history of their communities and our state."