20 Family Fun Things in & around Portland, Maine

Not long ago we drove from Oklahoma to Maine. There we explored Portland and some of the surrounding areas.

During our adventures we found many family fun places to eat, play and explore. In this article we share our favorite family fun things we experienced ourselves and link to videos and detailed articles showing the specifics on how you can enjoy these same things on your own Portland, Maine vacation. Be sure to Pin this article on Pinterest or bookmark it because we will be updating it with links to full in depth articles about each of the places and activities we loved during our Family Portland Maine Vacation.

Here’s our list of 20 Family Fun Things in and around Portland, Maine.

1. Shop Downtown Portland

Downtown Portland has all kinds of unique souvenirs shops. We loved seeing the different kinds of clothing, decorations and toys they had available.

Check out our 5 favorite downtown Portland Maine Souvenir Shops Article. (Coming soon)

2. Take some photos at the many photo ops across downtown Portland

Outside of many of the shops and along the street are many photo opportunities.

Check out our list of 5 Instagrammable photo op stops around Portland Maine. (Coming soon)

3. Eat at Portland Lobster Co.

You have to eat some fresh lobster while in Portland, Maine. Look no farther than the Portland Lobster Co.

Enjoy our full foodie review article over Portland Lobster Co. (coming soon)

Check out our Video Coverage of Downtown, Portland Maine and be sure to subscribe to us on YouTube.

4. Take a Ferry to Peaks Island

Casco Bay has ferries you can ride to Peaks Island. The ride is comfortable and scenic.

4. Rent golf carts at Mikes Karts to cruise peaks island in style.

We loved cruising around in the golf karts. It was a perfect way to get around Peaks Island and hop out to explore by foot easily.

5. Hike to Battery Steele on Peaks Island

Hop off the golf kart and hike on the trail to Battery Steele. When we visited we were surrounded by flowers, plants and even saw many butterflies. It was an easy enough hike for the kids and grandparents.

6. Explore the dark tunnels of the fort and view the amazing street art.

Some would call the Art across the fort graffiti but I like to call it street art because it takes real talent.

There is some beautiful and interesting designs across the fort.

7. Search for shells and sea glass on the beach.

The kids and I love exploring and finding interesting rocks and shells. We found some cool ones while on the beaches on Peaks Island.

8. Eat at the Inn on Peaks Island

Keep an eye out for our upcoming article all about Peaks Island and our Foodie Review Article of the Inn on Peaks Island.

Check out our Video Footage from Exploring Peaks Island, Maine.

9.Learn about newly discovered animals and yet to be discovered animals at the International Cryptozoology Museum

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The worlds only International Cryptozoology Museum is located in Portland, Maine and is quite an interesting place.

Check out our full article and video all about the museum coming soon.

10. Enjoy an evening in with a delivery from Leonardo’s Pizza

Whether you stay at a hotel, Airbnb or a families house. Relax and order some pizza from Leonardo’s.

We loved the pizza but find out all about it in our foodie review article. (Coming soon)

11. Eat a Holy Donut

We had some delicious donuts at Holy Donut’s in Portland. They have many different types and kinds, truly something for everyone most of them were potato donuts.

Check out our full foodie review article of a holy Donuts (coming soon)

12. Take a short drive to Freeport, Maine for shopping at L.L. Bean and more

L.L. Bean is an amazing store. It has all kinds of camping and outdoors gear and many free activities and play areas for kids.

Check out our L.L. Bean article (coming soon)

13. Eat at Linda Beans in Freeport Maine.

While in Freeport you need to have a bite at Linda Beans. She was the wife of LL Bean and she knew how to cook. We enjoyed a lunch there which you can find out all about it in our foodie review article (coming soon)

14. Enjoy Whoopie Pies at Wicked Whoopies

My mouth is still watering thinking about those delicious whoopie pies.

Find out all about Wicked Whoopies in our full foodie review article! (Coming soon)

Check out our video coverage of Freeport, Maine.

15. Hike Mackworth Island

We loved hiking Mackworth island, it was a perfect blend of forest and ocean views.

16. Build Fairy Homes on Mackworth Island

Mackworth Island was a hit with our family. We loved building fairy houses or Trolls houses for Poppy as Cale called them.

It’s certainly a must see. Check out our full Mackworth island article and video!

17. Visit the most photographed lighthouse in New England at Cape Elizabeth

The Lighthouse is amazing to see up close and you can even go inside of it sometimes.

Keep an eye out for our full Cape Elizabeth Article which will be posted soon.

18. Hike the Cliff Trails in Cape Elizabeth

The cliff trails were a great way to see many different angles of the lighthouse along with some fun exploring for the kids.

19. Eat a lobster roll at the Famous Bite into Maine Food Truck

No visit to Maine is complete without trying a lobster roll. I tried my first ever lobster roll here. You can find out all about it in our Bite Into Maine Foodie Review Article (coming soon)

20. Eat Breakfast and Color at the Sinful Kitchen

Before starting the long drive home we ate at the sinful kitchen. The food was delicious, the service was great and the walls were lined with art people created during their visit.

Check out our full foodie review (coming soon)

That wraps up our list of 20 Family Fun Things in and around Portland, Maine, USA.

What did you think?

Where to stay in Portland, Maine?

Find a place to stay during your Portland Maine Vacation

We were lucky enough to stay with some family who live in Portland Maine, but we have some hotels with reviews and prices on the map below to help you find a great place to stay.

We love using Booking.com for finding out hotels. Use the map below to see the different options. (This does contains affiliate links where at no extra charge to you we may receive a commission, thanks for your support)