wadsworth-longfellow house

What a great visit we had at the Wadsworth Longfellow Home...it was a warm day, but a bit breezy and we were able to have a light snack on the benches in the garden. The garden is a sight to behold separate from and in addition to the home--it is a colonial revivalist style garden...it is beautiful in all seasons. Seems a lot of office workers in the area visit daily in the nicer weather...to relax, read, or sip their iced coffee. One of Portland's claims to fame...having the birthplace of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow right in downtown...this house was the first all brick structure in Portland. Furnished in period pieces with several authentic reproduction pieces, you can truly get a feel for life in colonial times. Wide pine floors in some rooms add to the authenticity of this now historic landmark. Three generations of this famous family lived here...having raised a large family who made contributions politically, artistically, of course in poetry and literature. The friendly docents are knowledgeable and can answer almost any question you throw their way about Longfellow and even about the history of Portland. Open from May to October. The entry fee is $15...but there are discounted rates for seniors, children, student groups, and tours. Historical Society members get free admission. A really lovely take in downtown Portland.

we did not pay for the tour, however, we enjoyed every moment walking through the garden and the bookstore next door. beautiful and of course a must if you are a lover of literature, architecture, history, or gardens.

I don't really know much about Longfellow -- like what he wrote -- but the tour guide assumed a general familiarity with the man. I guess they get a lot of people who visit specifically because it's Longfellow's house, not people like me who are interested in historic houses/lives generally. So I recommend either acquainting yourself with Longfellow's work before you go or accepting that there are parts of the tour that won't mean as much to you.The tour was good, though, and the exhibit in the museum about Portland history was very informative and interesting. I do recommend it.

If a lover of Longfellow's poetry passes by this house, they should be shamed. The home is a gem in all that is Longfellow. The docents fill in the details as they are genuine lovers of "Henry". Enjoy.

The staff are pleasant and dedicated, but this is honestly not a very interesting historical site and at $15, it is very overpriced.

I recently visited the Wadsworth-Longfellow Home with a friend and got a lot out of it. While we waited for our tour we walked through the museum exhibit which had some neat artifacts and a lot of background information on the family and the city of Portland. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable although at times a little long-winded but he made the house come alive. The fact that most of the objects in the house belonged to the family enriched the experience. In addition I found it fascinating to learn about some of the family like Peleg Wadsworth who led very interesting lives.

This house is unusual because most of the items in it are original to the Wadsworth-Longfellow family, who turn out to have many interesting members besides Henry. The tour doesn't take long, but gives good insight into the doings of an industrious New England merchant family and their artistic (and self-promoting) progeny. The use of space in this long lot, with a nicely preserved/restored garden is fascinating to any student of urban design. The gift/book shop is great as well - it's run by the Maine Historical Society, and is a nice antidote to the kitschy lobster-themed items and run-of-the-mill crockery in other area shops.

Interesting history of Port,and, Longfellow, his family and family home. Many original items in the home.

Nice, compact tour of a lovely old home, with a fine backyard garden. The attached shop is good for book lovers, too

The Wadsworth house is remarkable for the fact 95% is exactly as it was when Henry was around. It a a real glimpse into his life and times. It is well worth the time to make this visit. I highly recommend it.

If you are either a history or literary buff then no visit to Portland is complete without a visit to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House. The guides are very knowledgeable and easy going. The house has recently been restored. Special events like the Halloween season haunted house and the Christmas decorated house are a must see.

Rarely is a house so complete and well-preserved. The Longfellow family showed tremendous foresight in keeping things exactly as they were. The docents do an amazing job on this tour. Highly recommended for anyone interested in history (of all kinds).

The real value of visiting this attraction is less about seeing the house itself and more about listening to the history of the people associated with it, that the Docent provides on your guided tour. Be sure to visit this attraction if you are anywhere in the Portland area.

We took in the museum and the house tour with our 13 year old grandson. The museum was so not worth it, go to the Maine museum in Augusta! But the house was interesting though the 1 hr guided tour was too long for what we saw and were told.

We were there on a rainy day with only four in our group. The docent knew an extraordinary amount of details and anecdotes. The history of the house and family is a wonderful way to approach the history of Portland, which our docent did with an occasional passage read from Longfellow's work. Very enjoyable.The adjacent small museum is very well done and after as little as two hours (house tour and museum) you come away with a delightful history of the place viewed through the life and dispersion of an interesting family. The complex is right in the middle of an interesting part of town with neat shops, coffee houses, etc. Not in the Old Port but very much in an interesting part of the town proper. Definitely worth the time and the very reasonable entry fee.