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The Federal-style McLellan house, built in 1801, is the oldest part of the Portland Museum of Art.

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The Our Lady of Victories statue dominates Monument Square. It was designed by Franklin Simmons.

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First Parish Church, built in 1825, replaced a church built in 1740. Some items from the original church were retained.

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The Neal Dow Memorial is home to the Maine Chapter of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. It was built in 1829.

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Portland City Hall, pictured in a merged photograph, was built in 1912 after two early buildings at the site burned.

For a small city, Portland is big on history. In March 2009 a new historic district was established in the heart of the city's downtown: the Congress Street Historic District. This walking tour explores some of the historic sites clustered along Congress Street, starting at the Neal Dow House and ending at Portland's City Hall.

1. The Neal Dow Memorial House

714 Congress St.

Portland, ME 04102-3306

773-7773

www.mewctu.org

This Federal-style brick house was built in 1829 for Portland reformer Neal Dow. Dow sponsored the country's first law banning the sale of alcohol, then took the temperance campaign nationwide. The movement's crowning moment came in 1920 when Prohibition went into effect.

Prohibition ended in 1933, but the Maine Woman's Christian Temperance Union still spreads the word about alcohol from its headquarters in the Neal Dow House. The mansion has been fully restored and Dow's original furniture, portraits, china, silver and memorabilia are on display.

The house is open to the public for free tours Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

From the Neal Dow Memorial House, head east on Congress Street until you reach High Street. As you pass the corner of State Street, glance at the bronze statue commemorating Portland native Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

2. Portland Museum of Art

7 Congress Square

Portland, ME 04101

775-6148

www.portlandmuseum.org

Founded in 1882, the Portland Museum of Art is home to a world-class collection spanning three centuries. The museum's three buildings also span different periods and create distinctive gallery spaces.

The Federal style McLellan House, built for a shipping tycoon in 1801, has been fully restored with furniture, finishes and wall coverings that reflect the elegance of Portland's first golden age. The Beaux-Arts style D.M. Sweat Memorial Galleries, built in 1911 by John Calvin Stevens, have also been restored. The McLellan and Sweat galleries house 19th-century American art. The museum's 20th and 21st-century collections are housed in the post-modern Charles Shipman Payson Building, built in 1983 by I.M. Pei & Partners.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday; from Memorial Day to Columbus Day the museum is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students, $4 for youth ages 6 to 17, and free for children under 6. Admission is free on Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p m.

When you've finished enjoying the art and architecture, you can pause for a snack and cool drink in the Museum Cafe.

Then head back to Congress Street by crossing Free Street from the museum's main entrance. Turn right on Congress Street and head east until you reach Monument Square.

3. Our Lady of Victories

Monument Square

Portland, ME 04101

This bronze statue on its granite pedestal was commissioned to honor Civil War veterans.

The statue, modeled after Minerva, the goddess of both wisdom and war, was designed by local sculptor Franklin Simmons. The base was designed by Richard Hunt, a New York architect. The bronze castings on the base show Civil War soldiers on one side and sailors on the other.

The square was originally called Market Square but was renamed when the statue was installed. Portland's first City Hall stood here until 1899; when it was torn down the square was widened to make room for foot traffic.

The triangular brick plaza around the statue is a focal point for downtown activity, with easy access to the city's many shops and restaurants.

In a modern take on its earlier existence, the square is also the site of a lively Wednesday...