Vintage Fire Truck Sightseeing Tour of Portland Maine





Description
This 50-minute sightseeing tour is a fun and unique way to discover Portland, Maine. Board a Vintage Fire Engine and travel back in time as your knowledgeable guide helps relive Portland’s colorful history from a local’s perspective. See lighthouses, Civil War forts, city parks and buildings, interesting stories and a multimedia experience packed with historic images of Maine. This is one family-friendly tour you should not miss out on!
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Old Port in Portland, Maine is a quaint historic district with cobblestone streets and shops selling clothing, gourmet food and souvenirs. It’s also a hot spot for nightlife where pubs, breweries and bars draw the younger crowds. There is also a fesh and lively dining scene.
Casco Bay Lines (also known as the Casco Bay Island Transit District, CBITD) is a publicly run transportation company that services the residents of the islands of Casco Bay. These islands include Peaks Island, Little Diamond Island, Great Diamond Island, Diamond Cove, Long Island, Chebeague Island and Cliff Island.
Shipyard Brewing Company, founded in 1994 is a brewery and soft drink manufacturer in Portland, Maine. Shipyard is the largest brewer in Maine and is the fourth largest microbrewery in New England.
The Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum is located and operates out of the former Portland Company Marine Complex, the organization was founded in 1993. The collection consists of passenger and freight equipment, as well as artifacts from the 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railways that ran in the state of Maine in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The organization operates a 1 1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) long railroad that runs along the waterfront of Casco Bay and parallels Portland's Eastern Promenade. Historic steam and diesel locomotives and a variety of restored coaches are used to run passenger services on the railroad.
The Portland Observatory is a historic maritime signal tower at 138 Congress Street in the Munjoy Hill section of Portland, Maine. Built in 1807, it is the only known surviving tower of its type in the United States. Using both a telescope and signal flags, two-way communication between ship and shore was possible several hours before an incoming vessel reached the docks. The tower was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006; it is now managed by a local nonprofit as a museum, and is open to the public. The Portland Observatory is the only remaining maritime signal station in the United States. Tower operations were paid with annual fees collected from shipping merchants, who purchased the right to have their flags stored in the building and hoisted up its flagstaffs when their ships were sighted. A telephone was eventually installed, extending the tower's function until 1923, when the reliability of engine powered vessels and communication by radio made it obsolete.
The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a historic house and museum in Portland, Maine, United States. It is located at 489 Congress Street and is operated by the Maine Historical Society. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1962, and administratively added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.
The Portland Museum of Art, or PMA, is the largest and oldest public art institution in the U.S. state of Maine. Founded as the Portland Society of Art in 1882 It is located in the downtown area known area The Arts District in Portland, Maine.
Victoria Mansion, also known as the Morse-Libby House or Morse-Libby Mansion, is a landmark example of American residential architecture located in downtown Portland. The brownstone exterior, elaborate interior design, opulent furnishings and early technological conveniences provide a detailed portrait of lavish living in nineteenth-century America. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971 for its architectural significance as a particularly well-preserved Italianate mansion.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- PLEASE LEAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR INCREASED TRAFFIC AND PARKING IN PORTLAND! Do Not trust your phones GPS for estimated time arrival.
- ***We leave promptly at the designated time! Refunds are not provided for missed tours due to late/non arrival**
- We just need the name that you booked with and the staff will check you in on the truck
- Our address is 180 Commercial St. Portland ME 04101
- Please provide a cell phone number that you will have with you when you are in Portland. We may need to contact you regarding your tour
Reviews(890)
We took this tour as a family (grandparents, parents and kids ages 6 and 9) and everyone enjoyed it! The truck itself is very cool and the guides are super knowledgeable and gave a great overview of Portland. It was about an hour long, maybe a little less- just long enough but not so long that the kids got antsy. We’d definitely recommend this tour!
Great quick overall tour of Portland. We could actually hear the tour guide (compacted to the train). Tour guide was knowledgeable, informative and interesting. Highly recommended.
We had less than 24 hours to spend in Portland, and this was the perfect way to learn about the the history and geography of Portland and see as much as we could without having to have a plan of our own.
Really fun! Matt the driver was very nice and Matt the tour guide was very knowledgeable. The photos, maps, etc., on the big screen TV added a lot.
Excellent tour of the city! It was the perfect start to our vacation giving us an understanding of the various neighborhoods in Portland. The tour guide, Matt, was very friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this fun tour!
Nice way to Learn about Portland
This was fun and not very long. It was a good overview of several of the historic sites in Portland. Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. After we got back we went back to some of the places to spend more time.
Booked this to pass our time while waiting for the hotel check-in. It was short but very informative and entertaining! The fire truck’s seating deck was also clean, we hopped on, shoved our bags under the seats (which was also clean), and enjoyed the whole ride.
Highly recommend! Both the driver and tour guide were very knowledgeable and friendly. It was interesting and scenic. It was a great value and experience! A must do when visiting Portland!
We had a great time. It took us all around the peninsula and the guide discussed historical events and interesting facts. Especially cool is how it was tied to incidents of fire in the city.



