Location
250 Thompson’s Point Road
Portland, ME
Getting Here
In spring of 2021, we relocated to 250 Thompson’s Point Road, Portland. Here are directions for how to reach our location in the neighborhood of Libbytown that is conveniently located near a transportation hub (bus, train, highway, jetport).
By Car
From 295 South, you’ll take Exit 5 onto the Fore River Parkway. Then turn left at the lights onto Thompson's Point Road. From 295 North, you’ll take Exit 5 and continue through the lights onto Thompson’s Point Road.
Once on Thompson's Point Road, follow it around the first curve and across the train tracks. You can drive past the first shopping complex (where Bissell Brothers Brewery is located) and continue past the Brick South event space. The road will curve again; the Depot Pavilion for waterfront concerts will be on your right, and our main entrance will be to your left. We’re in the big grey and blue building with a yellow entrance.
By Plane
The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine is less than ten minutes from the Portland International Jetport by car, with taxis and rental cars easily accessible at the airport. (The Jetport is also on MetroBus line number 5, but it requires a ten-minute walk to reach us after you alight on Congress Street.) The Jetport is served by American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, United, JetBlue, Frontier, CapeAir, Elite Airways, and SunCountry Airlines, so no matter where you start, you can get here from there!
By Concord Coach Lines Bus
Purchase your Concord bus tickets to the Portland Transportation Center. Once you have exited the bus, walk out through the station’s main doors and turn left. Follow Thompson’s Point Road around the first curve and across the train tracks. Once you’ve passed the retail building called Brick North (where Bissel Brothers Brewery is located), you have two options. You can either stay straight and follow the road past the Brick South building and the Depot Pavilion on the Fore River, at which point our building is to your left. Or you can turn left, walk past the shops, and then turn right to get to our main entrance, which faces westward.
By Amtrak Train
Purchase your Amtrak Downeaster tickets to the Portland Transportation Center. Once you have alighted from the train, walk out through the main doors of the station and turn left onto Thompson’s Point Road. Follow the road around the first curve and across the train tracks. Once you’ve passed the shopping complex (where Bissell Brothers Brewery is located), you have two options. You can either follow the road past the Brick South building or the Depot Pavilion, at which point our building is to your left. Or you turn left and walk past the shops, and then turn right to go past the Brick South event space and get to our main entrance, which faces the West/South.
By Metro Bus
The Number 1 Metro Bus and the BREEZ run down Thompson’s Point Road and stop on the backside of the Museum & Theatre. Once you have exited the bus, walk alongside the Museum & Theatre (along the white fence) to the front door that faces Depot Pavilion. Visitors can also take Numbers 5 and 9. Read our guide on taking the Metro Bus to Thompson’s Point.
Pedal Power: Biking and Walking
CMTM encourages visitors to walk and bike to our new location on Thompson’s Point! We have bike racks available for visitor use at the front of our building. While we are accessible by road, Thompson’s Point is also on Portland Trails’ Fore River Trail. This one-mile urban gravel path supports biking and walking and has close connections to the Stroudwater Trail and the Fore River Sanctuary at the other end. The Portland Transportation Center is also connected to the Fore River Parkway Trail, which connects to West Commercial Street (watch for traffic on the road!) and also to the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge sidewalk that leads to South Portland.
Parking
There is ample parking on Thompson’s Point. Please note that parking is not operated or managed by the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. The entirety of Thompson’s Point is in parking zone 1213.
Parking FAQ:
During what hours do I need to pay for parking?
Unlike City of Portland streets, paid parking on Thompson’s Point is in effect 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
What is the rate to park at Thompson’s Point?
All parking is pay-to-park and managed by Thompson’s Point. Parking is monitored 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The rate is $2 an hour. Plan ahead and download the Passport Parking mobile app. https://www.passportparking.com/. Thompson’s Point is zone 1213. You can also use a credit card or coins (coins accepted at designated locations) at parking meter machines.
Is there a limit on the amount of parking time I can purchase?
No. There is no limit to how many parking hours you can purchase during non-event days at Thompson’s Point.
Is there accessible parking close to the Museum & Theatre?
There are two accessible parking spaces in front of our yellow front doors and two more next to the outdoor playground. There is an accessible pathway directly to the Museum & Theatre's front entrance from all four of these spaces. There are an additional two spaces in the Museum & Theatre's staff parking lot behind the Museum & Theatre. More accessible parking spots are located on Thompson’s Point but slightly farther away from the Museum & Theatre. Visitors with ADA parking placards are welcome to park anywhere, however, non-ADA spots on site are still pay-to-park, so if you should choose to park elsewhere when ADA spots are available, it will still require payment at the normal $2 per hour.
Are there any short-term parking spaces?
Thompson’s Point has designed spaces for drop-off/pickup/short-term parking on Lot 2, next to Brick North. These spaces offer free parking for 15 minutes or less.
Is there a mobile app we can use to pay for our parking?
Yes, there is a mobile parking app. Thompson’s Point utilizes the same mobile app the City of Portland uses, which is called Passport Parking, and can be downloaded at https://www.passportparking.com/
How do I add to my parking time if I want to stay at the Museum & Theatre longer or if I want to stay for a meal?
Adding time to your parking can be done two ways: 1) by Printing another receipt at the kiosk and putting the new receipt in your car, or 2) by using the mobile app to extend a parking session or to create a parking session.
Who do I call if a meter does not print a ticket or malfunctions?
Report the kiosk at https://www.thompsonspoint.com/reportakiosk. Visit Thompson’s Point’s Parking webpage for more details HERE.
Who enforces parking on the lots?
Thompson’s Point manages all parking.
Why does Thompson’s Point charge for parking 24/7 and on Sundays, and not just until 6pm like the rest of the city?
Thompson’s Point explains, “Our patterns of use on Thompson’s Point are very different from those in the Old Port, and as a private peninsula with a variety of users all working together in a collaborative managed parking environment, there is often activity on Sundays, late into the evening, and at all hours. We have implemented a $10 “overnight rate” for those who, for whatever reason, have to leave their vehicles for the night, so long as the vehicles are out by 7 am the next morning.”
What else is at Thompson’s Point?
As Portland, Maine, has grown and become a destination for tourists, artists, families, companies, and entrepreneurs, the 50-acre peninsula of land on the Fore River, known as Thompson’s Point, has been revitalized as a hub of creativity. In addition to the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, brewers, restaurateurs, designers, musicians, and makers have set up shop in this former railroad yard’s once-forgotten buildings. Thompson’s Point in the Libbytown neighborhood is becoming a new center for recreational and commercial activity.
