Eastern Cemetery
Eastern Cemetery
4.5
Historic SitesHistoric Walking AreasHistorical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursCemeteries
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Established in 1668, the Eastern Cemetery is located at 224 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. The oldest historic landscape in the city, the cemetery is home to around 7,000 interred. Daily tours during the season (May to October, $10/adult) are available through Spirits Alive, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Portland's historic Eastern Cemetery. More info on the website.
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4.5
76 reviews
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MaineMountainOwl
Maine281 contributions
Jun 2021
This old cemetery lies in the saddle between Bramhall Hill to the west and Munjoy Hill to the east. Its gate is rarely open, so when it was I had to stop and look around. I found curbside parking nearby. It was open for a Spirits Alive guided tour, given at $10 a head with reserved tickets. Since I had no tickets, I took a self-guided tour. Brochures were near the gate. Most gravestones were in good repair. Many had death heads, winged angels, and other funerary art. One of Portland’s founders, George Cleeve, was said to be buried here, but I saw no headstone or other sign of his interment. The earliest stones dated from the early 1700s. Lawn grass was high. The terrain was uneven, except for some grassy paths. I found no directional signs. A bronze plaque embedded in a stone was near the open gate. I enjoyed my visit to this well-tended historic site; I only wished I’d known about the guided tours.
Written June 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NHjo
Saco, ME14,929 contributions
Oct 2021
On this visit, I spent more time looking at all the 18th-Century gravestones, including the oldest carved stone in the cemetery, that of Mary Green's who died in 1717. I also discovered the tombs of Tabitha and Stephen Longfellow, who were the great-grandparents of Henry and who died in the late 1700s. There are several tombstones and memorials for colonial sea captains and military heroes, like Commodore Edward Preble who commanded Old Ironsides. I especially loved the stones carved by Bartlett Adams in the eary 1800s. He was the first stonecutter in Portland and carved about a third of the gravestones in Eastern Cemetery, including those of his own children.
Written October 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Blue-Eyes-Fam
Bonaire, GA355 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
We stopped by to check out the very old grave sites and markers. We arrived about an hour too early for a guided tour, but using the provided pamphlets took a self guided tour. The style and age of the markers was vastly different than most other cemeteries due to the age of the site and this being truly a frontier economy at the time. Think very simple and rustic. My greatest treat was finding Commodore Edward Preble’s gravesite, he being so important to the early history of the US Navy. Rest In Peace Commodore
Written July 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy R
Arlington, MA2 contributions
Jul 2014 • Solo
I have taken the tour once before and am looking forward to another visit very soon. Ron Romano is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a pleasure as a guide. I highly recommend the experience.
Written October 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BTfoeva
Austin, TX97 contributions
Sep 2016 • Friends
We were really impressed with our Spirits Alive tour given by volunteer Angela. It was awesome! The money all goes back to restoration of the cemetery which we learned has articles from 1818 in the newspaper requesting citizens stop vandalizing the headstones. There were 5 other volunteers excavating when we were on our Thursday morning tour. They had two great finds --- two headstones that were unearthed far from the burial plots. The history and stories are really worth the low cost of admission. Very happy we had a chance to do this and would definitely recommend anyone who likes history to take a guided tour!
Written October 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
E B
Phoenix, AZ7 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
My friends and I toured the Portland Eastern Cemetery this past weekend. It was our good fortune to have Ron Romano as our guide. He is part of Spirits Alive, a group dedicated to the cemetery's preservation, and an authority on Bartlett Adams, Portland's very own stone cutter. Ron guided us through the cemetery, pointing out the oldest headstones, the difference in wear between the various headstone materials, and those stones designed and cut by Bartlett Adams. Who knew that the inscriptions on slate would last over 250 years, while those on marble would not. Most fascinating was the use of above-ground tomb markers and the small stones marking the buried steps leading to the underground vaults. This cemetery's history is remarkable, and Ron does a wonderful job of describing the stories of those who are interned there. Be sure to ask about the memorial to the English soldier killed in the War of 1812 (?). There is a small charge, but so worth it as every penny goes to support the work of Spirits Alive in their efforts to preserve this historic treasure. It was a remarkable and memorable experience. Keep up the good work, Ron.
Written September 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Melanie3979
Lynnfield, MA216 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
Spirits Alive is a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and beautification of one of the area's oldest public burial grounds, the Eastern Cemetery in Portland, Maine. It is comprised of a large group of volunteers as well as a all-volunteer board of directors.
My husband and I took a tour of the cemetery with Joie in July 2019. It was just the two of us plus one other visitor so the tour was very intimate and we were able to ask any questions that popped into our head.
Joie was a FANTASTIC tour guide. She knows so much about the history of burial practices in New England and she shared so many interesting stories with us about the city of Portland and famous people buried in the cemetery.
If you go to this site, please consider taking a tour as I do not think we would have enjoyed it nearly as much without a knowledgeable docent to give us context among the historic gravestones. I believe they are offered every day at 11am during the summer months.
My husband and I took a tour of the cemetery with Joie in July 2019. It was just the two of us plus one other visitor so the tour was very intimate and we were able to ask any questions that popped into our head.
Joie was a FANTASTIC tour guide. She knows so much about the history of burial practices in New England and she shared so many interesting stories with us about the city of Portland and famous people buried in the cemetery.
If you go to this site, please consider taking a tour as I do not think we would have enjoyed it nearly as much without a knowledgeable docent to give us context among the historic gravestones. I believe they are offered every day at 11am during the summer months.
Written July 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravellingMan113
Portland, ME112 contributions
Aug 2012 • Couples
This is a great spot for history buffs. Established in 1668 and includes graves from colonial times through the Civil War. Also graves from the War of 1812 including, side-by-side, the graves of both the US and the British commanders from the 1812 battle of the Boxer and the Enterprise. It is located at the foot of Munjoy Hill, so you can go across Congress Street to Otto's Pizza for lunch, then go up the hill to the Portland Observatory (the last of its kind in the US), then continue down the other side of the hill to the Eastern Promenade for an amazing view. Then come on back up the hill to Bar Lola for a glass of wine and some great tapas.
Written January 16, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marty H
Portland, ME2 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
I took the Last Saturday Tour that reviewed the life and work of the first stonecarver in Portland ME. The Guide had done a lot of research on Bartlett Adams and spoke with confidence about the art as well as the time period - the early 1800s. It cost me $10, and was well worth the money and time (one hour). The stones in Eastern Cemetery are some of the oldest in the U.S. dating back to the early 1700s and most are hand carved. I learned the "Friends" group - Spirits Alive also gives regular guided tours, which I definitely plan to do next.
Written July 28, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
justin0805
Austin, TX4 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
We were in town for just a day and tried to fit in as much as we could. I came across this spot and managed to find some of the information listed on the Spirits Alive website. I would have loved to have had the guide, but our flights were heading out too early that day unfortunately. This was the oldest graveyard i've been to. Just exploring the grounds and finding some of the history through the website made it worthwhile. Next time we come into town, we will definitely be getting a guide to get more information!
Written November 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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