May 1st Make Maps Portland Launch Event

Join us in the Mechanics' Hall library to view maps of Portland’s past and present -- and possible futures.

University of Southern Maine students explore the city’s social, cultural, and physical landscapes recorded in the Osher Map Library’s collection of historical maps through the lens of contemporary digital mapping technologies (GIS).

Discuss the project with students and faculty involved in this work. Add your personal memories and experiences of Portland and Maine to this work. Share your stories, pictures, and aspirations through our social mapping platform.

Friday, May 1, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Free to the public.

LOCATION: Mechanics’ Hall, 519 Congress Street, Portland

For parking and other info, visit the Mechanics’ Hall website:.

The Make Maps Portland Program

To coincide with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Whose Land is working with the Maine Historical Society, the University of Southern Maine’s Osher Map Library and Department of Geography-Anthropology, Mechanics’ Hall, and other cultural and educational organizations in the city to build a crowd-sourced history of Greater Portland and its land. Anyone can participate and enjoy adding to the collection.

How It Works:

Participants collect and present their own stories about specific locations - their homes, a former factory site, a park - using a digital story map platform called Map250. In July, the archive comes to life outside in a series of “Make Maps Portland” events including projections, music, and live discussion about places that matter in Greater Portland - all in conjunction with local 250th celebrations.