Posted on 05/06/2023 9:09:15 PM PDT by nickcarraway
“Beer, whiskey, concerts… and monsters!”
That’s what visitors can find at Thompson’s Point in Portland. Many are likely familiar with the concert venue and the drinks. That last part — maybe not so much.
Tucked between Stroudwater Distilling and Bissell Brothers at 4 Thompson’s Point Road is the International Cryptozoology Museum. Cryptozoology, the study of unknown or undiscovered animals, has just one museum dedicated to the genre in the world, and it’s right here in Portland — for the time being.
The International Cryptozoology Museum, a Portland institution founded by Loren Coleman, will be on the move when the lease runs out in 2026, at which point it will be fully moved to Broadway Street in Bangor.
The museum will turn 20 years old next August. It opened in 2003 on the first floor of a house that Coleman had bought, later relocating to Avon Street, and again to its current location in 2016.
Coleman, a expert and enthusiast of the subject since before the word “cryptozoology” came to be in 1961, said that folks are most familiar with some of the “celebrity cryptids,” which include the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, and the most popular of them all, Bigfoot.
a model of Bigfoot in the Cryptozoology Museum A “replica” of Bigfoot stands among historical artifacts in the International Cryptozoology Museum. (Portland Phoenix/Evan Edmonds) The two-floor museum explores them all — its largest section dedicated to Bigfoot. From huge furred replicas to news articles detailing sightings, the collection consists of various artifacts Coleman has gathered over the last 50+ years. The museum also holds pieces that can’t be found anywhere else: including original Bigfoot prints from 1958.
Coleman cited a combination of rising rents and the limitations of being surrounded by other growing businesses in his decision to move. He wanted to rent more property and expand at Thompson’s Point, but was denied by landlords because of other plans for surrounding properties.
Coleman looked elsewhere in Portland too, he said, before he and the museum’s board decided they needed to own their own space.
There will be some overlap when both renditions of the museum in Portland and Bangor will be open, Coleman said, but he expects the vast majority of the materials to be moved up to the Bangor space by the end of 2025 before fully closing the Portland location when the lease is up mid-2026.
“By the time we’re done, we’ll have a bigger museum up in Bangor, and it will be an architectural gem in the city,” Coleman said.
Until then, the main museum is ready and awaiting visitors.
“We can get people from California, Japan, Nepal — and [when] they travel six months or two years from now it’ll be to Portland to visit this museum, and that’s gonna disappear, so they’ve got to plan ahead,” Coleman said.
Planning for enthusiasts worldwide will likely begin ahead of the 20-year anniversary, with an international Cryptozoology conference set to take place in Portland May 2023.
Ping
Title should have [Maine] appended to it.
You are right.
If it was Oregon they would be leaving because the jackalope was stolen.
Not sure if you are being sarcastic, but there IS a Bangor in Washington...
Portland is not in Washington. And a long ways from Bangor, WA.
Sorry, I evidently mistook Portland ME for Portland OR, and created a distraction.
Come to think of it, perhaps actually NAMING THE CITY AND STATE of wherever the posted story occurs in, in the description could help reduce this sort of misunderstanding?
Or am I expecting too much for the posters here?
Myself included.
It had me fooled, too, until I googled the museum. I was wondering why on earth the guy was going to relocate to Bangor, WA, unless he really, really liked submarines.
Agree on naming the location of a story, either in square brackets after the title or in the first comment.
It's about time.
Naming the state in the key words would help those of us maintaining “ping” lists. :-)
No horns but it exists and yes I know a cottontail from a jackrabbit. This was different.
Got one with a figure four deadfall in a dry creek bed on a 48 hour survival exercise long ago. You got a knife, a lighter flint and a pancho and left out in the desert in the middle of night. 
And for the uninitiated, if you're trapped out in the middle of nowhere, the first thing you need is a safe water source. 48 hours without water and you'll be in serious trouble - a week or two without food you'll be OK.
You need water. Clean water. Oh and I'll try to be gentle - bad water = loose stools? Worse than dehydration.
Best is a desert water still. Unless you're snow-bound then just eat the white snow.
Desert still? Dig a hole, carve up that cactus - dump it in your hole, put a can at the bottom - look around - you'll find one, tarp or plastic over your hole, cover the tarp edges well with sand/dirt, place a small rock on top of the tarp over the can and wait patiently.
No gallons of water but you'll savor every drop.
Last survival tip? ALWAYS have a lighter - Start a fire and they'll find you. ;-)
I once saved a gal from drowning, if this saves a Freeper or even a Dem from death from dehydration then it was worth 15 minutes while watching golf and football. Life is good.
Except the Presidency of the United States of America was stolen in 2020 and as far as I can tell nothing has been done to keep them from stealing it again.
/had to say it.
TH54
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