Eagle Island Tours
Long Wharf (Commercial St.)
About
Through tours to Eagle Island, visitors are able to explore the summer home of famed arctic explorer and Portland native Robert E. Peary, who claimed in 1909 to be the first person to reach the North Pole. (His accomplishments continue to be the cause of lengthy debates among arctic scholars). In 1904, Peary built a simple home on a remote, 17-acre island at the edge of Casco Bay; in 1912, he added flourishes in the form of two low stone towers. Following his death in 1920, his family kept up the home; they later donated it to the state and it became a state park. The home is open to the public, maintained much as it was when Peary lived here. Eagle Tours takes one trip daily from Portland. The 4-hour excursion includes a 1 1/2-hour stopover on the island.
