First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church is a beautiful and historic building located in downtown Portland, Maine. We welcome groups and individuals to rent one of our many spaces for concerts, lectures, weddings, funerals, classes, religious, spiritual and community gatherings. Contact our office at (207) 773-5747 or by email with inquiries, reservation requests or to schedule a viewing. We’d love to share our beautiful space with you!
Meeting House
The Meeting House holds up to 550 people and is historically and architecturally one of the gems of our city. This is where church services are held each week, and a wonderful space for weddings, concerts, lectures and other events. Additional audio and visual updates were made in 2021 to assist those with hearing and visual impairments.
Parish Hall
This is a delightful space for more intimate ceremonies or events. The Parish Hall is on the main floor and holds up to 150 people. The space has an adjoining kitchenette available for beverage serving. The Parish Hall has a street entrance as well as a direct entrance from the Meeting House for those who wish to host their main event in the Meeting House and have a reception in the Parish Hall.
Memorial Garden
If an outside event is what you envision, we have a beautiful and spacious garden on the left side of the Meeting House. If you would like to see more photos of the garden, please visit our weddings page.
Community Room
This is a large room located in the lower level of the Parish Hall. It can hold up to 100 people and has an adjoining kitchen available for rent. The kitchen comes equipped with an oven/stove, fridge/freezer, commercial dishwasher, and dishes and utensils. The Community Room and adjoining kitchen were all recently renovated in 2021.
Classrooms
We have four classrooms on the second floor of the Parish Hall. Most classrooms have folding chairs and/or tables that can be configured to your group’s needs. The classrooms are similar in size and comfortably fit 15-20 people.
Accessibility
The Meeting House is accessible via 10 steps from the street. The main Parish Hall entrance is to the right of the Meeting House, one step up through an open gate, then a 30-foot sidewalk with a slight incline, and 5 steps to the entry door. We have recently installed an elevator at the rear entrance of the Parish Hall, so the floors of the Parish Hall are now accessible to all. There is also a wheelchair accessible bathroom in the Parish Hall with newly installed shower. Our Parish House is now compliant with historic landmark requirements and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The upper gallery of the Meeting House is only accessible by stairs.
Parking
First Parish is located in downtown Portland, nestled between Monument Square and Merrill Auditorium. There is metered parking in the blocks surrounding the church and several parking garages nearby at Elm Street (closed on Sunday), Monument Square, Temple Street, and the Public Market. There are also a few dedicated handicapped parking spaces near the church gates. Parking meters are in effect from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Sundays and city holidays are free.