PORTLAND, Maine — Cryptozoology is the study of hidden or unknown animals. Believe it or not, Maine is home to a rare collection dedicated to this field of study.
For almost 20 years, Portland’s International Cryptozoology Museum has been one of the few places where you can meet bigfoot, sea serpents, and Mothman under one roof.
“In general, people come to the museum because they’re interested in two things: mysteries and animals," Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Museum told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Mysteries and animals are something Coleman's museum has plenty of.
“Lots of Bigfoot, because people love Bigfoot, Yetis, as well as sea serpents, lake monsters," Coleman explained. "We have 65 years of different cryptids from all over the country.”
Recently, Coleman announced he would be moving his entire operation to Bangor after pointing to rising rents and limitations of nearby growing businesses in Portland.
“A lot of people probably think I’m crazy, but we really think we’ll be unique wherever we move to," Coleman said.
Earlier this year, Coleman opened a bookstore and museum in Bangor. He said it's a separate operation from the new museum he plans to open in the area.
"If we get the building we're trying to get, which is a streamline moderne, it will get architecturally into a whole other level of acceleration," he explained. "I'm talking to some secret sources about renovating it, getting some grants, and that could be a lot of fun."
“He expects to open the new museum in 2023 or early 2024. Coleman added he plans to close his museum in Portland sometime at the end of 2025/early in 2026, which is when his lease ends.”
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