Ocean Gateway

Clean, good large space to use for outdoor venue.
Not much else to say about it. Right by the ocean, you can see the different cruise lines docked.

It’s difficult not to be seduced by this venue with it’s magnificent floor to wall ceilings that show a nearly 180 degree, sweeping view of the Atlantic, busy with sailboats and sea life. You can also see both the Eastern Prom and the Old Port; and, despite the fact that the appropriately named Ocean Gateway is in a world of it’s own, you still very much feel like you’re a part of Portland’s downtown, hip scene.
With it’s high ceilings, spacious balcony overlooking the ocean, an accessible green outdoors where you can sit and enjoy a picnic, parking lot (which actually closes about an hour after whatever event you’re attending ends), clean/​modern bathrooms, and useable kitchen area that’s classily curtained off from sight… you could do no better then with this location.
Now I’ve now been here for a variety of different events (all of them uniquely different), and every time I’m here… I want to be here. I’m not thinking of any other destinations in the city or the state. This venue does an exceptional and effortless job at being chameleon-​esque; meaning, it can be whatever you need it to be. Hosting a wedding reception? A mustache pageant? A wine tasting? A food expo? A welcome center to visitors from away? Ocean Gateway does it all. I’m glad to know something like this exists and is for many cruisers the first impression they have of our great city! What a way to be welcomed to Portland, eh?

I’ve only ever visited the Ocean Gateway a handful of times for special events but I do really love this venue. As a visitor, it makes for a magnificent location, watching the busy waterfront traffic pass before its floor-​to-​ceiling windows or smelling the restorative sea air as I walk from the Visitor Center up the ramp to the hall. A balcony runs the length of one side giving a great view of Old Port and it’s an easy walk to the bars and restaurants if you’re planning something before or after.
Parking can be a pain in the area but they do have their own dedicated lot (out by 10pm!) and there is a hotel garage only a block away. The walk to the hall from the Visitor Center can be slightly arduous for people with mobility issues.
As a resident of the city, I love seeing the cruise ships dock here and long for the return of the CAT. I think it was a great use of the waterfront instead of allowing corporate development. If you get the chance, the tidal moon garden is a delightful place to sit and take in a warm summer’s evening.