Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Guided Walking Tour

Overview

Meet Portland and the people—of all backgrounds and identities—whose wit and grit have made Maine's largest city what it is today. Your locally-raised guide will captivate you with extraordinary, exciting, and surprising stories largely left out of the history books. Get ready to broaden your sense of what Portland and Maine have been and could be.

Brick sidewalks beneath your feet and beautiful Victorian-era buildings nestled around you, we'll casually stroll Portland’s lush, historic Old Port toward the sparkling waters of Casco Bay. We’ll see where Indigenous Wabanaki leaders made their earliest relationships with European colonizers and walk together through the centuries.

Enjoy an inclusive, empowering, and surprising constellation of tales that offers a welcome contrast to the more obvious themes you’re likely to experience on other tours. You'll enjoy 2 hours of narration over a 1.5-mile route with owner and guide, Dugan Murphy. He is Portland's top-rated guide on TripAdvisor!

City: Portland

Tue 02 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $49.00

Make a reservation

Tue 02 Sep

Starting at $49.00

Make a reservation

Portland Tours

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What's Included

10% off water tours with Portland Paddle (instructions at confirmation)

Two hour fully narrated guided tour.

Donation toward restoring the Abyssinian Meeting House, America's third-oldest standing Black church

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Pets are not allowed on tours unless medically required.
Portland is a hilly city. Participants will walk uphill sometimes, along some cobblestones, up a staircase of 6 steps, and down two staircases (24 steps total).

What To Expect

Portland City Hall

Appreciate the architecture and hear the stories not captured in plaques and statues.

The First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist

Marvel at the resilience of Indigenous communities who survived colonialism and are skillfully navigating diplomatic relationships in the modern day.

Our Lady of Victories (The Portland Soldiers and Sailors Monument)

Hidden stories are revealed about the folks not recognized by Portland's largest monument.

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House

See the oldest building in downtown Portland and hear a surprising story about its world-famous inhabitant.

John Ford Statue

Find the complicated history of one of Portland's most famous sons.

Commercial Street

You and Dugan will stroll through the waterfront district along Commercial Street, discovering the people and economic forces that forged it. Get ready for an inclusive, empowering, and surprising constellation of tales that offers a welcome contrast to the more obvious themes you’re likely to experience on other tours.

Custom House Wharf

See the picturesque working waterfront and find out who the female figures are got left out of the history books.

United States Custom House

Hear how changing federal policies have impacted life in this port city over the centuries.

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Cancellation Policy