Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Guided Walking Tour
from $54.00
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
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!
2 hours
Meet at the start point (no pickup)
Meet at the corner of Middle and Exchange Streets by the small boulders in the park. Your guide will be holding a sign that says "Portland by the Foot." Check-in time is 10 minutes prior to the scheduled tour time.…
Itinerary
- 1Stop
You and your guide Dugan will walk the downtown district, visiting major landmarks and a few hidden gems. Your guide Dugan will highlight unsung heroes and folks too often left out of the history books.
- 2Stop
Meet the woman who, a century ago, lived as her true self and improved the lives of Mainers around her, against all odds.
- 3Portland City Hall
Appreciate the architecture and hear the stories not captured in plaques and statues.
- 4The First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist
Marvel at the resilience of Indigenous nations who survived colonialism and are skillfully navigating diplomatic relationships in the modern day.
- 5Our Lady of Victories (The Portland Soldiers and Sailors Monument)
Hidden stories are revealed about the folks not recognized by Portland's largest monument.
- 6The Wadsworth-Longfellow House
See the oldest building in downtown Portland and hear a surprising story about its world-famous inhabitant.
- 7Stop
Follow Dugan through Portland's Old Port, uncovering hidden histories of the city and her people. You'll learn about people from all backgrounds and identities whose grit and ingenuity made the city what it is today.
- 8John Ford Statue
Learn the complicated history of one of Portland's most famous sons.
- 9Stop
See beautiful Victorian buildings and learn about the largely forgotten history-makers who once inhabited them.
- 10Stop
Discover the often complicated relationship between stevedores, captains, shipowners, and common sailors in 19th-century Portland.
- 11Commercial 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.
- 12Stop
Learn what the other tours aren't telling you about the global implications of Portland's industrial and maritime histories.
- 13Custom House Wharf
See the picturesque working waterfront and discover the female figures who got left out of the history books.
- 14United States Custom House
Hear how changing federal policies have impacted life in this port city over the centuries.
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
Not included
- A tip for your guide!
Good to know
- 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).
