Fantasmas, Penitencia y Poltergeists : Portland Ghost Tour

Brendan was fabulous-friendly and informative. We enjoyed the experience very much and can recommend it to others.

The guide was knowledgeable and entertaining and some of the stories were genuinely chilling. The tour gave a fascinating juxtaposition of modern downtown Portland and glimpses of some dark and painful moments in its past. I would recommend checking out an EMF detector; that added a lot to the stories, when the EMF detector spiked in areas which are said to be particularly paranormally active. It was interesting when the guide shared information about personal experiences and experiences by other guests on the tour. One thing I would recommend to the tour guides is that if there is particularly extreme noise pollution in the area where they're telling a story (during our tour, the problem was aggressively loud sidewalk power-washing outside the Roseland Theater), they should slightly move location rather than try to talk over the noise. It was really difficult to hear that story over the noise.

A few things to keep in mind when considering this tour. This is not a tour of any buildings tunnels etc. You will be outside on sidewalks the entire tour. There are multiple longs stops where the tour guide is storytelling. Most of the stories have graphic or violent details. Be ready to walk, stand and listen a lot. Things that make it difficult to concentrate on the storytelling may diminish the experience. (That being said the guide was extremely animated and invested in the storytelling and history so even with the loud noise of Portland night life, it’s relatively easy to follow if you are invested.) Okay, all that stuff out of the way. The experience was great! Shawn was our tour guide and he kept his excited energy until the very end of the tour and beyond. I don’t know how he did it, 6 stars, seriously impressive. If you’re someone who enjoys history and/or any aspect of the paranormal, you will enjoy this tour. Again, the main value in this tour is being invested in the story and history itself. About equal amounts of walking/standing. Nothing inaccessible for really anyone though there are plenty of uneven surfaces on the sidewalks as well as street crossings so bring something stable and comfortable to wear. Start of the tour is right where it says, there are bathrooms and time to use them available if you show up 15 minutes early. Refreshments also available in the lobby. I won’t spoil any of the tour content just know if you don’t mind a little noise, some uneven surfaces, walking and standing for about an hour, and have any passion at all for history, paranormal, just appreciate storytelling. You will enjoy this tour if you come into it with the right expectations for the experience. Loved it, wife loved it. Definitely recommend if you’re visiting. IF YOU ARE GOING DURING SUMMER, GO AT NIGHT! IRS hot!

The tour didn’t follow the itinerary listed online. There were no real ghost stories or tales, just history, which would be fine if that were what it was advertised as. The tour also takes you through a very unsafe area with many homeless people and drug addicts. Incredibly boring, not worth the money, and isn’t even what it’s advertised as.

Unfortunately, this tour did not meet our expectations. The tour guide was very nice but not a great story teller. I’ve been on many ghost tours and what makes them compelling is the guides ability to tell a good story, even if the story is enhanced. Our guide, while knowledgeable, simply did not know how to tell the stories that kept people interested. He stuttered a lot, which means he doesn’t have to stories down pat. We spent 30 min at the first stop in a not so nice neighborhood to hear about the Shanghai tunnels. And it wasn’t very interested. My friend and I ducked out before the last stop because it was already over an hour. The guide at the beginning did ask for permission to go over an hour in order to tell all the stories and that we would get out 10,000 steps in. Again( we barely walked and the stories were not good.

Pete was a knowledgeable tour guide who tied together the facts with the paranormal. He knows the area well and answered all our questions.

It really isn't all that paranormal. However the stories and history that were shared made this a fun excursion.

It was a good way to learn the history of the area. Brenden was very knowledgeable, personable and fun.

Peter was an amazing guide! If you’re hesitant about going on a ghost tour, I highly recommend going. You will learn so much niche history of the city!

Brendan was very knowledgeable about Portland’s history. I loved learning about all the ghosts and the stories behind them. I’m excited to come back to Portland and visit the Benson hotel to see if I can see any of the ghosts.