Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Guided Walking Tour
Description
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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
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.
Meet the woman who, a century ago, lived as her true self and improved the lives of Mainers around her, against all odds.
Appreciate the architecture and hear the stories not captured in plaques and statues.
Marvel at the resilience of Indigenous nations who survived colonialism and are skillfully navigating diplomatic relationships in the modern day.
Hidden stories are revealed about the folks not recognized by Portland's largest monument.
See the oldest building in downtown Portland and hear a surprising story about its world-famous inhabitant.
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.
Learn the complicated history of one of Portland's most famous sons.
See beautiful Victorian buildings and learn about the largely forgotten history-makers who once inhabited them.
Discover the often complicated relationship between stevedores, captains, shipowners, and common sailors in 19th-century Portland.
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.
Learn what the other tours aren't telling you about the global implications of Portland's industrial and maritime histories.
See the picturesque working waterfront and discover the female figures who got left out of the history books.
Hear how changing federal policies have impacted life in this port city over the centuries.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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).
Reviews(613)
Absolute 10/10. He was so excited to share everything with you even though he knew Portland’s history like the back of his hand. There wasn’t a single question about Maine’s history that he didn’t have an answer to, whether on-topic or completely out of left field. You can tell that he genuinely enjoys sharing knowledge and history of his city with people. Easily a top 12 tour guide in the continental United States!
Dugan knows everything about Portland and Maine history. He speaks clearly and allows enough time for questions. We asked about local bookstores and he had a list on his website! Ask him lots of questions about John Neal! We regret not doing so. It’s a history you won’t hear about on other tours which makes this one unique. We highly recommend if you want to hear about a real history of Portland. Spoiler alert: there were lots of fires.
Dugan the guide was amazing. He certainly knows the history of Portland Maine. Would strongly recommend this tour.
Loved this tour! Dugan is genuinely fascinated by local history. He knows his stuff, is very personable, and has the perfect attitude for fun not tacky tours. He presents an inclusive history of Portland. Be prepared to walk and learn with a touch of humor. 🫶
Dugan was super smart and funny. He made this tour a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I had so much fun :)
Dugan was exceptional! He was high energy, very knowledgeable and fun to tour with. We learned a ton about the history of Portland that we did not know before. We highly recommend him!
There's so much history in Portland to explore, so I like to get into the lesser-known and underappreciated stuff. I'm glad you like my approach! Thanks for saying so.
Dugan knows Portland and has so much historical knowledge but also makes the tour fun! I would recommend it!
Thank you for recommending my tour! I had a lot of fun too. I'm glad you came.
Dugan was excellent! He was high energy, fun and extremely knowledgeable! We learned a ton about Portland that we would never have guessed. We highly recommend this tour!
Even locals don't know much of the history we get into in this tour. Hence the name: Hidden Histories! I'm happy to have met someone else who finds these topics just as interesting. Thanks so much for reviewing your experience!
Very knowledgeable and fun tour guide. I learned and laughed a lot. It’s about 2 hours with mostly easy walking - some cobblestone roads to be mindful of. I’ll come back for the other tour in the future.
There's plenty of humor available in Portland's past. I enjoyed making light of it with you. Thanks for the review! See you next time on the Black History Tour.
We really enjoyed our tour with Dugan. He is inclusive, welcoming, is genuinely very passionate about the history of Portland, and clearly loves the city! Highly recommend this tour to everyone looking to gain an appreciation about the history of the Portland, and hear interesting stories and anecdotes throughout the walk.
I do love Portland. I feel lucky to have grown up here. Thanks for visiting and for choosing my tour while you were here! I'm glad you liked it so much.
