2 Hours | Portland Black History Walking Tour

Overview

Take a guided walk tracing the steps of the Black Portlanders who moved our city, state, and country closer to the ideals of freedom, democracy, opportunity, and equality. Maine’s earliest settlements couldn’t have existed without Black labor, skill, and insight—and since those first moments, Black Yankees have agitated and organized to resist indignity and realize power. You'll meet the people who founded Maine communities, overturned slavery statewide, drove our maritime industries, gained political influence, founded houses of worship, crossed color boundaries, and expanded Mainers’ rights in the modern era.

The Portland Black History Tour includes 2 hours of entertaining and enlightening historical narration over a 1.5-mile route through the Old Port and East End neighborhood. Owner and guide, Dugan Murphy, dug through piles of research and historic documents to present an amazing constellation of stories left out of most tours.

City: Portland

Mon 24 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $49.00

Make a reservation

Mon 24 Feb

Starting at $49.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Two hour fully narrated guided tour.

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
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Pets are not allowed on tours unless medically required.
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
Masks are optional, but encouraged for non-vaccinated guests. You should bring a face covering in the event your tour group is invited inside a historic building for an impromptu visit or for use if you’d like while walking outside.

What To Expect

Old Port

We'll walk through Portland's Old Port and Waterfront Districts—and pop over into the East End for a bit, too—uncovering Black history along the way. *Highlights include:* First Parish Church, Lobsterman Park, Exchange Street, Mariner’s Church, Boothby Square, Commercial Street waterfront, India Street, Abyssinian Meeting House, Green Memorial Church, Portland Observatory, Eastern Cemetery, North School, St. Paul’s Church, Portland High School, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (50)

V7291TDbrenth

Oct 2022

This tour was fun, educational, and well thought out. Just the right amount of walking too. It makes a huge difference when the tour guide loves what they do, and it's obvious that's the case with Dugan. He's like a human encyclopedia of Portland history, but more fun and engaging! As a native Mainer I was impressed with how much of the information on this tour was completely new (and fascinating) to me! I highly recommended this tour!

Response from Host

Oct 2022

I like covering important, inspiring, and fascinating stories that are typically left out of the history books, so locals are often surprised to hear them! It was fabulous sharing those stories with you. Thanks for writing a review!

Daria_B

Oct 2022

Dugan was a great guide. He really took us through a very interesting history of African Americans in Maine specifically Portland . We found him entertaining & factual . Enjoyed the tour a lot!

Response from Host

Oct 2022

The history of Black folks in Portland and Maine is rich with stories of amazing and inspiring characters over hundreds of years. I was excited to share them with you and I'm glad you enjoyed them so much. Thanks for writing a review!

Verbatym

Oct 2022

Don't miss out on this tour! If you only can do one tour, do this one! The guide is articulate, interesting, stays on topic, and keeps you so interested that the time flies by. It is obvious that a lot of time was taken to prepare the information and stops on this tour. If you choose this one, you won't regret it.

Response from Host

Oct 2022

I'm honored to receive such high marks. Portland is rich with Black History and I am so excited to share these inspiring stories with guests. Thank you for taking the tour and sharing your review!