2 Hours | Portland Hidden Histories Walking Tour

Overview

Meet Portland and the people—of all backgrounds and identities—whose wit and grit have made her who she is today. Your locally-raised tour guide will captivate you with extraordinary, exciting, and surprising stories about the hardy folks who destroyed and rebuilt Portland time and again over 400 years while you stroll historic streets past spots you’ll surely want to come back to explore. We’ll see where Indigenous Wabanaki leaders made their earliest relationships with European colonizers and walk through the centuries in the historic Old Port and working waterfront.

The Portland Hidden Histories Tour includes 2 hours of entertaining and enlightening historical narration over a 1.5-mile route through downtown Congress Street, the Old Port, and working waterfront along Commercial Street. Owner and guide, Dugan Murphy, takes guests to the most intriguing landmarks and presents an inclusive collection of hidden histories not included on other 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.

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
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.

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (156)

crissak2014

Apr 2022

This was our first time in Portland and we were looking for an easy way to see the city and what it has to offer. What we got was much more. Not only did we get to take a look around, but we got to delve into the rich history of the city. Dugan showed us many of the historic landmarks on our tour as well as some of the best places to find food and some cool things to do. He was personable and very passionate about what he was doing, which always makes a tour ten times better. I would highly recommend this tour service!

Response from Host

Apr 2022

Portland offers so many award-winning restaurants and fun activities that it's important to me to mix in those recommendations with the fascinating history. Enjoy the rest of your visit!

bwaickman

Apr 2022

I live in Portland, but rarely stop to read all the plaques scattered about town - I know there is a lot to know! Dugan is a fount of knowledge on all things Portland and he has a very engaging and creative way of presenting characters and events. His love of this town shines strong. I especially like the booklet of historic photos so you can literally look back in time from different stopping points on the tour route. I’ll never look at Monument Square the same way (#gym). And I’m going to show that cannon ball to everyone who comes to visit. Where is it?! You’ll just have to take the Hidden Histories Walking Tour to find out.

Response from Host

Apr 2022

Many guests find the images I bring on the tour to be very helpful for visualizing the amazing history. I'm glad you found them helpful too!

marcia525

Apr 2022

Had a wonderful time on the Hidden Histories Tour with Dugan! With stories about women pioneers, cannonballs lodged in buildings, and a basement gymnasium it's the kind of tour that makes you want to take out every book on Maine history from the library and read for hours.

Response from Host

Apr 2022

Oh my gosh, you're describing my life. Read read read, then share share share! It takes some digging, but there are amazing stories in this city's history that you don't hear on the other tours. Thanks for joining the tour!