Surprising Stories on Wharf Street

Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Guided Walking Tour

How to Get Around
Digital
120 minutes
English

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!

Options

Portland Hidden Histories Tour

Duration: 2 hours

From$49Per Person

What's included in Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Guided Walking Tour

(Subject to Option Inclusions)

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.

Portland City Hall
Pass-by Only

Appreciate the architecture and hear the stories not captured in plaques and statues.

Inclusions

  • 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
  • A tip for your guide!
  • 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).

Meet

Pickup and Dropoff

You will make your own way to the meeting points

Meeting / End Points

  • 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. The park is one half mile from the cruise ship terminal.

Redeem

Ticket Redemption

Direct access

No need to print anything! Just tell Dugan your name when you arrive.

Operator

Portland by the Foot