Portland Black History Walking Tour

Discover the untold stories of Black Portlanders who shaped the city’s history on a 2-hour walking tour. Trace their footsteps and learn about their contributions to freedom, equality, and political influence.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Old Port - We’ll walk through Portland’s Old Port and a historically-Black section of the East End neighborhood, uncovering Black history hidden all around us. Highlights include: First Parish Church, Lobsterman Park, Exchange Street, Mariner’s Church, US Custom House, India Street, Abyssinian Meeting House, Green Memorial AMEZ Church, Portland…
What's Included
  • 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
What's Not Included
  • A tip for your guide!
Additional Information

Follow the course of history by tracing the paths of the African-Americans in Portland who advanced the city, the state, and the nation towards the principles of independence, democracy, liberty, and fairness. Black prowess and knowledge played a significant role in Maine’s initial settlements. During this journey, you’ll encounter the stories of…

Location
423 Congress St
Congress Street
Meet at the church steps. 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 church is one half mile from the cruise ship terminal.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(109 Ratings)
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Jaime_r
Sep 12, 2024
A morning well spent - Dugan was knowledgeable and professional. I enjoyed enjoyed the pictures the tour guide provided. The day was warm and sunny for the walk.
Review provided by Viator
Shirleymq3906ey
Sep 4, 2024
Wonderful fun way to increase your knowledge of both Portland & American history! - Wow! We were so impressed by all that Dugan knew about Portland and about Black history. The tour took us from the 1600’s to present time. And he focused on not just “the firsts” but the impact these amazing folks had on American history and the local community. We feel everyone would benefit from this experience. We are still wondering at all we wished we had been taught but so grateful to have had this experience which filled in the gaps in our knowledge.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christine_h
Aug 28, 2024
Amazing walking tour! - Dugan was an amazing tour guide! He’s extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned so much about the very surprising black history of Portland. Highly recommended!!
Review provided by Viator
Robinwest_s
Aug 28, 2024
Outstanding - The breath of knowledge the tour guide provides was immeasurable. And the little know Black History fact of Susan Rice family really impressed us
Review provided by Viator
Star_w
Aug 25, 2024
Black History and More!! - The most memorable things about this tour was the amount of information our guide knew about the black history of Portland and even though it wasn’t all black history it all tied together. Wonderful experience!!
Review provided by Viator
Akila
Aug 24, 2024
Best Walking Tour in Maine - Please put this tour at the top of your list! Dugan is such a wealth of knowledge about the deep historical roots of Black history in Portland. The facts and sights are just fascinating. You won’t be disappointed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trippen2go
Aug 17, 2024
Not to be missed - An incredible tour that you don’t want to miss. Dugan is a superb historian who incorporates visual aids into the tour. Portland’s black history is rich, complex and surprising.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rdkirkwood
Aug 6, 2024
The Best Black History Walking Tour - The amount of knowledge we learned from Dugan was amazing. The black history walking tour was fantastic! Highly recommend. Entertaining, informative and empowering! A must do when in Portland, ME
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Letstravel010
Aug 6, 2024
Inspiring and revealing tour. - Very personal and insightful tour. We did the history tour first and the black history tour was a fantastic addition. It makes you realize how much is still untold. We enjoyed the tour very much and highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
193saraed
Jul 30, 2024
Engaging tour! - Dugan is a top notch tour guide. He engaged us with stories and always made space for conversation so I didn’t feel like I was derailing the tour with questions. I wondered about a white person leading a Black history tour…Dugan has not only done extensive research but he’s been engaged over time supporting Black Mainers’ work to restore the Abyssinian Meeting House — and when I looked at the Portland by the Foot website after our tour I wasn’t surprised to read about his commitment to uncovering and subverting racist ways of thinking, it showed in the way he told stories, and what and who he chose to foreground. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor