Portland: Hidden Histories Walking Tour

Discover the hidden histories of Portland on this inclusive walking tour. Explore the city’s diverse past and learn about the people who shaped it. Join top-rated guide Dugan Murphy for an engaging and surprising experience!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Downtown - We’ll walk the Downtown District, visiting major landmarks and a few hidden gems. Highlights include: Wadsworth-Longfellow House, Monument Square, First Parish Church, Portland City Hall, and gobs of boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, museums, bookshops, and other spots to explore!
  • Old Port - We’ll stroll through Portland’s Old Port, uncovering hidden histories of the city and her people. Highlights include: Boothby Square, Foundry Lane, John Ford Statue, Post Office Park, Exchange Street, and plenty of boutiques, award-winning restaurants, breweries, bookshops, and more!
  • Commercial Street - We’ll stroll through the waterfront district along Commercial Street, discovering the people and economic forces that forged it. Highlights include: United States Custom House, Custom House Wharf, Portland Pier, Wharf Street, and lots of places you’ll want to visit later!
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

Discover Portland and its diverse inhabitants, who with their intellect and determination, have shaped the city into Maine’s biggest metropolis. Listen to the intriguing, unexpected, and utterly incredible stories from your local guide, stories widely omitted from history books. Prepare yourself to explore a new perspective of what Portland and Maine used to be and can become.

Surrounded by charming Victorian-style architecture and with the cobblestone pavement under your feet, we will casually meander around Portland’s verdant, historical Old Port towards the shimmering Casco Bay. We’ll visit the historical sites where Indigenous Wabanaki leaders first met European settlers and walk through history together.

Delight in a unique, empowering, and unexpected array of stories that offer a refreshing divergence from the typical narrative you’ll likely encounter on other tours. Spend two wonderful hours listening to Dugan Murphy, the owner and your guide, who also happens to be Portland’s highest-rated guide on TripAdvisor!

  • Pets are not allowed on tours unless medically required.
Location
Portland by the Foot
Middle Street
Meet at the corner of Middle and Exchange Streets by the 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.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(348 Ratings)
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Lauren_h
Aug 24, 2024
Add To Your Itinerary! - Highly recommend spending the morning with Dugan. His tour is thoughtful, engaging, humorous and intentionally tells three history of Portland with everyone's perspectives and narratives in mind. It's well-paced and leaves you eager to join another tour!
Review provided by Viator
Linda_g
Aug 22, 2024
Definitely a Must Do if you’re considering. - Dugan was a wealth of information and answers bundled with a pleasant personality. He was on time and kept to a timely schedule. We saw and heard a great variety of information leaving us knowing more about Portland than we hoped! I highly recommend a tour with him.
Review provided by Viator
Explore02502003058
Aug 22, 2024
Time well spent - Loved spending the afternoon on this tour. Highly recommend. We had already walked much of the city on our own but it was great to hear the history. Dugan clearly has so much knowledge and is eager to share. Great tour
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cjyap
Aug 20, 2024
Informative and Interesting - I am so glad, that out of all the Portland tours offered, that we chose this one. Dugan, the tour guide, knows Portland and its history, and shared it with us as we walked around Portland. We met in a easy to find, central location. It was not a big group, about 15 of us, so listening and keeping pace was easy. What made this tour special really was Dugan. It is clear that not only does he know Portland and its history, but he loves it, and enjoyed sharing it was visitors. Throughout the tour, he pointed out things, that we would have walked right by. By the end of the tour, we had learned a lot about Portland and its ups and downs, and we also had a good idea of the layout and getting around. Dugan stayed after the tour to answer any questions and offer suggestions. This was an excellent, worthwhile tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wanderlustingforlife
Aug 18, 2024
Excellent guide - Our family had a great time with Dugan. He is so friendly and knowledgeable. Appreciated all the local tips. Definitely would recommend a tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mc75201
Aug 17, 2024
Walking tour hits all the right notes - Really enjoyed Dugan’s walking tour! He had plenty of good historical facts, stories and he had a sense of humor. Clearly he takes pride in what he does and researches the history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marco028
Aug 15, 2024
Chock Full of Portland's Rich & Long History - Dugan has a wealth of information and stories, many with an interesting twist. You truly don't know why it is now until you know what happened then. Why all the brick, did Elvis truly leave the building, and how heavy is a cannonball? The best part, he always piques your interest and pauses for questions. Great value too.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joy_b
Aug 14, 2024
Great guide - Great guide! Lots of information and lots of walking! Loved it. The guide was so knowledgeable and could answer any question!
Review provided by Viator
Daniellesm5669me
Aug 12, 2024
Fun way to see the city! - This tour is a must for any visit to Portland. It's fun, interesting and a great way to get to know the city's past and present in just 2 hours. Dugan is so friendly and knowledgeable--I'll be recommending this tour to my family and friends for future visits to Portland. If you're even debating doing this, you won't regret it. It was a highlight of my visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pat
Aug 7, 2024
Great Historic Tour - Dugan, our guide, was very knowledgeable, funny, and personable. He gladly entertained all questions and gave recommendations for other things to do in Portland. Would highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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