Portland, Maine: Black History Guided Walking Tour

Duration2h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

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TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 15 travelers

Overview

Trace 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. You'll meet the Black Yankees who founded Maine communities, overturned slavery statewide, drove our maritime industries, gained political influence, crossed color boundaries, and expanded Mainers’ rights in the modern era.

Stepping on granite cobblestones crooked with age — that once saw footfalls from national heroes like Frederick Douglass — you’ll pass storefronts once home to Black-owned barbershops where abolitionists whispered intelligence to Underground Railroad conductors.

Enjoy 2 hours of entertaining and enlightening historical narration over a 1.5-mile route. Owner and guide, Dugan Murphy, dug through the archives to present an amazing constellation of stories left out of most tours. TripAdvisor named him Portland's #1 guide!

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

A tip for your guide!

What to expect

50m

Your guide Dugan will lead you to the locations relevant to Black Mainers and their achievements. We'll trace the steps of the folks who resisted indignity and realized power to move our city, state, and country closer to the ideals of freedom, democracy, opportunity, and equality.
Lobsterman Park
Pass by

Discover the hidden Black history that predates slavery in Maine.
Congress Street
Pass by

Be surprised by the story of a largely unknown but well-connected international activist from the 19th century hiding in plain sight.
The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception
Pass by

Hear the complicated history of racial passing at the highest levels in 19th-century Catholic Maine.
Commercial Street
20m

Dugan will guide you to where Black leaders and laborers shaped Portland's waterfront and earned a seat at the table when the odds were against them. We'll honor the Black journalist who decided to leave the US behind and seek self-determination in a newly-founded African nation.
Pass by

Portland's maritime history may not be what you think it is. Discover the Black skill and labor too often overlooked.
Pass by

Marvel at the architecture and hear how antebellum Black Portland built and wielded political power at a time when the vast majority of Black Americans were denied basic human rights.
Bell Buoy Park
Pass by

Visit the Black social scene of WWII Portland and meet the important people who came out of that period to impact our lives today.
Old Port
50m

Follow Dugan through the Old Port to a historically-Black section on the eastern end of the waterfront, uncovering Black history hidden all around us. You'll hear about the people who founded Maine communities, overturned slavery statewide, drove our maritime industries, swung elections, founded houses of worship, crossed color boundaries, and expanded Mainers’ rights in the modern era.
Pass by

Learn the story of an enterprising young Black man who forged his own destiny in the legal field despite those who tried to hold him back.
Pass by

Find the brave folks who risked federal prosecution by aiding and abetting freedom seekers from the South via the Underground Railroad.
Pass by

Marvel at the achievements of a small, tight-knit community, who worked together to improve their lives and the lives of others.
Portland Observatory
Pass by

Learn how important Black Portlanders were to the maritime economy in the age of sail.
Pass by

Visit the beating heart of the civil rights movement and hear the stories of the leaders whose impacts are still being felt today.
Eastern Cemetery
Pass by

Learn the surprising story of the Black minister who convened a community of expatriate Black Americans to rewrite the US Constitution.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet at the front steps of First Parish Church. 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.

End point

Eastern Cemetery is on Congress Street at the head of Montgomery Street. If you want to get back to where we started, it's an easy, straight shot 0.5 miles (10-minute walk) down Congress Street. It's also 0.5 miles from the cruise ship terminal.

Additional information

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, including a staircase of 17 steps.

Cancellation policy

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

Reviews

5.0 (172)

From

$54.00 per person

Check availability & book

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
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Operated by Portland by the Foot · Booked through Viator

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