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Portland, Maine Culture & history

Our most recommended Portland, Maine Culture & history

Portland, Maine: 2-Hour Guided History Tour

1. Portland, Maine: 2-Hour Guided History Tour

Meet your local guide, a history lover who will bring the stories and facts from Portland’s past alive throughout the tour. Starting on Commercial Street, walk through the cobble stone streets of the historic Old Port, downtown, and waterfront areas.  Some of the locations that may be featured as part of the tour include the lobster statue, the home of Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow, the Eastern cemetery, the Abyssinian Church, and more. Your tour will finish on a sweet note with a local treat.

Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Downtown Walking Tour

2. Portland, Maine: Hidden Histories Downtown Walking Tour

Discover Portland's hidden histories on a guided walking tour of the Old Port, downtown, and the working waterfront. Marvel at images of the past and at the colorful storytelling your guide shares with you to make the past come alive. Hear stories only a local knows about the city's sights, streets, and buildings. Explore the Old Port, Portland's major public buildings, and the working waterfront, winding through intimate cobblestone streets along the way. See the city's charming red-brick buildings, its waterfront filled with seafood restaurants and sea views, and more. Learn fascinating anecdotes and facts about Portland, sharing them with friends down the line to show your newly-gained local knowledge. End your tour in a waterfront park, about a 5-minute walk from where you started, surrounded by boutiques, restaurants, and other activity opportunities to continue your own discovery of the city. Entertainer-historian Dugan Murphy leads unforgettable jaunts through his hometown, telling an inclusive, empowering, and surprising constellation of tales you won't hear on other tours. Find out why TripAdvisor named him Portland's #1 tour guide!

Portland, Maine: Black History Guided Walking Tour

3. Portland, Maine: Black History Guided Walking Tour

Wind through the brick sidewalks and cobblestone streets of Portland's Old Port and working waterfront on this guided walking tour. Immerse yourself in the rich story of the Black community in the East End neighborhood. Meet your local guide at the First Parish Church, Portland's oldest church, and begin your journey back in time. Discover the monuments, places of business, and civic institutions where Black Yankees drove the economy and organized for political power. Head to the East End neighborhood to see the homes of Black sailors and stevedores that served as stations on the underground railroad. Admire the churches where Black families worshipped, celebrated, and learned together from the 19-century up to the present day. Learn how Maine's earliest colonial settlements could not have survived without Black insight, skill, and labor. Uncover the story behind the enslaved Black maid who abolished slavery in Maine during the Revolutionary War. Discover the exceptional figures who shaped Portland and the State of Maine over 400 years of Black history. Printed images of the past together with gifted storytelling will bring the past to life. Hear the stories that usually get left out of history tours. A portion of every ticket sale will help fund the restoration of the Abyssinian Meeting House, Maine's oldest and America's third-oldest standing Black church. End your tour at Eastern Cemetery, one-half mile from where it began. Entertainer-historian Dugan Murphy leads unforgettable jaunts through his hometown, telling an inclusive, empowering, and surprising constellation of tales you won't hear on other tours. Find out why TripAdvisor named him Portland's #1 tour guide!

Other Sightseeing Options in Portland, Maine

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What people are saying about Portland, Maine

I took my parents on this tour to get to experience Portland like a local and it did not disappoint! Our guide, Ross, was very knowledgeable in Portland’s history and even sang us a few ole’ Portland songs. We learned so much and had a wonderful time. The delicious cookie at the end of the tour was the icing on the cake. I highly recommend this tour if you’re in Portland for a few days visiting or even if you’re a Portland local…anyone can learn from this tour!

Ross gave us an outstanding tour of Portland, combining his deep historical knowledge with a keen eye for good restaurants/bars, and is a genuinely interesting person. I cannot recommend a tour with him highly enough.

The tour was well worth it. Our guide, Ross, was very informative and interesting. We saw lots of things we would never have found on our own.

Very knowledgeable and personable guide; enjoyed very much!

It was really fun and interesting to see the city!