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Offered languages
- English
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
Meeting and pickup
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.
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.
Itinerary
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1Downtown
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.
50 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Lobsterman Park (Pass by)
Discover the hidden Black history that predates slavery in Maine.
Admission ticket free -
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.
Admission ticket free -
The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception (Pass by)
Hear the complicated history of racial passing at the highest levels in 19th-century Catholic Maine.
Admission ticket free -
2Commercial Street
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.
20 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Mariner's Church Banquet Center (Pass by)
Portland's maritime history may not be what you think it is. Discover the Black skill and labor too often overlooked.
Admission ticket free -
United States Custom House (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 suffrage.
Admission ticket free -
(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.
Admission ticket free -
3Old Port
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.
50 minutes • Admission ticket free -
Exchange Street (Pass by)
Learn the story of an enterprising Black man who forged his own destiny in spite of those who tried to hold him back.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Find the brave folks who risked federal prosecution by aiding and abetting freedom seekers from the South via the Underground Railroad.
Admission ticket free -
(Pass by)
Marvel at the achievements of a small, tight-knit community, who worked together to improve their lives and the lives of others.
Admission ticket free -
Portland Observatory (Pass by)
Learn how important Black Portlanders were to the maritime economy in the age of sail.
Admission ticket free -
(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.
Admission ticket free
Additional info
- 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
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Additional info
- 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.
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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