York County

Portland, Maine: Black History Guided Walking Tour

5.0(157 reviews)
2hFree cancellation

Description

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!

Highlights

  • Likely to Sell Out
  • Low Last Minute Supplier Cancellation Rate
  • Historical Tours
  • Best Conversion
  • Weather Dependent - Weather-Proof
  • Short term availability
  • Excellent Quality
  • Private and Luxury
  • Walking Tours

What makes this experience special

Language guide

Inglese

Transfer included

Raduno al punto d'incontro

What's included

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

Not included

  • A tip for your guide!

Itinerary

  1. 1

    Your guide Dugan will lead you to the locations relevant to

    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.

  2. 2

    Discover the hidden Black history that predates slavery in M

    Discover the hidden Black history that predates slavery in Maine.

  3. 3

    Be surprised by the story of a largely unknown but well-conn

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

  4. 4

    Hear the complicated history of racial passing at the highes

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

  5. 5

    Dugan will guide you to where Black leaders and laborers sha

    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.

  6. 6

    Portland's maritime history may not be what you think it is.

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

  7. 7

    Marvel at the architecture and hear how antebellum Black Por

    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.

  8. 8

    Visit the Black social scene of WWII Portland and meet the i

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

  9. 9

    Follow Dugan through the Old Port to a historically-Black se

    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.

  10. 10

    Learn the story of an enterprising young Black man who forge

    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.

  11. 11

    Find the brave folks who risked federal prosecution by aidin

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

  12. 12

    Marvel at the achievements of a small, tight-knit community,

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

  13. 13

    Learn how important Black Portlanders were to the maritime e

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

  14. 14

    Visit the beating heart of the civil rights movement and hea

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

  15. 15

    Learn the surprising story of the Black minister who convene

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

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.

Useful 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.
  • Mobile or paper ticket accepted
  • 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.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation available
  • More than 1 day before100% refund
  • Between 0 and 1 days before0% refund

Prices by age band

  • Adulto5-95 anni
    54

Review distribution

  • 5
    153
  • 4
    0
  • 3
    0
  • 2
    1
  • 1
    0

Available options

  • Portland Black History Tour

    Duration: 2 hours

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Portland, Maine: Black History Guided Walking… – from €47.06 | PIQOD