• Downtown - Join guide Dugan as he leads a journey through locations significant to Black Mainers and their accomplishments. Follow the paths of those who stood against injustice and harnessed power to bring our city, state, and nation closer to the ideals of freedom, democracy, opportunity, and equality.
• Lobsterman Park - Uncover the hidden Black history in Maine that predates slavery.
• Congress Street - Discover the tale of a largely unknown yet well-connected international activist from the 19th century, hidden in plain sight.
• The Cathedral Of The Immaculate Conception - Explore the complex history of racial passing at the highest levels in 19th-century Catholic Maine.
• Commercial Street - Dugan will guide you to where Black leaders and workers shaped Portland’s waterfront and secured a place at the table against all odds. Pay tribute to the Black journalist who chose to leave the US and pursue self-determination in a newly-founded African nation.
• Mariner’s Church Banquet Center - Portland’s maritime history may surprise you. Discover the often-overlooked Black skill and labor.
• United States Custom House - Admire the architecture and learn how antebellum Black Portland built and exercised political power when most Black Americans were denied basic human rights.
• Bell Buoy Park - Explore the Black social scene of WWII Portland and meet the influential figures who emerged from that era to shape our lives today.
• Old Port - Follow Dugan through the Old Port to a historically Black area on the eastern waterfront, revealing Black history hidden around us. Hear about the individuals who founded Maine communities, abolished slavery statewide, propelled maritime industries, influenced elections, established places of worship, crossed racial boundaries, and expanded Mainers’ rights in the modern era.
• Exchange Street - Discover the story of a resourceful young Black man who carved his own path in the legal field despite obstacles.
• India Street - Meet the courageous individuals who risked federal prosecution by assisting freedom seekers from the South via the Underground Railroad.
• The Abyssinian Meetinghouse - Be inspired by the achievements of a small, close-knit community that worked together to enhance their lives and the lives of others.
• Portland Observatory - Learn about the significant role Black Portlanders played in the maritime economy during the age of sail.
• Green Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church - Visit the heart of the civil rights movement and hear the stories of leaders whose impacts are still felt today.
• Eastern Cemetery - Discover the remarkable story of the Black minister who gathered a community of expatriate Black Americans to rewrite the US Constitution.

• 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!

Follow the course of history by tracing the paths of the African-Americans in Portland who advanced the city, the state, and the nation towards the principles of independence, democracy, liberty, and fairness. Black prowess and knowledge played a significant role in Maine’s initial settlements. During this journey, you’ll encounter the stories of African-American Yankees who laid the foundation of Maine, abolished slavery regionally, propelled our seafaring industries, accrued political power, defied racial barriers, and broadened the rights of Mainers in contemporary times.

Strolling on time-worn granite cobblestones — once trodden by national icons such as Frederick Douglass — you’ll traverse past shops which once housed African-American-owned barber establishments, where anti-slavery activists discreetly shared information with operators of the Underground Railroad.

With a duration of 2 hours, you will be engaged in 1.5 miles of fascinating historical narration. Owner and guide, Dugan Murphy, meticulously researched the archives to curate a series of amazing tales usually sidestepped in conventional tours. TripAdvisor has lauded him as Portland’s foremost guide!

• 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.

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