Portland: Hidden Histories Walking Tour

Discover the hidden histories of Portland on this inclusive walking tour. Explore the city’s diverse past and learn about the people who shaped it. Join top-rated guide Dugan Murphy for an engaging and surprising experience!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Downtown - Join your guide, Dugan, for a walk through the downtown district, exploring major landmarks and some hidden treasures. Dugan will shine a light on unsung heroes and individuals often overlooked in history.
  • The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection - Meet the remarkable woman who, a century ago, lived authentically and made a…
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
What's Not Included
  • A tip for your guide!
Additional Information

Discover Portland and its diverse inhabitants, who with their intellect and determination, have shaped the city into Maine’s biggest metropolis. Listen to the intriguing, unexpected, and utterly incredible stories from your local guide, stories widely omitted from history books. Prepare yourself to explore a new perspective of what Portland and Maine…

Location
Post Office Park
Middle Street
Meet at the corner of Middle and Exchange Streets by the small boulders in the park. 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 park is one half mile from the cruise ship terminal.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(581 Ratings)
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Maceface44
Jul 5, 2026
Worth it! - We had an amazing walking tour of Portland with Dugan! He did a fantastic job bringing the city’s history to life by sharing stories about both old and new Portland, making every stop interesting and engaging. His knowledge was incredibly impressive, and he answered questions with thoughtful detail and enthusiasm. You can tell he truly loves the city and enjoys sharing its rich history with others. The tour was the perfect mix of historical facts, local insight, and entertaining storytelling. We left with a much deeper appreciation for Portland and would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the area.
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V1487hxjonathang
Jul 5, 2026
Loved it - We had a fantastic history tour of Portland with Dugan! He was incredibly knowledgeable, personable, and made the city’s history come alive. He answered every question we had and kept the tour engaging from start to finish. If you’re looking for a great way to learn about Portland, I highly recommend taking a tour with Dugan.
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Adambq6817ke
Jul 5, 2026
Even my 11 year old daughter enjoyed it - My family and I visited Portland, Maine for the first time and signed up for Dugan’s Hidden Histories tour. We wanted a tour that didn’t just regurgitate facts and plaques of the city’s history. What we got was someone who is dedicated to sharing the personal stories of what made and continues to make Portland what it was. Dugan is the opposite of the monotonous economics teacher in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He keeps you engaged by his genuine interest and the rhythm and projection of his voice. His sense of humor and keeps things personable and personal. In between stops, we chatted with Dugan asking deeper questions or commenting about side anecdotes which was a wonderful way to continue our tour with personal interests. It’s clear that Dugan has a depth of knowledge of Portland and beyond, but also the passion of someone who is making Portland better everyday by sharing its history. History can be looked at as a series of data points in time, but the context and connections that make those moments in time significant is where Dugan shines. Our only regret it is that we didn’t take his black history tour as well. Guess that gives reason to come back to Portland. Some other details: $50 dollars for hundreds of years worth of knowledge was more than a fair price to pay. His two hour tour didn't feel dreadfully long nor overtly rushed. There was a total of 7 of us which felt extremely intimate. And, his knowledge was great for the history buffs on our tour but also for folks like me who seemed to have forgotten everything from history class and asked the embarrassing questions like, "uh...can you remind me who the puritans were again?" Finally, I think the biggest compliment to Dugan and Portland By the Foot was when we incidentally ran into the donut tour. There was some fun respectful banter between Dugan and the other tour guide. But when I heard the donut guide say, “Dugan doesn’t need donuts for his tour,” I knew we were on the right path…literally and figuratively.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jwintle04
Jul 3, 2026
Hidden History Found - Dugan was super knowledgeable and was happy to answer any questions the group had. He even added a couple of Dad Jokes in along the way for good measure. Would 100% recommend.
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Globalcitizen2
Jul 1, 2026
If You Only Have Time for One Tour in Portland, This is the One - Ditto, the 99% Excellent reviews. Great way to learn and enjoy an afternoon in Portland.
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Alexanderlane
Jul 1, 2026
a real gem of an adventure. - fantastic tour! Dugan is so knowledgeable and insightful. I especially enjoyed him putting up with all my questions. A+
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X9643ayjayw
Jul 1, 2026
Great Walking Tour - Very knowledgeable. Very Entertaining.
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Billrs9267za
Jul 1, 2026
Highly recommended - We just now finished our tour. It was most excellent. The wonderful Dugan was most knowledgeable, offering a number of fascinating insights. And his jokes were pretty good too. Highly recommended.
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411marthaw
Jul 1, 2026
Fantastic tour!!! - This was an excellent tour. Dugan was funny and super informative. He knows his history and he knows Portland. I loved the tour and can’t recommend it highly enough.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarahbm9899yy
Jun 28, 2026
Great Insights! - Loved this tour! Got a great understanding of Portland and saw so much more of the city that I would have on my own. Dugan shared so much expertise and insight about the city - he even was able to answer the most wild questions about Portland. I highly recommend his tour! I wish I was staying in Portland for at least another day to take his Black history tour - he was very insightful.
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From $54
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).