Portland Underground Railroad Self Guided Audio Walking Tour

On this walking tour, we’ll explore the city’s significant role in the Underground Railroad and the individuals who helped shape its fight for freedom. The tour is self guided on our walking tour app. It's hands free, plays as you walk and you can go at your own pace, anytime, it never expires. You’ll walk through historic streets where ordinary citizens took extraordinary risks to assist those escaping slavery. We’ll visit former homes, churches, and workplaces that served as safe havens and meeting places for abolitionists, reformers, and community leaders. Each stop demonstrates how Portland’s waterfront and neighborhoods became centers of courage, compassion, and quiet resistance. Let’s start our journey at the Mariner’s Church Banquet Center, a landmark that saw both Portland’s growth and its dedication to justice.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Pass by

   The tour starts outside the Mariner's Church Banquet Center where you'll hear the story and it's link to the underground railroad, then you'll be guided step by step through Portland.

2. 2

   Lincoln Park

   10 min

   The tour walks through Lincoln Park where you'll see the former site of the meeting house and discover it's history.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   10 min

   You'll explore exchange street stopping by sites linked to the Underground railroad and hear their story.

4. 4

   The First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist

   10 min

   This has long been a spot for progressive activism, including abolitionism and Underground Railroad support. In 1832, famed abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison spoke here to 2,000 people on his Maine anti-slavery tour, sparking local engagement. On the tour you'll discover it's story.

5. 5

   Stop 5

   Pass by

   The tour stops outside the The Abyssinian Meetinghouse where you'll hear the story of the underground railroad linked to it.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   5 min

   You'll walk down one of the most historic streets and hear the stories linked to it.

7. 7

   Stop 7

   5 min

   The tour ends at the Franklin Street Wharf where you'll hear it's history then explore more.

8. 8

   Portland

   20 min

   You'll walk around downtown Portland stopping at sites linked to the African American history of Portland, and the underground railroad.

• 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

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