One hundred sixty years ago this summer, Portland burned. On July 4, 1866, a firecracker tossed into a boatyard on Commercial Street set off a blaze that tore through the city for fifteen hours, destroying over 1,500 buildings and leaving roughly 10,000 people homeless. Join us for a walking tour that retraces the path of destruction and rebirth, from the spark on the waterfront to a public park that rose from the ashes.

Along the way you'll stand where the old U.S. Custom House once stood gutted and unstable, see the Old Mariner's Church, one of the only commercial buildings to survive the flames, and walk Exchange Street, and new buildings built from salvaged fire brick. You'll pass the Woodman Building, the city's defiant answer in cast iron and stone, and stop in Monument Square, where families once piled their most treasured belongings inside a City Hall they believed was fireproof.

The tour closes at Lincoln Park, the city's first public green space, created as a direct result of the fire. Historical photographs from the Soule collection will be shared at several stops along the route, showing the city in ruins just as it looked in 1866.

Register for the FIRE: The Night Portland Burned lecture; a perfect companion to your walking tour! After adding your registration to cart, click back to our site shop and select your tour dates or click the ADD ON item below.