All of our walking tours are designed to take 90 minutes. With the exception of the St. Johns tours, our walking tours are moderate, level walks for all abilities. Plan to wear your walking shoes, and on hot days bring a water bottle. Tours are never cancelled for rain; ask us if you need to borrow gear. All public tours are designed as loops with unique start points, ending at the same place where you meet your guide. The Nob Hill and Slabtown walking tours are offered back to back so guests can have the opportunity to experience the upper-class and working-class sections of the NW Alphabet District neighborhood on the same day.

NW History Tours Prices [Adults: $30/each] [Seniors: $18/each] [Youths: $10/each] [Tots: Free] Ghost Tour Prices: [All Guests $40/each] 24 hours advance reservations are required for the first booking on any tour date. Book now on PeekPro, or call 503-206-4676. Prices and times are subject to change without notice.

See all available tours and reserve tickets

Looking Forward to our 2023 Tour Season

Your health and safety are our top priority. Our walking tours are 100% outside. Masks are not required. Contactless online day in advance purchase and contactless waivers are our new normal. We are finding that many "public" restrooms we have accessed in the past fifteen years have closed; we strongly recommend using a restroom prior to arrival for our evening and holiday tours. We are accepting any & all expired gift cards: We get it -- you were staying safe at home. Our Slabtown Walking Tour starts outside of the Northwest Branch Library at 2300 NW Thurman Street. Our Nob Hill & our NW Night With Ghosts Walking Tours start on the porch of Anna Bannanas, 1214 NW 21st Avenue.  Our St Johns tours start at Two Stroke Coffee Co., 8517 N Lombard St.

Sincerely,

Tanya Lyn March Ph.D. (Owner & Tour Guide)

 

 

VIDEO TOURS WITH TANYA MARCH AND OTHER PORTLAND EXPERTS

SLABTOWN TOUR

Image of a partly depleted slab wood pile in front of a home along the sidewalk in late 1890s. Women is standing on the stairs leading into her home.

Slabtown gets its name from slab wood — the rounded, exterior parts of logs cut away to square off lumber — produced as a popular form of heating fuel in the early 1900s by lumber mills of the neighborhood. We share with you numerous historic images of lost buildings and take you past existing historic sites, including the oldest house on NW23rd, the former sites of the Vaughn Street Ballpark, historic streetcar rails, the entrance of the 1905 Lewis & Clark Fair, and the world's greatest log cabin. Slabtown is a traditional working class neighborhood that is rapidly changing. The neighborhood was once redlined and targeted for everything from am urban renewal area to a freeway.

Private tours can be scheduled for any time of day by email request. 24-hour advanced reservations for individuals and gift card holder are encouraged. For the safety of all we are requiring masks for anyone over 5 years of age at this time.
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NOB HILL - ALPHABET DISTRICT TOUR

Line of three street cars headed to Vaughn Street Ballpark. Signs in the front street car #23 Special "TO BALL GAME"-there are some sweet vintage 1940s looking cars parked on the street. The purpose of this image is to highlight that streetcars were a big deal in Slabtown.

Our expert guide will show you the highlights of Portland's Nob Hill. The walking tour route guests beside some of the grand merchant homes of the 1890s and apartments built for the post Lewis and Clark building boom. The tour loops back to the starting point along the "Trendy 23rd" Street Shopping district, highlighting the evolution of this early streetcar commercial corridor. Nob Hill was named after the San Francisco area, and has become one of Portland's trendiest shopping areas. The neighborhood is known for fabulous tax-free shopping, great coffee and amazing verity of food. Many restaurants have added healthy street seating.

This 90-minute tour is offered year-round, every Saturday at 9 a.m. Day-ahead reservations are encouraged.
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ST. JOHNS TOUR

St. Johns Tour

St. Johns is a neighborhood with small town charm in Portland, Oregon, located in North Portland on the tip of the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Willamette River and the Columbia River. Many structures from the days when the neighborhood was an incorporated city are still standing. The community is known for its amazing bridge, Jazz Festival, annual parade, and eclectic mix of restaurants and small businesses. This walk has some steep grades, so bring comfortable shoes and a water bottle. The tour starts at Two Stroke Coffee Co. 8517 N. Lombard St., Portland, OR, 97203. This tour is offered on the Third Saturday of each month at 3 p.m., Thanksgiving & Christmas 2023. Thanks to a partnership with The St. Johns Boosters, Venture Portland, and Prosper Portland, the tours are offered at a reduced rate. If you are interested in this tour but are not in town on the Third Saturday of the month, please reach out to us. We are flexible and can add dates.
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HAUNTED NORTHWEST HISTORY TOUR

Experience Portland's paranormal heritage as we investigate several local ghost narratives gathered from homeowners, alienists, and newspaper accounts. The tour stops at three locations where the spirits are known to be less than peaceful. This tour takes place on Halloween, Fridays and Saturdays in October, and every Friday the 13th, and by request year-round.
More info >

Testimonials

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So much fun! I love old houses and stories with intrigue, so this tour was perfect. We met our charismatic guide at the library to begin the tour. It was so neat to walk by a building and have her tell a story about a specific aspect of it which really brought history alive. I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in the history of Portland, beautiful architecture, and looking for a fun time.
M — Berkeley, CA

Portland: One of the best ways to get to know the city is via walking tours. Put Slabtown Tours on your radar for when you have visiting friends or family or just want to get out and about and know a little more of the Portland story. Tanya is an amazing resource of knowledge...history and local lore that should be shared with every Portlander.

Carye Bye Austin, TX

Tanya is the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to historical buildings in Portland! Highlighting both flashy and gritty facts, her tours cover many eras. This is a can’t-miss if you like hearing the history behind the city you are enjoying. (And ask her about local museum displays — she points you to all the best ones!)

Nicole Portland, OR

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Martha (left) Zylpha (right) - these sisters were raised by parents who owned 100 acres of land in St. Johns, Oregon. There childhood home was in the Cathedral Park section of St. Johns -that was when homes were still along the river and prior to any concept of Cathedral Park. San Francisco Examiner staff took this picture at the SF City Prison on August 29, 1903. Zylpha was accused of buying the arsenic used to kill her sister’s husband. “The accused women appeared in court dressed in black and wore heavy sealskin coats and black veils. The damaging testimony against them was listened to without apparent emotion, and to all intents the accused women might have been ordinary spectators” #truecrime #womenontrial #pioneerchildren #arsonicandoldlace #keepportlandwierd ... See MoreSee Less

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History Fun Facts

Fun Fact #68 Why did St. Johns Seceded from Portland in 1893?

Fun Fact #68 Why did St. Johns Seceded from Portland in 1893? St. Johns seceded from Portland in 1893 because of a combination of higher taxes and unsatisfactory municipal services. The St. Johns-Portland love-hate relationship ramped up in 1891. In...
By Slabtown Tours | August 8, 2023 | Fun Facts
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