Testimonials

What tour guests have to say:

“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 and worked closely with long-time Slabtown (NW) resident (but now gone) Mike Ryerson and knows all sorts of history and local lore that should be shared to every Portlander.”
– Carye Bye (Facebook)

Tanya is a wealth of knowledge of the Portland area. I could tell she is passionate about preserving history. Her storytelling is backed by factual documents she’s gathered and she has definitely done her homework! Tanya was a joy to spend 1.5 hrs with and I highly recommend taking one of her tours. My husband and I took her ghost tour which was great! – Elyssa Morris (Google)

Tour guide Tanya is a delightful storyteller! What a treat to take her tour! I definitely recommend this for a fun outing for locals or for out-of-town visitors.
– Amanda (Facebook)

“My boyfriend and I signed up for A Night With Ghosts tour and it was heaps of fun (we toured in the summer when it was still mostly light out — but I bet it’s even better in October!). Tanya is a passionate and informed champion of NW Portland history and we learned a lot while having a great time. It’s an easy walkabout, so totally suitable for people of all ages, and I think it would actually be even MORE fun to have kids present. Tanya is a tremendous information resource for the area, so it would be perfect for newcomers to the neighborhood as well as tourists or folks who have lived here for awhile and want to know more. We are excited to get signed up on one of her historical architecture tours soon.”– Jenny, Portland (TripAdvisor)

“Second Slabtown Tour. Truly magical. Just Tanya and I this time. So lucky. It was personal and like stepping back in time. Magic followed us and seemed to affect passerby’s as well. Christmas decorations were still up throughout much of the town so the feel of the holidays was everywhere. It was an experience I won’t soon forget. The respect and honor in the storytelling given to the souls departed was touching. These tours offer something a bit different than most. Could not recommend more. Thank you Tanya!” -<3 – Rebecca Koelzer (Google)

“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 (TripAdvisor)

“Tanya combines bits and pieces of the past that still exist in Slabtown into a bigger history of the neighborhood, city, and region. I felt like I was reading one of those books where you turn pages of transparencies onto each other until you see the full picture. And don’t try to stump her by asking about buildings she doesn’t mention – can’t be done! I noticed some very interesting tiny homes and learned they had been moved from the space needed for the World’s Fair – that’s why they are so closely packed together. A very worthwhile walk through the past!”

– Makowskowitz, Washington D.C. (TripAdvisor)

What Portland experts have to say:

“Tanya March is a deeply knowledgeable historian and historic preservation professional with skills to delve deeply into any question about urban growth.”
 – Carl Abbot, Historian and prolific author

“Great researcher. Very involved in city planning and neighborhood activities. Fully engaged in the Portland community.”
–  Chet Orloff, Director and President of Museum of the City, Former President OHS

“Tanya has contributed numerous times to the online architecture magazine for which I am the editor. Her knowledge of Portland’s history and its built environment is impressive, yet she is equally adept at communicating and bringing alive that which she writes about —making history resonate for a broad contemporary audience. What’s more, she’s never missed a deadline.”
– Brian Libby, Freelance journalist

“An extraordinary archival researcher with a talent for identifying and recognizing the content of historical photos I have never seen in anyone else.”
– Tim Askin, Owner at Pacific History Services, Senior Planner—Historic Preservation at City of Milwaukee, WI

“Ran an excellent class on historic preservation and helped inspire the creation of our neighborhood’s historic district application – which is on the fast track to be the first mid-century modern listing in Oregon.”
– Elizabeth Chapin, PSU student

“The Historic Homes Walking Tour continues to get
great feedback. Thanks so very much for
making it such a great event.”
 – Judith Margles, Director of the Oregon Jewish Museum

“Tanya is a tenacious researcher with experience on numerous National Register listings and Multiple Property listings. Her research has appeared in many museum exhibits and in contributions to a wide range of Oregon history books and articles. In my books, I’ve gratefully referred to her superb research on Guild’s Lake War Housing and Vanport city and War Housing. She interviewed local families and gathered stories and photos of women’s labor in Portland’s huge WWII ship building industry, especially women of color. She convinced families to donate their photos to PSU and OHS archives in order to preserve these important snapshots of local history. She is the founder and owner of the popular Slabtown Tours (teaching Northwest history) and also started a Humanities Book Club, which has a strong following.” -Tracy J. Prince Phd, Research Profession PSU author of Portland’s Goose Hollow

“Tanya March is extremely knowledgeable about Oregon history, especially Portland history! Tanya and I worked with Don Horn and Walter Cole to list Walter’s house on the NRHP in 2019/2020, and Tanya’s research and writing went directly into the historic interpretation panels and other signage at the PIR site (formerly part of Vanport). The ongoing Vanport site work, most of which Tanya has been involved with, included student archaeological surveys, oral histories, and the interpretive panels including one about the Women of Vanport. Tanya always does professional work.”-Kristen Minor, Portland Historic Landmarks Commissioner