Tours

Learn little known facts about some of Bangor’s famous—and infamous– residents during our guided tour. Hear about the importance of symbolism in the gravestones and get a chance to take in some of the city’s beautiful vistas.

Built in 1834, Bangor’s 300 acre Mount Hope Cemetery is the nation’s second oldest garden cemetery. It was designed by renowned architect Charles G. Bryant as part of a national movement to provide respite from grassless urban landscapes. Garden cemeteries were created as much for living as for those who had passed on.

This tour meets at the Superintendent’s House at Mt. Hope Cemetery, 1048 State Street, Bangor.

Bangor is a city rich in history, mystery and powerful events. Perched on the edge of the Maine North Woods and a one-time important harbor, Bangor’s history is filled with tales of lumber barons who struck it rich from her natural resources as well as shipping magnates and manufacturing pioneers. The Best of Bangor tells the stories of our first settlers, the greatest disaster in U.S. Naval History (until Pearl Harbor),  the British Occupation during the War of 1812, the Great Fire of 1911 and so much more.

This tour meets at the Bangor Historical Society/Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street, Bangor.

Even though Maine enacted a Prohibitory Law in 1851, Bangor didn’t comply. In the area known as the “Devil’s Half Acre” saloons & brothels reigned and vice & violence thrived.

Led by the city’s most notorious Madam, Fan Jones, this tour shines a light on Bangor’s wicked side and tells the tales of the people who are just as much a part of the city’s history as those who lived in the majestic homes on Broadway. (Some adult themes; recommended for teens and older. The tour is roughly 1.3 miles and 1.5 hours.)

This tour meets at the Bangor Historical Society/Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street, Bangor.

In April, 1911 a spark in a riverside hay shed ignited a fire that devastated much of Bangor’s downtown and threatened many of her neighborhoods. Join us as we follow the flames’ path and learn which structures survived and how Bangor and her people recovered from the devastation.

This tour meets at the Bangor Historical Society/Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street, Bangor.

Soldiers at Rest walks the grounds of Bangor’s Mount Hope Cemetery is focused on the stories of some of the hundreds of Maine men, many from the Bangor Region, who fought in America’s Civil War.

Thousands of Maine men left the Pine Tree State between 1861-1865 when they enlisted in the Civil War. This tour tells their stories and includes the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery that mustered in Bangor in 1862 as the 18th Maine Volunteers and was renamed in 1863. 604 men from the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery died in a single battle, the Siege of Petersburg, in June, 1864. It was the largest single day loss of any regiment throughout the course of the war.

This tour meets near the Superintendent’s Office at Mount Hope Cemetery, 1048 State Street, Bangor.

Take a stroll down the tree lined street that has been home to some of Bangor’s best known residents.

This tour meets at the corner of Broadway and State Street. Street parking is available on Broadway.

Once known as the Lumber Capital of the World, Bangor was home to a number of families whose fortunes came from the timberlands. Many of the city’s former leaders had the woods to thank for their wealth and prosperity. And, many of them are laid to rest in Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Join us for a special tour as we visit the final resting places of some of those who shaped the Queen City.

This tour meets near the Superintendent’s Office at Mt. Hope Cemetery, 1048 State Street, Bangor.

Bangor’s landscape is filled with examples of the work of some of America’s greatest architects including C. Parker Crowell, Wilfred Mansur and Richard Upjohn.  This stroll through the Queen City’s neighborhoods offers a different perspective on her pre and post Great Fire of 1911 history.

This tour meets at the Bangor Historical Society/Thomas A. Hill House, 159 Union Street, Bangor.

The Bangor Historical Society’s Ghostly Bangor Walking Tour features tales veiled in unsolved mysteries, murder, and the past residents who may still linger in the Queen City.

Tours stroll through the streets of Downtown Bangor and last around 90 minutes.

Tours depart from the Bangor Historical Society’s Thomas A. Hill House (159 Union Street, Bangor).

Explore Bangor’s dark side and take a walk amid the shadows during the Bangor Historical Society’s Darker Mount Hope Cemetery Tour, available on select dates every October.

As the night deepens while you meander the paved paths, a cast of living souls will regale you with dramatic, moving, touching, mysterious, and even spooky stories —sprinkled with a bit of history, of course— about the permanent residents of Mount Hope.

The nighttime walking tour of one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the nation serves as an annual fundraiser for the Bangor Historical Society and is a seasonal favorite. Guests meet at the Superintendent’s Lodge at Mount Hope Cemetery (1048 State Street, Bangor).

The Bangor Historical Society offers private tours for groups and schools, as well as for families and friends who may not be able to attend one of our regular tour dates.

All of our regular tours are available as private/group options. We also offer combination packages and special arrangements can be made for school programs.

Email curator@bangorhistoricalsociety.org for more information.