FAQ

Hello! We have tried to cover all the questions you might have about our walking tours, but please contact us if you have more! From left to right, below: Downtown, Historic Homes, Women’s History, Oak Grove Cemetery and Walking/Boat Tour combo!

Can I bring my dog? (Our #1 question!)
We love dogs in Bath! However, we do not allow dogs to join our tours, unless you happen to be the only guests on the tour (which we can’t confirm until tour time) or you book a private tour. Contact us with any questions, and thank you for understanding.

Can I bring my children?
Young history nerds unite! Well-behaved children, teens and babies are welcome on our tours as long as they are able to be respectful of other tour guests and do not distract from the tour.  If you’re not sure whether our tours are the right fit for younger attendees, contact us and we can discuss further!

Are your tours accessible for the mobility impaired?
Yes! However Bath has a smattering of the typical New England potholes, bricks sticking out, etc. that all need maneuvering around with care. All our tours are about 3/4-1 mile in length.

On occasion, we have given a tour in a guest’s car while narrating from the back seat. Contact us if that is of interest!

More details on accessibility and specific tours:
-Our Downtown tour has plenty of places to sit, and shady spots along the way. Also, it is a loop, so we are never very far from the start point. It does have some gradual inclines.

-Our Women’s History and Historic Homes tours are fairly flat on residential streets, but with few or no places to sit along the way. On a hot day, a water bottle and even an umbrella for shade might come in handy.

-Our Oak Grove cemetery tour goes over dirt paths and has some medium inclines.

Which tour should I go on?
All of the tours have a certain amount of “Bath History 101” in them, but if you want the full story of how Bath came to be the fourth biggest port in the United States, connecting its story to the history of the country (and the world!), we would highly recommend you take our flagship Downtown tour.

If you like looking at stunning architecture and hearing more personal stories about the people in Bath history, take our Historic Homes tour.

If you want to learn more about the ways ordinary women stepped up and out into public life, making an impact on women’s rights, take our Women’s History tour. (This one will get you thinking about the hidden histories in your own backyard.)

If you like cemeteries, old grave markers, gardens and/or stories about the lives of ordinary people, take our Oak Grove Cemetery tour (not a ghost tour!).

Finally, if you have a small group (one to six people!) and you want the full Bath, Maine experience, book our BoatTour Combo. Getting out on the Kennebec River and seeing the city from that perspective, combined with our Downtown tour, is AMAZING. You will not find a better 1—2 history “punch” on your visit to Maine. Contact us to schedule.

What should I bring?
Comfortable shoes, first and foremost! And, a water bottle, sunglasses, hat, raincoat etc. if the weather warrants. Don’t forget a camera, charged cell phone for photos and helping plan your “go to” spots for shopping, dining and more sight seeing after the tour!

Are there restrooms?
There are restrooms at the start and along the way during our Downtown tour. The Women’s History and Historic Homes tours have a restroom at the start and finish at the Patten Free Library except on Sundays when it is closed. There is no restroom on the Oak Grove Cemetery tour.

Are the tours rain or shine?
We check the weather reports regularly, and look for trends that might suggest the weather would make the tour unpleasant or unsafe. If you are concerned or the forecast looks uncertain, feel free to wait to book. If you are concerned about a tour selling out, just contact us. If we cancel the tour, you will get a full refund, but we won’t cancel for a forecast of a little bit or occasional light rain.

Where do the tours meet? How about parking? How long are the tours?
The Downtown tour meets at Waterfront Park in Bath at 61 Commercial Street; both the Women’s History Tour and the Historic Homes Tour meet at Library (also called City) Park at 33 Summer Street. The tours are about 90 minutes each, but may go a little bit over depending on circumstances; your guide will gauge the group and make sure you know if that may be the case.

There is plenty of street parking available at all locations except at Oak Grove Cemetery. Parking there is easy, but we simply pull over and park on the side of the cemetery road.

What if I am late?
Text us to let us know. We will let you know where to meet up with us!

What is your cancellation policy?
Please provide 24 hours’ notice for a full refund. If you need to cancel less than 24 hours before your tour begins, we can offer a credit toward a future tour. If we cancel the tour because of weather or other considerations, all ticket buyers will receive a full refund. Again, feel free to wait to book if you are uncertain and contact us if you are concerned about a tour selling out.

Do you offer private, custom, or group tours?
Yes! We love coordinating custom tours for folks with a particular interest or perhaps with a focus on a particular Bath family, as well as group tours for team building, weddings, reunions, etc. We have even conducted a private tour in a guest’s car when mobility was a concern. Learn more or contact us.

We also specialize in group tours for visitors travelling together. Bath is a wonderful “hidden gem” with easy logistics that is a highlight of any Maine itinerary. Learn more on our group tour page!

What is the Downtown in the City of Bath Tour about?

Our Flagship Tour begins on the Kennebec River

On our fun and fascinating guided walking tour, find out:

  • How a million dollar tree tipped the balance in the Patriots’ cause… then fell into the Kennebec River

  • How anger at Boston’s neglect led to Maine’s independence - and ushered a Bath leader to the first governorship

  • What a store dedicated to selling toothache medicine was really selling

  • How an enslaved woman running toward freedom found refuge in Bath, Maine - and who helped her escape

  • How a 24-year-old Brigadier General became one of the wealthiest industrialists of the 19th century - all starting on a flooded street

About This fun and fascinating tour focuses on the past 400+ years of the historic and quaint downtown of Bath, Maine, the fifth largest seaport in America during its 19th century heyday. Learn Bath Maine’s story by walking among the charming period buildings, hearing unique stories, and uncovering hidden gems. Led by an educator, this perfectly paced, small group tour is designed for those who love history and offers something for everyone. You will leave with a new appreciation for Bath, local and American history, plus tips and recommendations for other local attractions in Midcoast Maine!

Details: Approximately 90 minutes long, just under a mile, over pavement and sidewalks with some medium hills. $20 per person.

Hot tip: Once you book your tour, you will receive a confirmation email with more details. But here is a sneak peek at our meeting spot, in Bath’s Waterfront Park.

What is your Washington Street Historic Homes tour about?

Sights and Stories bring “The Avenue” to Life on our Historic Neighborhood Tour

On this fun and fascinating guided tour, you will learn:

  • Why Bath, Maine’s first women’s club hosted an anti-suffrage speaker

  • Who kept house back in Bath, Maine for New York’s Ice King while he was hobnobbing with the Morgans and Rockefellers

  • The contents of a shocking letter a Civil War hero’s sweetheart sent him after learning he was surrounded by the enemy at Antietam

  • Why a shipbuilder’s daughter sued her father’s estate - and what happened next

  • Why the friends and neighbors of a prominent Bath citizen had to surround his house to protect it from a violent mob

  • How Bath, Maine’s billionaire business man almost became vice president of the United States, and what he said about the man who won

About Bath, Maine is home to many majestic private residences built during the town’s 19th century shipping and shipbuilding heyday.  Discover the enduring stories of these homes and their residents on a walk through Bath’s tree-lined Washington Street neighborhood where Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne and Victorian architecture abound. The sights and stories on this thought-provoking tour, led by a local educator, will take you back in time. Groups are small, allowing time for questions, conversation and “ooh-ing” and “ah-ing” over exquisite architectural details.

Details: This 90 minute (leave an extra 15 minutes for the return walk), 3/4 mile walk is on mostly level ground, on sidewalks, and with some slight hills. $25 per person.

Hot tip: Once you book, you will receive a confirmation with more details, but here is a sneak peek of where the tour starts, with information about parking, too.

Nice to know: Bring a water bottle. There are no stores/shops along our route and depending on the time of day, it can be quite sunny. Also, though it is a very friendly street, there are few or no places to rest/sit (unlike our downtown tour.) Finally, we start at Library Park, and finish the formal tour about 3/4 of a mile north on Washington Street, then walk back together, chatting, maybe taking a different street back for some informal sight-seeing. If mobility is an issue for anyone in your group, you might want to pre-position a car near the corner of Washington and Edwards Streets - that is near where the formal tour ends and then your group won’t have to walk back to Library Park.

If we did not answer your question, please contact us!