Happy Band Tours conducts authentic walking tours in Old Town, Portland. Our tours are led by individuals who have lived experience with being unsheltered and hope to support neighborhood revitalization through stereotype changing.
Curated to share stories of resilience, survival, and Portland from a perspective rarely heard, these tours challenge current perceptions by offering a nuanced perspective of the complex realities of Old Town.
Tours leave @ Ground Score Association (624 NW Couch Street, Portland, OR 97209)
Re-Discover Old Town
Experience Portland’s oldest neighborhood through a different lens. Happy Band Tours blends deep local history, lived experience, and untold truths to reveal the heart of a community shaped by resilience, reinvention, and resistance. Our guided walking tours don’t just show you the sights; they connect you to the people, places, and events that mainstream narratives often leave out.
Meet your tour guide
Barbra (Barbie) Weber is the Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of Ground Score Association. A longtime advocate for hygiene access, environmental justice, and housing rights, Barbie draws from her own experience of nearly a decade living unhoused on the streets of Portland. After finding community at Sisters of the Road café and overcoming a brain injury that ended her marketing career, she co-created Ground Score, a low-barrier employment program supporting unhoused workers.
Book Now!
How to Book Your Tour:
Buying tickets is easy!
Select the number of people in your group — whether it’s just you or your whole crew.
Complete your purchase online and receive an instant email receipt.
On the day of your tour, please present your email receipt (digital or printed) to your tour guide at the designated starting location. That’s your ticket — no need to print anything fancy!
FAQ’s
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The tours last roughly 2 hours. However, due to the different variables the tour may last slightly shorter or longer. If you a time commitment following a tour please communicate that to our guides who will try to acomodate your schedule to the best of their ability.
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Our tours are suitable for people of all ages. We have had children as young as 8 and sprightly adults in their 80s.
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Yes, our tour is wheelchair accessible.
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This is of course at your discretion but very much appreciated. The guide will always keep the full tip.
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We want to make sure that everyone has an enjoyable experience. We thus limit our groups to a maximum of 20 people.
Contact Us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!