If you are a fan of Steven King’s work - I highly recommend spending an afternoon with Jamie on this tour!... We thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the tour for anyone looking for an entertaining, enlightening and all around great afternoon - and it is a MUST for any Steven King fan!.. Thank you Jamie for being a wonderful guide - we appreciated your hospitality!
– Aimee A.This was a fun, 3-hour tour of Bangor with a discussion of how the town inspired Stephen King and how he has given back to the town. The tour was fun even if you are not versed in King's books, simply because it takes you through Bangor and the surrounding area. A great way to tour the city.
– Will J.My wife and I had a most enjoyable 3 hours on this tour. This is so much more than a tour of "inspired by" sites. Steve and his family's histories as well as their involvement in the Bangor community over the years is also detailed. If you have even a passing interest in King's work this tour will give you a greater appreciation of the author.
– Terry S.The tour was amazing. Did the private tour which was much more intimate than the group. Will do this tour again if in the area.
– Stephen L.I purchased the tour for my fiance who is a Stephen King fan. It was incorporated into a Fall getaway and we were excited to participate... The pace was enjoyable. There were stops at appropriate times. The seating on the minibus was comfortable and not cramped. Sites selected for photo ops were very cool! This tour is definitely five star, even if you aren't necessarily a Stephen King fan...
– Jeannie N.Top notch tour takes you to areas relevant to Stephen King and his books. I did a self guided tour in the morning prior to taking this organized tour in the afternoon. The world of SK is infinite! You can’t beat visiting the subtle spots you would miss otherwise. The tour is run by a family that has known SK for years! The knowledge and trivia shared will satisfy any SK fan. This price is super reasonable and a definitely bucket list item for King fans. Just do it! I promise you will be beyond satisfied!
– Vacationer173218This was a gem of a tour. If you are in Maine or if you are a Stephen King fan this is a real treat. Learning about Bangor Maine through the lense of this American author is a neat experience. The staff that run this tour really enjoy their work and it makes all the difference. One main tip though, if you do take this tour, either the regular or the private, you need to book in advance. I booked my October tour back in March and it was already pretty full. So keep this in mind when planning to take this tour. Definitely worth doing if you are in Maine. I came with my mom.
– Diazfert1If you’re a big Stephan King fan, just want to know about Bangor’s history, or looking for something fun to do, highly recommend the tour. Jamie is a great guide, really friendly guy and the tour was very interesting to see where a lot of famous works were inspired. It’s well worth the time and money.
– brandonbarth0317Being a constant reader for 33 years I was so excited to take this tour. Jaime is like a walking Stephen King encyclopedia. Tour was entertaining and I learned a lot about Stephen King’s life and Bangor history. This trip is a must for all constant readers and enjoyable for casual readers or those who just enjoy the movies based on Stephen King’s books.
– tracy0210I’m a huge Stephen King fan and, for my bachelorette weekend, my dream was to go to Bangor, Maine and do the SK Tours of Maine tour of Derry. We had the best time. Jamie, our guide, was a delight and seeing Mr. King’s connection to the town and the town to his books was fascinating. A must for any King fan!
– Trip33695391069I have enjoyed many Stephen King books and movies, but my husband and son don’t know much about him. However, I’d read great reviews on this tour, so I signed us up for a private one, and it was totally worth it! Jamie took us on an excellent tour of Bangor, not only seeing all the Stephen King places, but also to some hidden gems in Bangor that we never would’ve known about. Our teen son also loved this tour. Highly recommend for anyone near the Bangor area!
– ThankfulMomTravelerMy wife is an avid Stephen King enthusiasts. I, on the other hand, have never actually read one of his books. I have only seen the movies made from his books. That didn’t stop me from having an AMAZING time! I learned a lot and had to add a few books to my must read list. You’re guide is very knowledgeable to all things Stephen King and just had that personality that you could stop listening to. If your on the fence- DO IT! You will not regret. 🎈
– afreccero88Most tours I go on when traveling are 1-2 hour ghost tours around $20-$30. At first I thought $55 for the Stephen King tour was a bit high but let me tell you: it is well worth it if you are a King fan like me. 3 hour tour of actual filming locations and places that inspired the author, ending in the author’s house! Our tour guide was funny and informative. People come from all over the world for this tour. Do not miss out!!
– Jordan MJamie did a fantastic job as our tour guide! He told everyone where Stephen King and his wife Tabitha King had lived, worked, and socialized, and he showed us how King had drawn his inspiration for so many great novels. Jamie had grown up in Bangor, too, and was able to put his own perspective on a lot of King's storylines, too. GREAT TOUR! Whether you are a Stephen King fan or otherwise, it's an interesting history lesson and well worth your time!
– Wendy HOk listen up. You *could* google the directions to some Stephen King locations like the Standpipe or the Paul Bunyan statue and drive past them and take a few pictures. OR you could book this tour and have Jamie tell hilarious jokes, share insider stories about how the Kings have completely changed the town of Bangor for the better, and take you to places you would have walked right past if you didn't know better. Jamie is a huge King fan and you just know you are among kindred spirits the minute you mount the Pennywise bus. Absolutely worth every penny and I can't wait to take this trip again sometime. One of the absolute highlights of my trip out East. Thank you so so much for being such a great introduction into the real world of Derry.
– rmptkThis is the best tour I have ever participated in. Jamie was amazing with his tour. He kept things interesting while cramming as much info into the tour as possible. I never felt like Jamie was a long or getting off track. He kept things interesting and fresh. I highly recommend SK Tours of Maine. I will be going again next time I am in Bangor!
– Autumn II’ve been a Stephen King fan since I was a child watching movies and then reading his books from age 10 on. I turned my never-reads-a-book-outside-of-school husband into a fan finally about 5 years ago and he also has been hooked ever since the Dark Tower (the book, not the movie which shall not be named). So it was zero question when we began planning a trip to Maine that visiting Bangor was a must. We planned our entire 12 day trip around scheduling a private tour with Jamie! There is not a person in this world who knows more about the Kings, his works or the city of Bangor/Derry as Jamie! He did an amazing tour and I loved learning so many things I had never heard before. Even my 8 and 11 year olds who haven’t yet read any SK but have seen a few movies enjoyed the trip (especially seeing the spots from It). I can’t wait to visit Bangor again and book another tour because there is zero way I will remember everything I learned. Thank you thank you thank you Jamie! The Brown family
– Becky BThis tour went above and beyond what my husband and I expected! We have been wanting to do this tour since we heard about it in January and then COVID hit in March so we wanted to wait. I am so glad we came when we did because the tour was back up and running at half capacity for safety. Jamie was our tour guide and picked us up at our airbnb at precisely 1:45pm and was super personable. We learned so much on the tour. He made it fun and exciting but, was extremely knowledgeable about everything SK related. It was awesome that Jamie's family knows SK personally!! What a great memory we have and we will definitely be back and recommend to anyone and everyone who loves SK and the horror genre!
– Caitlin CI went on this tour in July. I'm not a huge Stephen King fan. I think I've read maybe 3 or 4 of his books, but I was in Bangor so I thought "Why not?" This tour was FANTASTIC. Stu was very friendly, and he wasn't just another tour guide with a memorized speech. He tailored the tour to our group's interests (I mentioned having never been to Tim Hortons, so he made sure to stop) while also making sure to hit the "highlights" as well. He's also incredibly knowledgeable about all things Stephen King. Obviously Stu is a fan, but it's more than that. It would have been easy for him to drive us to different locations, let us take a few pictures, and move on. Instead, he was able to deftly weave King's Derry with King's Bangor, sharing stories and personal anecdotes that really brought the different sites to life. I could picture the Losers meeting at the Barrens, just as I could picture Stan at the Standpipe. Stu's love of Stephen King and Bangor was evident throughout the tour, and it was contagious. As soon as the tour was over I bought a couple of Stephen King novels to read. I also considered moving to Bangor, lol. I cannot recommend this tour enough, and if you're considering this tour, buy your tickets already. You won't regret it.
– Rissajo685This is the only Stephen King tour you'll find in Bangor, because the family that runs it is friends with Mr. King himself. Our tour guide, Jamie, was knowledgeable, humorous, accommodating, and patient. We did the Private Tour and couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Money well spent, highly recommended!
– Shawn KMy wife and I have been life-long Stephen King fans. As such we had high expectations for this tour. Jamie was an excellent, local tour guide with a pleasant voice, unparalleled knowledge of the Kings and Bangor, and an excellent driver. The vehicle was clean inside and out. The tour was incredible. We went to many places the inspired the stories we love, but also we learned about how connected and supportive of the community the Kings are. The tour inspired us to visit many of the locations from the tour such as the public library. The tour ended at the King residence. All in all, an incredible experience that me and my family will always remember.
– jaredcopThere’s not much I could add to the hundreds of accurate comments here about Jamie Tinker and the tour. Even his name sounds like a character from a Stephen King story! I guess I can just confirm that as a lifelong constant reader, it’s the next best thing to actually meeting the great man in person. You feel as though you know him intimately, and the glimpses into the way he created his memorable characters and storylines is priceless. I thought I knew almost everything about him, but the thing that will stay with me forever is the extraordinary kindness and love that he and his family has shown for their town through their endless philanthropy. Hospitals, libraries, baseball fields, playgrounds, even a Ronald McDonald house have all been made possible because of the King family’s generosity - and not a single plaque, or sign with their name on it anywhere. Do the tour, even if you’re not a die-hard fan. You will learn so much.
– Dora BWe had a great private tour with Jennifer. There were 4 of us in our party and we had one that had not read any SK novels. So you don’t have to know everything SK to really enjoy this tour! Jennifer really explained a lot of local history, and had a tremendous amount of knowledge about the area and where King drew inspiration for his many novels. We came away with not only a greater appreciation for this prolific writer, but a deep respect for the King family. One of our best days on our 12 day trip to New England !!
– TripAdvisorWe visited from Australia in June this year, and did the luxury private tour with Jennifer. I am still thinking about it - it was so good! Jennifer was so friendly and knowledgeable, and vehicle we drove around in was so comfortable. She was so thoughtful and always willing to accommodate our requests to stop and look and photograph things. I am a big Stephen King fan from way back: my Dad and I used to share our SK novels, swapping them back and forth. When he died I inherited the whole collection - and I've read everything published since. I feel like Derry is a place I know well, almost like a second home. So travelling around Bangor with Jenny, hearing the stories, seeing the places for real - it was not just a really enjoyable tour, it was an experience so close to my heart. I loved seeing places (Georgie and Bill's place, Beverley's place, the baseball diamond and *that* sewer grate) and hearing stories about other places and their connections to Stephen King's world (like Frati's). Thanks to Jennifer's tips, I now have a necklace made from a piece of the Derry (I mean Bangor) Public Library. And I have stories to tell and photos to show from some of the most important fictional places I know. If you are at all a fan of Stephen King, this tour is wonderful. Local history and fiction tie together on a thoroughly enjoyable tour.
– Cat DI engaged SK Tours for the small private tour, and attended it by myself as I was traveling solo. It was exactly what I hoped the experience would be. Jennifer was my guide and host. She was easy going, lots of fun, and chock full of SK knowledge both from his works, and from his life. By attending the tour by myself, I experienced an hours long conversation with an expert on all things Steven King. It was the very thing I wanted. Thank you, Jennifer!!
– Marksdc2022I have been on the tour twice. The first time was a group tour (2020), facilitated by Jamie, in which I was blown away by how much Stephen King used Bangor as a backdrop for certain novels. I made my way back to Bangor two years later (2022) and took a private tour with Jennifer. I did my research this time and was able to add some direction my tour. Even having done my research beforehand, she showed me things that I didn't even know existed. For a casual movie fan I would recommend the group tour. Hardcore book fans need to take the private tour. Do research and ask questions. They will show you things that will blow your mind! They are working on a B side tour so I'll be back again for sure.
– Don K
Each tour is hosted by a member of the Tinker family. We have been featured on A&E Biography, City Confidential, People Magazine, Martha Stewart’s Living, and many other national media outlets. As the owners of the original Betts Bookstore, we have over 20 years of experience selling Stephen King books and memorabilia, and are recognized as experts on King lore and legend.
